Unsung Cameras Of Yesteryear: The Epson R-D1
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- Опубликовано: 29 июн 2016
- There's a common misconception that all digital rangefinders have been produced by Leica, but over a decade ago Epson brought out a little gem called the R-D1. We've been looking everywhere for one, and finally tracked this very important camera down. How does it hold up?
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Special thanks to Grant Black
Shot and edited by Jordan Drake
Shot on the Sony FS5 
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I would totally buy an updated version if they made one!! So awesome!
They have made a last bunch of cameras in 2013 or 2014 and called them R-D1xG. This camera was sold including a grip but only in Japan. I am very happy that I got my fingers on one of these brand new. Sometimes they show up on ebay, but very seldom. There is nothing but to love this camera
Somebody should definitely do a Kickstarter for a modern Epson R-D1. It would be amazing and could work as a Kickstarter because of that niche market.
i've heard that leica have to finance a lot of r&d to get sensors to work with the old rangefinder flange distance. This might be an obstacle. You can't just drop a Sony sensor into a Bessa body and go.
I think you might be disappointed with how few get beyond the "Hey, this cool" and actually will put their money down for a relatively expensive product that might not ship anyway.
It's kind-of the same thing with the eternal "Hey why doesn't a manufacturer do a reproduction of [classic/historic firearm], I want one" when the same people suddenly fall silent when they're told "expect it to cost $5000 or more".
There’s Pixii, but it’s super expensive.
Chris your talk about a true "digital FE" gets me so exited. Every time I pick up my FM3a the handling simply floors me. Having a digital version would be incredible. Jordan, thank you for reminding Chris to take the lens cap off.
Totally agree!! Your presentation of this camera is incredibly thought out and well explained. I just don't see why any of the camera manufactures for years have not come out with a comparably well build like the RD1 by Epson. How they did not come out with an RD2 Full Frame with more battery life and larger capacity picture storage is beyond me. I personally own two RD1's and upgraded to a Sony Full Frame 7A only because of the size of the sensor and storage issue. I go back and forth between the Epsons and the Sony. You're so dead on with the user experience of classic film camera in the now digital age is lost. Overall at the end of the day it is what you're most comfortable with I feel I have the best of both worlds great glass and the type of camera that suits the need. Thanks Marco Muñoz Jaramillo
Oh man what a treat this video was. Thank you Chris and Jordan!
5:50s was nerve-wracking to watch. I wouldn't have the guts.
I would definitely buy a new one of these.
ability to hide the screen, "film advance".
It just feels right.
When new, it retails for $2999. And that's 2004 dollar.
I love my Nikon FE. I respect and greatly admire Chris and Jordan's intelligence, delivery and the fact they do their homework. Thanks for posting this gem. I do appreciate it.
Bravo for everything you said Chris. A modern digital camera with a winder would be a game changer.
CountryHouseGent Absolutely.
Love this video. You guys have come a long way with the production, content, and pacing of your videos. When you first started, they were slow, meandering, and uninteresting. You've come a long way and now I look forward to your posts. Great job.
Great stuff Chris & Jordan! Well done on the unsung camera of yesteryears, that's a terrific idea and hope to see more of these videos coming!
This is outstanding. It's your best vintage camera video yet. I would have never known there was a camera out there with the Epson name on it with this much charm and design elements. This video should be required watching in photography classes.
Brilliant episode, Chris! You have articulated so eloquently what so many of us desperately need.
Jordan gets five seconds and still steals the whole show!! Love the vid, as always. You may want to go around whacking a film advance lever all day; I do not. Guess I had too many years of that. For me, Fuji is striking the perfect balance for all you've mentioned/advocated. Thanks.
i'm addicted to you videos.. thanks for making them.
Absolutely fantastic to finally see this camera in action! Thank you for this video. Had a Leica M8 for similar reasons for many years, absolutely hopeless electronics but beautiful images and so much fun to shoot. Might pickup another later again.
thanks for this video!! I've been drooling over this camera for a long long time
Again it was a great pleasure to watch one of your reviews :)
BTW, I have a Leica M 262 and I loved this Epson and would buy one immediately if a modern version regarding to sensor, processor and improved rangefinder is released.
"I'm gonna use this strap"
Never uses it haha
The most beautiful looking digital camera ever made, period.
Those gauges, the advance lever, the squarish shape, the rangefinder windows...just perfect.
One of these with a 35 Summicron, one of my GAS wettest dreams!
"Notice the strap because it's a loaner" .. never uses it
Haaaa right?
