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Demise of the RD-1


spylaw4

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I think this refers to the R-D1x that was introduced in 2009 and only sold in Japan. The R-D1x wasn’t that much different from the R-D1s (discontinued in 2008), except that it had a 2.5" display (still 235,000 pixels though).

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The latest iteration of R-D1 was launched in 2009 only for the home market. It was still basically the same camera (and 6-megapixel sensor) as the original that was announced 10 years ago, give or take a few days. The camera mostly went under the radar with about zero marketing effort. So, no, it is no surprise it didn't sell in great numbers. But the cameras are still selling both new (very slowly) and used. The market is there, but it is small.

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I bought one on launch but didn't keep it long. Nice construction and unique ergonomics, let down by an abysmal sensor and processing. You could get equally poor files from a Nikon D100 for less money.

 

It could have been a seriously good camera, unfortunately there was no planned upgrade path, no doubt to Leica's relief.

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I bought one on launch but didn't keep it long. Nice construction and unique ergonomics, let down by an abysmal sensor and processing. You could get equally poor files from a Nikon D100 for less money.

 

It could have been a seriously good camera, unfortunately there was no planned upgrade path, no doubt to Leica's relief.

 

Yes, agree on both counts really. I too bought one at launch and was quite excited about the prospect of using my Leica lenses with a digital body but it never lived up to the hopes I had for it. The M8, even with problems of its own, was/is a much better camera.

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I had one for a while; liked the controls, but couldn't get on with the essentially Voigtlander form factor; where the M8 onwards is too fat, the RD-1 was too tall and out of proportion. That plus the poor battery life and low quality files killed it for me - a shame, because there was much about it to like, from the clever control interface to the swivel screen.

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I have to say that I really like my RD-1. I purchased it used in 2006 when I was living in Spain and that camera traveled across Spain and Turkey with me. I stopped using it when I purchased a Panasonic GF1 in mid-2010. Now I travel with an M9. The RD-1 was a great camera for me and I sometimes still pull it out to look at it. Too bad Epson never knew how to market that camera.

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Now there is a possibility of a digital rangefinder camera -made by Cosina and a partner- because the necessary parts are available and common components. Sony has sensors adapted to extremely acute angles of incidence.

Well, judging by the weak to poor performance with many wide-angle lenses for the M-mount, Sony don't seem to have used such a sensor in the A7 series cameras.

 

Nick

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Well, judging by the weak to poor performance with many wide-angle lenses for the M-mount, Sony don't seem to have used such a sensor in the A7 series cameras.

 

Nick

 

It depends on the lens. Sony incorporates a particular software for lens corrections -very powerful and flexible-, and the performance of several wide angle lenses on the M is not perfect either.

 

Anyway, poor performance in the corners with some lenses is better than APS-c "crop".

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...poor performance in the corners with some lenses is better than APS-c "crop".

Matter of tastes. Small FF lenses like Leicas are almost perfect on APS bodies. No vignetting, no smearing, no red edges, even early lenses do marvels on the M8 and will still do on the T hopefully.

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Matter of tastes. Small FF lenses like Leicas are almost perfect on APS bodies. No vignetting, no smearing, no red edges, even early lenses do marvels on the M8 and will still do on the T hopefully.

 

The point is you can use FF with unproblematic lenses and make a crop on difficult ones, or apply a software correction.

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The point is you can use FF with unproblematic lenses and make a crop on difficult ones, or apply a software correction.

 

Sure. Sure as well, you pay a price in money (for FF, likely more expensive soft- and hardware) and time (PP) for this. The RD-1 (steady used market) remains the least expensive digital RF option. It's (also) sure not perfect, but remains perfectly usable for many kinds of purposes. And I'll take it's 1:1 finder anytime over a cyborg view EVF. Tastes.

Alexander

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The point is you can use FF with unproblematic lenses and make a crop on difficult ones, or apply a software correction.

Matter of tastes again. I am totaly unable to compose with the idea that i will crop afterwards. I don't mind if others call that photography but it is not my cup of tea at all. Call me L(HCB)T please. :D

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