EPSON R-D1
Review and photo examples of the Epson R-D1 rangefinder digital camera.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The lenses used in the photographic examples were the RICOH GR 28mm and the HOLOGON 16mm.
- Details are given in the gallery captions.
Review
The R-D1 is a digital rangefinder camera released by Epson equipped with a 6-megapixel APS-C size sensor, which was the mainstream at the time.
Two years before the Leica M8, I never expected that Epson would release a digital rangefinder. This is the camera that got me hooked on rangefinder cameras, and I used it for three years from 2005 to 2007, making several adjustments to the vertical misalignment of the viewfinder, which was a problem with this camera, before moving on to the LEICA M8.
The R-D1 was equipped with a clock-like analog meter and a rotating LCD panel, making it a playful camera in contrast to the later LEICA M8, which was more practical.
Although the sensor is APS-C, I feel that it is a very high level of technology that they were able to fit the digital part into the mechanism of a BESSA film camera without increasing the camera size too much. The regrettable thing about this camera is that only minor changes were made and the second generation R-D2 was not released. If Sony, a company in the Konica Minolta lineage, had inherited this camera, I think they would have created a rangefinder digital camera that only Sony could offer with its sensor and image processing technology. This camera uses a lot of Cosina’s technology in the camera part, so if the rights are transferred to another company, there may be an issue as to what to do with Cosina’s rights and technology. If Cosina were to continue with this on their own, there would be problems with software development, and since Cosina discontinued the BESSA series of film cameras after the release of this camera, there would be problems with the design of the mechanical parts of rangefinder cameras and the supply of parts. It seems that it would have been difficult to continue either way, but it is a great shame that a successor to this rare camera was not released.
Although this camera has 6 million pixels, you can obtain images that clearly express the characteristics of various lenses, making you realize that the number of pixels is not everything when it comes to cameras.
Because it uses an APS-C sensor, if you use the HOLOGON 16mm (the manufacturer does not recommend lenses such as the HOLOGON where the rear element goes inside the camera, use it at your own risk and the camera may be damaged. Although there is some vignetting, there is no color cast around the periphery of the image, which is a problem with lenses such as the LEICA M9, so it can be used as a 24mm wide-angle lens. .
Also, taking advantage of its lack of a mirror box, it was made very small and light, making it a better match with Cosina Voigtlander’s small color scope lenses than with larger lenses.
The number of used devices that work properly has decreased, and it is rare to see them on the market, and even when you do find them, they are very expensive, so you will probably never use them again. A few years after I got rid of it in 2007, I used the R-D1x, which was disposed of from stock, and realized that the camera had not evolved at all, and when I compared it to the LEICA M Digital, I was disappointed.
The slightly changed version of R-D1s has a heat sink added to the CCD to reduce sensor noise. Although the R-D1 does not have a heat sink, I have never experienced any practical inconvenience. As long as I’ve used the R-D1x, I don’t feel a big difference in how it handles noise compared to the R-D1.
In contrast, Leica has evolved its digital rangefinder camera, but as of 2024, the limitations of the rangefinder method are that the price of the main body is high, the evolution of digital sensors and the performance gap of the rangefinder mechanism continue to widen. It feels like it shows.
Everyone uses a camera differently, but I personally don’t think it’s a good idea to check the focus position on VISOFLEX or the rear LCD while using an M-type digital camera, so I’ve become estranged from the M-type digital camera. There is.
Specification
| Model name | R-D1 | R-D1s | R-D1x G |
| Effective Pixels | 6.1 Mega Pixels | ← | ← |
| Finder | Real Image | ← | ← |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 | ← | ← |
| Battery | EPALB1 | ← | ← |
| Back LCD | 2.0-inch color LCD 235,000 pixels Rotatable | ← | 2.5-inch color LCD 230,000 pixels Fixed type |
| Recorded media | SD | SD | SD/SDHC |
| Release date | 2004 | 2006 | 2009 |
| Size(H x W x D) | 142.0 x 88.5 ｘ 39.5 | ← | ← |
| Weight (Body only) | 560 | ← | 570 |
| Body Color | Black | ← | ← |
Lens
| Focal length | Lens name | 35mm equivalent focal length |
| 12mm | Ultra Wide Heliar 12mm | 18mm |
| 15mm | Super Wide Heliar 15mm | 22.5mm |
| 21mm | Color Skopar 21mm | 31.5mm |
| 25mm | Snap Shot Skopar 25mm | 37.5mm |
| 28mm | Color Skopar 28mm | 42mm |
| 35mm | Color Skopar 35mm | 52.5mm |
| 40mm | Nokton 40mm | 60mm |
| 50mm | Nokton 50mm | 75mm |
| 75mm | Color Heliar 75mm | 102.5mm |
| 90mm | Apo Lanther 90mm | 135mm |
Options
- Dedicated battery:EPALB1
- Genuine leather case:RD1SC1
Reference links
Update history
- 2024.02.17
- 2023.12.19
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