RD-1 & M lenses: First Blush Report

[lkv]

Thank you very much !<br>

I've had the occasion to hold the camera and it feels good. But not to shoot with it...<br>

I am one step closer to sell my Canon for this little beast. I would prefer waiting for the

second generation, but I do not know if I will resist that long ! I am so used to

rangefinders, I never really got any pleasure with the Canon, it just has the practicality of

digital for clients. It is the main reason why I still use film for personal pictures...<br>

Lenny<br>

<a href="http://www.afimage.com">AFimage - Photographie</a>

[fotografz]

Hi Gerry, Yes, as I said above, I worked on the images but mostly when converting the RAW

files in PSCS. No I haven't tried the B&W yet. I will need to tweak the custom camera

settings for B&W and save them in one of the "film" modes you can select when shooting.

 

Simon, IMO, it's a matter of subjective opinion and taste concerning color rather than a

competitive comparison. I'm just glad the Leica look can migrate to digital ... it bodes well

for the future of those expensive lenses.

 

Stephen, the camera was used prior to the "Lunch Hour" , and afterwards also without

needing a recharge. It's about the number of shots and how often you review with the

LCD, not just the time spent. But you already knew that.

 

THANK YOU David and Ken !!!!! Will be getting the V/C 15mm pronto. Al swears by it, and

I've seen some of his shots with it using film. So that, and your input, is invaluable. What

do you guys use as a finder, and does the in camera focusing work, or is the DOF so great

it isn't necessary to focus?

 

Ian, a thank you to you also. I'll look into the Fuji battery as a back-up. I assume the

charger that came with the RD camera is okay for the Fuji?

 

Here's one from my Mall trip while trying to do some last minute Christmas shopping...<div></div>

[fotografz]

And another 'lunch" shot at ISO 1600 and cropped to about 65% of the captured image.

 

I wonder if you set the compensation to +2 if the effect would be the equivalent of ISO

3200 or more? Hmm...<div></div>

[kipling]

Hi Marc, thanks for your informative revue. <p>

As far as viewfinders for the Voigtlander lenses go, Cosina has produced 3 new ones for

the R-D1 field of view with the 12, 15 and 21mm lenses. You can order them <a

href="http://www.cameraquest.com/epson_rd1_VF.htm">here</a> on Steve Gandy's site.

BTW, they also work with Leica screw mount lenses in the M mount adapter.

<p>

Happy holidays! <p>

Kipling

[chip l.]

Thanks for the review and pics Marc. Though you are fueling my lust for one of these

bodies <g>. This after getting a couple used lenses for my 10D (a 28/2.8 and a 50/1.8

mk I) - my answer for struggling with the $3000 price of the RD-1.

 

I have the 15CV and it is a great lens like so many other reports here.

 

You also may want to try an infrared filter on the camera. Results may be a little soft, but

the effect may be nice. I know that my 10D as is can handle it from some postings on the

net.

[krimple]

I just got the 15mm VC lens for $250 used at B&H--it was a steal. It even came with the LTM adapter! However, it only has the 15mm shoe-mount viewfinder, which, if I imagine a smaller crop inside it, works reasonably well.

 

You only need to scale focus with the lens. Unfortunately I'm an American and the metric scale is the only one on my lens, so I have to think metric (well, welcome to the rest of the world!). If you set infinity on the right at f/4.5, you get I believe 1 meter to infinity in focus. That's wide open. at f/16, everything is in focus from .3 meters to infinity using scale focusing. So the depth of field in this kit is immense, and you're really only framing the shot with the finder, not focusing it.

 

I do notice it tends to underexpose a bit more than my other lenses, but I assume that's because it is so wide the meter gets more of the image field in the center of the pattern. Plus it does vignette a bit, but I like dark edges. I don't use the compensation terribly much as it tends to bring out the noise on the edges if you overdo it.

 

BTW, it is rather difficult to judge framing close-in with this lens, and although it focuses quite closely, you'll have to do a few shots in a row to figure out framing. That's normal with rangefinders as all you leicaphiles know--it isn't exactly a macro or closeup photographer's dream, but it can do the job to some degree with this lens!

I haven't touched my 20D since I got the thing -- it's a honeymoon to say the least, but I've now been debating trading my 20D equipment in for a RB67 and some studio type lenses (macro, portrait lens, normal) and still having enough left to pay off debt. However, I think I'll keep the 20D for sports (my kids) as nothing touches it for that. Plus the RAW workflow is MUCH better.

