alessandro_dolci Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Dear Leica friends, I helped,yesterday evening, a friend of mine, a professional photographers, to calibrate the rangefinder of his new epson rd1. He has a 50 summilux pre asph and at 1 meter he had big error. We tried for more than 1 our but the rangefinder was always changing. Has anyone had similar results with luxes? I mean how small error is acceptable? 3-4 cm is good ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_cummer1 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Alessandro, Something is not right with your friend's RD 1. In my experience the 50 Summilux should focus just fine, although there can be trouble with the 90 Summicron APO and the 135 Elmar due to mechanical misalignement between these two lenses and the focus wheel in the camera body. I suggest your friend take the camera back and exchange it. Does it focus the 50 Lux correctly at infinity? Howard (in Hong Kong) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_cummer1 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Here are a couple of photos taken with my 50 Lux on my RD 1 Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howard_cummer1 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Here's the second Picture Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Agree. No problems with focussing in the close range (1-3m) with 35mm and 50mm lenses (nor with my 90/F4 macro). With care, I can even acceptably focus the 50 Noctilux wide open within the same focussing range. I haven't done any testing outside the medium to close range but the problems your friend has are clearly in the close range. It sounds like a miscalibrated rangefinder but I would pay close attention to whether you and your friend are orientating your eye centrally to the rangefinder view (not central to the framelines but central to the rangefinder patch - at close ranges there is a significant amount of difference in this regard). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_w Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Search for earlier posts regarding this. The RD-1 has been widely reported to have serious rangefinder alignment problems. No one seems to know why, but I've heard that most cameras have this issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 <i>No one seems to know why, but I've heard that most cameras have this issue</i><br><br>Hmm.. Interesting how so many products get trashed on these boards on so little evidence. If the above is true then I must have been very lucky to get an example that focusses absolutely fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_w Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 The main retail distributer in New York is refusing to stock the RD-1 until these issues are resolved. Little evidence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Okay fair point, looks like I have been quite lucky. Clearly Allessandro's mate hasn't been (though presumably Epson or the retailer will replace the defective RD-1). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_kieltyka1 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Interesting how easily rumor and innuendo get repeated as fact. The fact is: the main retail distributor in New York (B&H) is selling the R-D1 as of last night. I bought one from 'em, which should arrive next Monday. If there are any focusing issues with my sample I'll most certainly report them here, and if there are none I'll definitely report that too. IMO Ian makes a good point. The Bessa/R-D1 finder requires you to center your eye in the RF patch. Otherwise there's no clear point when the RF & VF images snap into focus. I had some focus problems with the first roll of film I shot with a Bessa R back in 2000 due to this. Once I figured out the proper technique, no more problems. -Dave- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 how much are these cams again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee hamiel Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 $2995. USD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grant_. Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 u guys really paid 3k for this cam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Grant, there are people who pay 3K for a handbag. I don't really see your point. It isn't as if there are many other choices if you want a digital rangefinder compatible with existing M lenses. The D70 and 20D will provide the same (or better) quality at half the price or much less but they don't take M lenses. It's either worth 3K to you or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_smith117 Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I have the 12/21/50/75 Voiglander lenses, I will wait for the initial waves to settle down and probably stay with my r3a until the price comes down a bit. Say $1900. -Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_dai Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Price in Japan is about 2600US at this time ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alessandro_dolci Posted November 12, 2004 Author Share Posted November 12, 2004 The camera was misaligned from the beginning, maybe due to the long journey to Italy, so we were forced to calibrate the three screws of the rangefinder, and this ought to be easier with digital picture. This morning it seemed ok but then in the afternoon it was wrong again. The infinite was ok but when we touched the screws everything had to be fixed again. We'll try harder and we'll follow your advice regarding the eye centering. Thankyou very much to all of you. Alessandro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__jon__ Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 >Justin W , nov 12, 2004; 01:29 p.m. >The main retail distributer in New York is refusing to stock the RD-1 until these issues are resolved. Little evidence? Yeah, little evidence. Who told you that little bit of info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel_chung Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Last week I purchased 2 RD-1's in the UK. Both seem to have focus problems with the Leica 21 f2.8 asph and 35 f2 asph I bought with them. These are especially obvious in the close range with both lenses front focussing by a couple of inches. I have bought a Hexanon 35 f2 for a Hexar RF, strangely this appears to focus correctly at close range! producing some of the sharpest images I have seen. It does seem to be a little off at infinity focus though. Anyone have any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alessandro_dolci Posted November 14, 2004 Author Share Posted November 14, 2004 I think you should try longer lens full open to understand if it focus properly, best if you use lenses you know are ok for leica cameras. I I ever buy a digital m I'll take with me the 75 1,4 or the 90 2 so to be sure it works properly from the beginning. Alessandro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel_chung Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 I have tried a 50mm f2 summicron-r and it seems to focus much better, it is only slighty front focussing. The attached picture has had a slight sharpen and is crpooed at 100% magnification (actual pixels). On the 21 it is not the rangefinder that is out, manually set to infinity the lens still front focusses. I think the issue is to do with the wide or fast aperture leica designs and their compatability with the rd-1. I really can't explain what is going on here. Any more thoughts?<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel_chung Posted November 14, 2004 Share Posted November 14, 2004 Here is a 100% crop of a 21mm f2.8 asph image focussed on the letters subject in the yellow circle. As you can see it is definitly front focussed.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan dirk geertsema Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Could it have to do with the sensor being misaligned? Jan Dirk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 If the sensor was mislaligned wouldn't everything be out of focus? In the 21mm shot there clearly is a plane of focus forward of the stated focus point which, to me, suggests a rangefinder issue. Epson may need to get a grip on this issue because, in the internet forums at least, the reputation of this new camera is fast going down the toilet. All I can state is my own experience which is that the RD-1 example I own does not seem to have any focus issues with the lenses I use - 24 Elmarit, 35 and 50 crons, 50 Noct (which surprises me given the short baselength of the rangefinder) and 90/F4 macro (only tested in the very close range). I'm fairly picky about focus so it's not that some of us have different standards about what is acceptable and what isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watts Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 A suggestion for anyone with focus problems on their RD-1. Using a tripod I suggest focussing a given lens using your existing (and proven to be ok) M camera body. Mark where the lend has focussed (with a pencil or bit of tape). Put the RD-1 on the tripod. Defocus the lens (put it on infinity) and then refocus on the same object using the RD-1 rangefinder. Unless I'm being a bit thick, the lens should be focussed to the same point as it was on the M body. This experiment may not be as reliable in the very close ranges due to differences in the shape/size of the respective camera bodies becoming a factor. You might also want to try the 'mirror' test (details in a number of threads in this forum). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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