vincent_walter

I just fixed mine. Here is this basic procedure I got from Dave at Badger Graphics;

-remove the little hex nut thing beside the swing/shift lock.

-start loosening the swing shift lock.. the first time around it will be a liitle tight geting it

over the phillips head screw, or you can just remove the "handle" from the lock with a

vice-grip and rubber glove to protct the metal.

-once the assembly is apart examine the condition of the clear washer under the lock but

above the lower slider plate.

--this is my addition to the procedure>> Drink a CANNED beer or a CANNED soda of your

chosing.

--wash out can

--go find some tin snips or a good pair of scissors

--cut the can (be careful not to get all bloody!)

--cut two or three circles the same size or slightly larger than the clear washer you stared

at before drinking the beer.

-- find a hole puch (smaller the better)

--punch a hole in the aluminium can circles

--put the washer and one of your aluminium doughnuts where you found the clear

washer.

--reverse the process... you should find the lock to work much better now

---do some trial and error before puting back the little "detent" nut thing.

---ps you need a 8mm open end wrench to take off and tighten that detent nut.

---- go take some photos and drink another beer.

Quoting--"Patrick- never buy a 1st generation product of anything. the RD2 is not far

away

and should provide improvements on several fronts."

Me>>>I checked with a Cosina "insider" and was informed that no RD-1 "replacement"

should be

expected any time soon.... they have a couple thousand Rd-1's that are un-sold."

Quoting-- Mark Williams "I just particularly like the look CCD sensors produce. I also use

two 35mm type cameras with CCDs in them (Epson RD-1 and Contax ND), and like the

slightly different quality of the images ... just like some folks like different kinds of film. I

hope they keep that in any future RDs, that's all."

Me-- It's the optical system mostly... example: I can't fault my Fuji S3 with 70-200mm AF-

s Nikor, put any short zoom on and I find it barely useable.

My Leaf Aptus 17 has me absolutly amazed again... The Ziess lenses on a Hasselblad don't

leave anything to be desired... have little idea why someone would want an Aptus22 or

even the H-39.

It's all opinions and what works for you....

http://cgi.ebay.com/EPSON-RD-1-RANGEFINDER-DIGITALA-CAMERA-6-1MP-

NEW_W0QQitemZ190065016656QQihZ009QQcategoryZ381QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1Q

QcmdZViewItem?hash=item190065016656

This is nuts it's listed under coupons... I was almost interested in pursueing it because he is

only 100 miles from me and I'm heading his way Friday. Ad looks too flakey, it has to be

stolen, broken, or absolutly bogus.

I think a clean one would be worth abou $1400...

Case study... I bought an essentially obsolete Dicomed Bigshot 4000 (16MP teathered

digital back the ONLY worked with an obsolete, buggy and very rare mac. clone computer).

I got the back, computer, assesories, and a Sinar/Foba studio stand for $2250 from a

Chicago studio that was closing. The stand was worth the $2250. I used the Dicomed

back for two years and about 40 assignments netting me a decent return on the whole

investment.

I wanted to step up to a self-contained digital back for Hasselblad and Sinar. I asked if

there was a trade value for the Dicomed... I was laughed at. (this item sold for $55,000

new--yes 55 THOUSAND). Put it on e-bay hoping for $400.. perhaps $600?? What did I

get? $1500.00 and I think I could have sold 4 at that price... I still get a random e-mail 4

months later inquiring if I had more or knew if the buyer would sell? Go figure.... The

sales guy at Helix was amazed and perhaps sad he did not offer me the $500 I wanted on

trade for my Leaf Aptus back.

I have a WORKING FULL FRAME (58x58mm) digital back. It's a DICOMED Big-Shot. The

downside is you have to work teathered to a coputer that runs APPLE OS 8.5 and supports

1GB of RAM. I have that to.... it's big! Only use thi beast occasionaly for portraits with the

Hasselblad ELD and commercial work on my SINAR view. I have looked into running this

outfit on an Apple Powerbook with a Magma Systems PCI card adapter.

Like the originator of this thread I am now looking at the purchase of a Hasselblad or Leaf

back.... just wondering why there is no 50x50mm sensors when we had one larger than that

in 1992?!?!?