 

On an unrelated note, Breezebrowser pro now views thumbnails but can't make them full size, but if you extract a JPEG image with the same name as the ERF file it will show the JPEG when you double-click the image. I asked phaseone about R-D1 support, and they gave me a slightly flip 'no support planned but we'll bring it up' statement. I think our market is so small we all have to lobby to get anything done about it.

 

Ken

[sean_reid]

Nice samples Marc. I recently finished a review of 11 lenses (Voigtlander and Leica) on the R-D1. The article will be up on LL sometime this week. Included are vignetting results for each.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean Reid

[cabophoto]

Marc,

 

>>I wonder if you set the compensation to +2 if the effect would be the equivalent of ISO 3200 or more? Hmm...

 

I tried with my Nikon D70 (which alledgedly has the same sensor as the Epson RD-1). With a -2 compensation dialled in you have an effective speed of ISO 6400; of course you will have to compensate in Photoshop CameraRAW later. The results are quite acceptable considering the speed.

 

Carsten

 

http://www.cabophoto.com/

[ed_schwartzreich]

Marc,

Thanks for the really wonderful images and your impressions, and to the rest of you all for the sensible and helpful replies. I have had the camera since October and have been more than pleased with it. I have written a review which will be in the LHSA's Viewfinder magazine this January.

 

There is some mention here of IR images. I thought of this too late to put into the review, and here in Vermont there is of course no foliage outside to make traditional IR images, only snow. I did shoot some B&W images of plants inside the house with a 50 Summicron and Leitz IR filter, and indeed got an image, so I think IR is getting onto the sensor.

 

Does anyone have an actrual IR shot with the R-D1 to post? This would be most helpful

 

Ed

[fotografz]

Wow, sort of a sub-cult of RD users here.

 

BIG QUESTION: Where do you get a diopter correction for this camera? Calumet didn't

know anything about one. I use a Leica +1.5 on my Ms, and used one of those temporarily

held by a rubber-band (lost the Leica diopter almost immediately ; -( Does a V/C diopter

work?

 

Oh sorry Barry, the answer to your question about dead time: I can shoot 4 or 5 RAW shots

as fast as I can cock the shutter, then it takes about a second before you can shoot the

6th, & 7th one, then a second more before the 8th one, and about a second between shots

after that until you stop and let the buffer unload which is about 2-4 seconds. Obviously,

J-Pegs will probably more than double that # of shots, if it even stops it at all.

 

Thanks Kipling ! That makes it even easier. I'll order the V/C 15 kit today.

 

Ken, I found the RAW developer in PSCS to be the same work path I use for all my digital

cameras. I'm pretty use to it and have gotten a lot of the digital processing and batch work

tricks down to where I usually only have to crop and sharpen in reg. PS.

 

I didn't experience any vignetting with any of the three Leica lenses used (28/2, 35/1.4,

50/1.4) Now I want to try a 75 Lux and a 90AA on the thing and figure out how to frame

with them : -)

[watts]

<i>I assume the charger that came with the RD camera is okay

for the Fuji?</i><br><br>All I can say is that I haven't had any

problems charging Fuji brand NP-80s in the supplied charger -

they behave just like the Epson branded battery (take about the

same amount of time to charge and last about the same in the

camera). Sean Reid informed me off-list that he had bought a

couple of 'generic' NP-80 batteries and that these behaved a

little odd in his charger. He might be able to provide more details

but I think he found that the charger indicated that they were

charged when they weren't.

[watts]

<i>I can shoot 4 or 5 RAW shots as fast as I can cock the

shutter, then it takes about a second before you can shoot the

6th, & 7th one, then a second more before the 8th one, and

about a second between shots after that until you stop and let

the buffer unload which is about 2-4 seconds</i><br><br>That's

interesting. My RD-1 (which I bought about 6 weeks ago) has

about half the buffer performance you report above (using the

latest SanDisk Ultra II cards). Sean Reid's review on Luminous

Landscape is consistent with my findings. Maybe Epson have

responded to the early criticism and installed larger buffers in

more recently produced RD-1's?

[al_kaplan1]

Somebody shoot me! This is looking more and more appealing, especially after seeing those shots with the 15mm Skopar! Is there anybody here in South Florida that has an RD-1? I'd still like to see how it handles my 21/3.4 Super Angulon.