Fantastic job Chris, being new to Photography this sort of info is most valuable.
Oh yes R-D1!!!! R-D1 is one of the most amazing and interesting digital camera I ever know of. I love this camera so much. Its design is so beautiful and it renders the colors so nicely. In many cases the out of camera jpegs are so nice that they just need a simple level adjustment or even no post processing at all. R-D1 produces the most beautiful out of camera jpeg I have seen on any camera. (The colors are not "accurate", but feels film-like). Clearly the engineers at Epson put tons of effort into tuning the color.
P.S. about the branding, at first I did not understand why they use Epson brand either. Later I learnt more about the story behind the camera, how Epson developed the R-D1 project, how much thoughts they have put into it. R-D1 is like their own baby. Of course they want their dear child to bear their own family name!
Really insightful stuff at the end, great video guys
Such Beautiful Photos Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just a real treat Thanks man Chris :) :) :) :)
Really informative and cool review as always guys.
great video as all ways. Always look forward to your vids :D
This was excellent. Probably my favorite TCS video ever.
What a fantastic looking camera, a wonderful sentiment, and great jazzy music too.
Hello from Switzerland. Nice videos I enjoy it a lot! Keep on!
Chris's most passionate performances. great video!
I love your message. The experience is everything!
Fantastic video as always
enjoyed the vid and the walk down memory lane. You are absolutely right about retro styling and the 'feel' of a well built camera. I am using a Nikon D500 and Sony RX100 mk 4 today but part of me hankers for the simplicity of the Nikon FM2 which I had stolen years ago. Simple, solid and a joy to use. We have become so obsessed with technology that we forget that some of the greatest photographs were taken on much simpler cameras in the day when the art was in light, composition and the moment not pixel counts and vast menus
Great job showing folks the R-D1, I've got a pair(R-D1 and R-D1s) that I need to start using more often.
Rangefinder camera reviewers always seemed to talk about the R-D1 in glowing terms. It's so great to finally see the camera in action. Thanks TCSTV!
This camera totally passed me by. Love it. Love the winder and the dials. great review.
Absolutely awesome! I am so getting the R-D1
Really enjoy these retro reviews - makes me appreciate the character that older gear and lenses have... and at the same time, appreciate what I might have taken for granted in my current gear.
Totally agree!:)
I absolutely love those dials on the top. Definitely very "steampunk"-esque.
Beautiful camera body. Just love the look of the Epson R-D1. Thanks for the review guys!
Beautiful camera (and my very first TheCameraStoreTV comment after I don't know how many years of watching). Epsons were always highly underated. I had an Epson 3000z when it first came out and they snuck a Carl Zeiss 7-21mm F2.0-2.5 lens on it! To this day those were some of the best photos I've ever taken. (And seriously I thought I'd NEVER comment on here... but the second you mentioned "Epson"... ya got me.) See you at Photokina.
See you there! Send us a tweet!
Jordan @ TCSTV
That ….. was as awesome a review as John Mayer did for IWC big pilot. Your video made my day. I am sold on that baby.
I really love this series!
Rd1 is one of the best looking camera ever designed，the glass dials，the manuel shutter winder，pure function makes beauty！and the subtle n steady shooting experience it provides，been using my rd1 for 5 years，wish it ll never break down…
Great conclusion at the end! So many true things finally said!!
Fantastic review!
Great Episode!
This might be the best series on the web. And by the way, your selections are right on ( I still use a Fujifilm S5 Pro for my most important portrait and wedding work). I was always impressed by the R-D1 as well. The thumb winder was my favorite part of the shooting experience in film -- so much so that I bought a Pentax K1000 for that reason alone.
I started off with a Canon AT 1, still love to use it just for the winder, never thought how it could be incorporated into a digital camera, 100% agree with you Chris, modern manufacturers should incorporte it like the RD1.
Great video as always, thanks!
OMFG. I want a modern version of this. I want the steam punk gauges, I want the film lever that cocks the shutter abd I want it to be full framed. This is what I've always wanted.
Thanks for sharing. This is awesome design and modern manufacturers should look this back
thank you, i love this review. Specially the last 5 min about not hitting the next big tech but going back to photography. And that's why I love my fuji x series cameras.
I wish there were more cameras like the RD-1. Especially that shutter cocking mechanism. Love the video, guys!
stunning camera and love these reviews
This might be the best review I've ever seen in a while. I loved the camera, it's just perfect. I've checked eBay for a good deal but couldn't find any though. I'd have bought if it was cheaper. Thank you for this great review!
