What chance a Bessa style Digital RF?

I'm pretty new to using rangefinders but have been putting a bit of Tri-x

through an old Yashica Electro GSN.

 

What do the readers think the chances are of a Bessa digital in the future. Is

it possible to put a cropped sensor similar to a D80 or D200 into a Bessa type

body?

 

The M8 seems to have proved that there is a niche for a high end digi RF

camera, what about a mid range camera like a Bessa?

 

I think I'd jump at it (if the IQ was ok) for some of my work. Any ideas anyone?

it's been done. epson r-d1 and r-d1s... it will happen again.

The RD-1 and RD-1s beat the M8 to the table, but were subsequently discontinued. These machines have some really nifty features that in some ways make them more attractive than an M8. Used copies don't sit on the shelves, and it won't be long before they are brought back in some form. You can probably still find new ones sitting in the inventory of a few dealers, so grab them now.

Anything can happen. It most likely will be a Zeiss Ikon digital RF. There have been hints.

There are new, demo and used Epson RD cameras sold on ebay; I bought mine awhile back from the seller matsuiyastore in Japan; a demo. The unit was for all practical purposes brand new in the box. In the scheme of things the camera is expensive compared to a walmart P&S digital with that has the same megapixel rating and cost 1/10 as much. Here I have many LTM lenses; a few M mount lenses, two M3's, a Bessa R thats now 6? years old; a mess of zorki's and Feds. The Epson Rd uses the Leica M mount. The battery fits Kodak and other cameras. Here I have the older RD-1 version with the -S software upgrade. One can shoot with Raw and jpeg at the same time with this upgrade. The sensor is sub 35mm size; ie 1.5 x. A 50mm lens has the angular coverage of a 75mm lens on a full frame camera. I really like the simple clean layout; the analog dials; It uses the same SD cards as my dinky Nikon L6 P&S digital.

Here is a shot of Orion shot a few days before Full moon; with some clouds in the scene. This was an 8 second exposure at F2; using a new LTM multicoated 50mm F2 Summicron. The second image is a cropped section of the full frame; showing the belt sword/m42 area of orion. This shot was just a captured jpeg when I first got my camera; a goofing around poor test. <BR><BR> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS0544ORION50mmF28secondsiso800.jpg?t=1188652640"><BR><BR><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS0544ORION50mmF28secondsiso800CR.jpg?t=1188652821">

Here is a poor shot using the 28mm F6 Orion-15 wide open at F6; with cropped sections showing MY orion-15 is decent wide open. This was just a bored shot while waiting in Ronalds drive thru.. <BR><BR> <img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS0520DRIVETHRU02SMALL.jpg?t=1188653223"><BR><BR><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS0520DRIVETHRU02CROP1.jpg?t=1188653473"><img src="http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y148/ektar/EPSON%20R-D1/_EPS0520DRIVETHRU02CROP2.jpg?t=1188653544">

I have owned an R-D1 for years. It's great.

 

About the only thing that I would upgrade to is a full frame DRF. A cropped sensor camera

is not an upgrade for me, especially at $5000.

 

As has been said above, they are still in high demand despite being out of production and

'only' 6MP.

What I have heard in the past is that Hirofumi Kobayashi (Cosina CEO) is not a digital fan. now, money can change opinions. But given the mediocre sales performance of the Epson RD-1, it is my opinion that Cosina will think long and hard before trying a digital RF again.

 

Now, that's just my opinion, and I am frequently wrong about most everything. So feel free to ignore it. Personally, I'd love to see a cheap digital RF. Not a week goes by that I don't question my decision to sell my RD-1.

If rumors have any substance then it may happen. Someone, on DPReview, I think, reported a conversation with an Epson rep at some photo conflab and the gist of it was that Epson might run another batch of these. Beyond that I have read nothing more. The Epson cameras were, of course, made by Cosina and they are not without problems as I understand the situation. The viewfinder seems to be the biggest source of complaint. RF can be misaligned I think. I do not know for sure. Do not own one, know no one who has one but they do make some decent photos. They are a Leica mount so why not get a lens or two and see what happens. If nothing, then you can sell the lenses or save up for an M8. Take all this for what it is worth and it is worth what it cost you. John

I am hoping Cosina will, Leica will certainly never make a lower price digital body for the rest

of us. i enjoy the quality of my canon 30d, but i hate the size and bulk. i would love to have

a smaller more enjoyable "old fashioned" digital. i actually suggested a digital bessa years

ago on the cv users group email list, and got chased off with pitchforks and torches. i was a

little too ahead of the times i guess.

"The viewfinder seems to be the biggest source of complaint. RF can be misaligned I think."

 

Ask anybody who owns one, the 100% viewfinder is perfect. There have been a handful of

reports of problems with framelines being slightly out of kilter, and a number of folks had

problems with their RF alignment, but these problems also crop up with Leicas, and the M8

has had more than its share of problems. All in all, if you ask anybody who actually owns

an R-D1(s) they are almost without exception very pleased. At least one pnetter (Fazal?)

ditched his M8 for the R-D1.

if the cosina boss now walks into the repair center at solms, having seen so many returned lens and body for calibration, would he want a repeat to his company?