 

And thanks, Marc, for helping us decide on that little Canon for my daughter-in-law. She's most likely going to be ordering one today.

[ed_schwartzreich]

My generic Fuji NP-80 charges and behaves the same as the Epson battery. I am using a Leitz 135BL finder for the 90AA. I attach a recent image with this lens, tripod mounted 1/2 second at f/8 but slight movement as I didn't use a cable release. My 75/1.4 won't couple accurately to the rangefinder, but if it did I have a Nikkor 105 BL finder which seems about right.

 

Tom Abrahamsson and I tried the 28/2 Summicron and a 28/3.5 (I think) VC lens on the R-D1 back to back, and their image fields are quite different, the Summicron being much wider. The frame lines on the R-D1 are for me only the most general of guides.

 

Ed

[fotografz]

You're right and I'm wrong. I tried it again, and really cocked fast rather than cocking like I

do when shooting, and it stopped at 2 shots then resumed in about a second for the third

shot, then a bit longer for the 4th shot and even longer for the next shot. I was

responding from memory when shooting, and should've tried it first. Sorry.

[chip l.]

Al, I am glad i am not the only one being tempted by some of the postings here.

[david_kieltyka]

Al, I think the Super Angulon on the R-D1 is a no-go. The rear element will probably bump into the shutter. I'm going from memory of the SA's form factor, so if someone has tried it and it works please correct me.

 

One lens that definitely doesn't work is the Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 in LTM. The rear element is a few millimeters too deep. Some samples of the Soviet clone version are known to protrude less deeply into the camera...they should work.

 

I've included a photo I took yesterday at our annual workplace Xmas party. I used the Epson RAW converter's b&w option with a simulated orange filter and also applied a mild warm tone in Photoshop. For the pics I set my Kobalux 21mm to f/5.6, focus distance to 2m and fired away.

 

-Dave-<div></div>

[gregory_goh]

Marc,

 

I can confirm that the Fujifilm NP-80 battery will fit into the Epson charger, and

seems to work just fine

[stuart d]

<i>"Where do you get a diopter correction for this camera? Calumet didn't know anything about one."</i>

 

<p>Marc - try the diopter for the Nikon FM3A. I read that it fits the R2 and R3A over on the CVUG a couple of weeks ago, and IIRC the RD-1 is based on the same chassis.

[grant_.]

honestly, these look like any digicam snaps to me...this cam just cant justify its own price....its epson targeting the 'rich' at its finest, and is obviously hooking a few....

[Tony Rowlett]

Grant, can I put my 50/1 on just any digicam?

 

Marc, you are a blessing. Thank you! (except my wife will ultimately dislike you !!!!) (just kidding) (maybe not...!)

[grant_.]

i bet ur 50/1 wont even focus right on this cam, and it wont be a 50, it'll be a 75...another useless trait of this cams is its inability to use leicas wide lenses as wide lenses....but, if u wanna boast that you can put your overpriced 50mm lens on an overpriced epson cam, go right ahead

[Tony Rowlett]

I didn't mean to boast.

 

Even a sack of potatos is overpriced these days, so comments that suggest that something is overpriced are irrelevant. I just think it's cool that if you have an overpriced investment in Leica glass, something is finally here to use them in a digital context. OK, multiply focal lengthes by 1.6. So what... at least we don't loose a stop.

 

What really kills me, though, is the "winding" thing. Good grief, why do you have to wind it?

[david_kieltyka]

Happy Holidays, Grant!

 

Tony, the R-D1 doesn't have a shutter-cocking motor so you have to do it yourself. Just like any Leica or Bessa. Not a big deal at all.

 

The bad weather is movin' in (snow, cold) so I'm outta here. :-)

 

-Dave-<div></div>

[jeffascough]

Thanks for the info Marc.

 

Two things which trouble me about this camera

 

1) I read that the rangefinder base won't allow critical focussing of the noctilux and the 75 summilux. This is a major omission as far as I can see. Especially for me as the Noct is my 'standard' lens.

 

2) The 1.6X mag is a PITA as not only does it screw up the wide angle field of view, it also increases the depth of field for each field of view. Again that is unacceptable to me.

 

The only good thing is that this has given Leica a kick up the butt and will ultimately get them moving on the MD.