So Is My RD-1s Better than the M8

[Alex_Es]

After reading all the postings about the M8's magenta casts and aliasing, I have to ask this question. My

quirky Epson RD-1s doesn't have those problems. Not as far as I know. So if the RD-1s creates better

images than the M8, what has Epson and Cosina done right that Leica hasn't?

 

My only complaint about the M8 when I used it last summer was that I couldn't use it enough. I loved the

thing. I also loved the demo M8 in Obayashi Camera. So much so that I went back yesterday to play with

it--only to find it gone.

 

In December my black M8 is supposed to arrive at Obyashi. The magenta cast I can deal with (by shooting

black and white) but the aliasing. Is it really all that awful?<div></div>

[john_a.]

Japanese has better QC than Germans, as evidenced in their cars.

[andy_piper2]

As to aliasing, judge for yourself:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Ipdy&tag=

 

As for the magenta - yes the R-D1s has a heavier IR filter (and better color handling in the

firmware than the original).

 

OTOH the heavier IR filter (and other cover layers) causes effects like those shown below -

again you will have to judge for yourself (and perhaps try your R-D1 in similar lighting):<div></div>

[andy_piper2]

As to vignetting: Again judge for yourself. Same lens, same scene (18 months apart)

 

Considering Cosina engineered both this lens AND the camera part of the R-D1 - I'm

intrigued by John's idea of "better QC" based on nationality.<div></div>

[simon_dai]

Hi, Alex, I think the color aliasing can be easily dealt with if you shoot RAW ... but I did have seen some pretty bad examples from the M8, I guess it's only because the camera has a pretty lousy JPEG engine? such as this one I found on DC Watch yesterday?

 

<a href="http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/static/image/2006/11/16/m8_111l.jpg" >M8 color aliasing example</a>

[andrew robertson]

I have run into a very few areas of difficulty with the R-D1 and moire patterns. My Canon

10D hasn't ever given me anything but great images. It's older than dirt now! How's that

for value?

 

The vignetting issue is quite easily solved with RAW in the R-D1. The moire issue is a

bitch when it happens on a money shot. If anybody knows a way to easily fix it in raw

without screwing up some other aspect of the image I'd love to know it! Masking and

adjusting the offending tones to match reality takes a while.

 

Granted there have only ever been 3-4 shots where it was really bad in my 2 year

experience with the R-D1. Otherwise the thing is a workhorse. Unlike some people I like

the winding lever and crazy analog readout. And the images are great. But the fat lady

hasn't sang for Leica yet.

[robert x]

it's true that germans are well known for their shoddy cars. I mean look at all those broken

down mercs and bmws rolling about africa....

[james mitchell dc]

Alex, I was thinking that I would sell the Epson RD-1s as soon as the M8 came in, and I'm glad that I didn't. The Epson survived the typhoon in the mountains of Luzon three weeks ago--actually, the Domke F-803 protected everything beautifully. I'll need some time to fix my opinion on the M8. Reading the posts has done little more than make checking the Forum a lot less time-consuming.

 

Alex, what's the Japanese price for the M8? Same as in the U.S.?

[Alex_Es]

Hi James,

 

Here's from an ad in Dec. Asahi Camera. At Map Camera: 539,800 yen. Guy at Obayashi mentioned something lower.

 

Save your RD-1s.

[Niels - NHSN]

The magenta cast is also a problem in the RD-1s:<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HTKX&tag=">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00HTKX&tag=</A>

[andy_piper2]

Lest it appear I am trashing the R-D1:

 

1) at the very minimum its creation kicked Leica out of their alternate universe (although

perhaps only into a different alternative universe, not ours - we shall see). And likely led to

a beheading of the old management, at least indirectly.

 

2) In the range of 21-50mm lenses (32-75 equivalent - the range between vignetting and

the end of the framing options) it actually is (was, in my case) quite sweet. Except for

those darn occasional reflections.

 

I had some color issues with it that likely could have been fixed if I'd been RAW-capable at

the time I had it (or kept it long enough to get the -1s firmware upgrade). And my shutter

blew up at about exposure 3500 (but Sean Reid's poll of users indicates I was the only

person that happened to - and Epson replaced the whole camera under warranty in under

10 days).

[j_t3]

No

[majid]

Alex, I held off on buying a R-D1 for 2 years, waiting for the M8. I bought a M8 last Saturday, returned it on Wednesday (it was defective, beyond the known IR issue) and bought a R-D1 instead. For more details, see <a href="http://www.majid.info/mylos/weblog/2006/11/23-1.html">my article</a>, with samples. Perhaps I was just spectacularly unlucky, but when combined with the IR fiasco, I ended up simply disgusted with Leica.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Fazal ; thanks for your blog link in the other thread. I downloaded the DNG file on my laptop yesterday and had to get the Adobe update! convertor:) I have an ancient raw convertor for CS2 that didnt work with your file, Cool beans I can now see your magenta DNG image after upgrade>!