My best pictures are made with R-D1. I bought one, sold one, bought one and sold and now, end ob 2016 ! I will get back the lovely one.
would like to know , what would be the image size of raw file, 10 mb per image?
give consideration it only allow 2GB sd card to be installed, and how many raw photo could it be produced?
is possible to update sd card with larger capacity these days
Great video and well said!
awesome review. I've often come across this camera in camera stores, but never knew much about it. Love that thumb winder! :)
Great video, excellent presentation!
I'd love it if my Xpro 1 had a shutter winder on it!
I felt your words about the shooting experience came deep from your heart man
I love the look and the controls of this camera. The advance lever is great! But then again, I shoot with two film cameras: Canon A-1 and Canon F-1N, so this camera would be familiar to me
Great review. This looks like such a killer camera. Love the whole style and design. This is a camera you can enjoy shooting with. I agree, let's go back to our roots and get past the technology and start enjoying inspired design again.
it was my dream camera and once I bought mine I am truly in love with it! Best camera ever used, it makes me enjoy shooting and that makes.me.shoot more!
This was my first digital rangefinder body a few years ago when I moved away from heavy digital SLR's and I loved using it. The skin tones I thought were better than the M8 I got later on and at ISO400 and below it was superb and still well-priced on the second -hand market. I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanting to save a few dollars off a digital M camera.
Great looking camera - might try and snag one for my vintage collection.
Absolutely correct! I miss the style of older cameras and I still shoot film so I can enjoy the feel of them. I shoot new digital too but it just doesn't feel the same.
The RD-1 is such a great camera, and. I still shoot with mine quite frequently. As you said in the video, there is something special about shooting with this camera that others don't have. I'm so glad you guys did a video on it. I was wondering if you would when you started the series.
Allllll about the experience. Preach it Chris!
Thanks Chris and crew for this series, very entertaining. Are you thinking on doing some film cameras in the future?
BTW my favourite feature of the RD1 is that amazing analogue status dial, so cool.
Film camera episodes are on the way, stay tuned!
Jordan @ TCSTV
Hey I just took my old Canon T-70 to Yellowstone Park (along with my A7ii) and think I got some great shots!
I so want an RD-1. Or a modern one. Great video!
quite agree with the host! yes. we need one of these. even with a classic slr body
Absolutely agree with your opinions on this! Great video.
Two thumbs up on that, Chris. After having some really amazing digital cameras, I still miss some of the of my old SLRs. I'd be very happy if they made something like my old Fujica ST801 (which I still have) with all the same controls, but with a digital sensor.
Best review yet
Really awesome review! Hit the nail square on the head.
I really like these fotographs! I think it really shows that there are no "need" buy new cameras (at least for non - professionals) :)
I really enjoy the relaxed tone(?) of these videos aswell. Good job! :)
In my dreams I own the R-D1 and when I wake up and realise that I'd been dreaming again it makes me sad. I would love to see a modern reworking of this camera but with it keeping the wind on lever, and the simplicity. the R-D1 can be found on Ebay at times but the prices are well out of my range but who knows, one day I might get lucky. Loved the video guys.
Last 5mins of your thoughts, are mine too since 3years . I almost had tears in my eyes.. Bro.
How great it would be if our Nikon RF came true.
Lovely Sax playing.......nice!
Thanks for showing us these oldtimers - it's actually way more interesting than both modern digital cameras and old film cameras.
The R-D1, like at least a few other Bessas, doesn't have a "traditional" 60/40 center-weighted circular pattern. IIRC the Bessa L and R meters more like a center-weighted vertical line, while the R-D1 and later Bessa R-models are CW circular - biased towards the lower left of the frame. It's supposed to be intentional, even.
LOVE IT! I wrote Leica years ago (when the Nikon D600 came out) that what they should do is make a digital camera with a shuter advance lever so to save battery power for recording the image, they said they were considering it.... Alas it was not to be.
Amazing video guys, I do really love this series! it would also be great an Analogue series though.........just saying! keep it up. Best regards
What a great camera, I decided halfway through this video I need to get one of these! With great excitement I'm straight on eBay only to find that these beauties go for between £800 and £1400 pounds!!! 😱 This list of exceptional cameras that I could for that money is long. So alas, the RD-1 will need to remain nothing more than a wish 😔
Really digging the jazz music. :)
A digital camera with a manual winder. I approve. I'd love to see it on, say, a Fuji. I may have to pick one of these up. But the glass seems to be so silly expensive. And I COMPLETELY agree with the experience aspect. That's why I've started shooting film. There's just something fun about it.
I was just thinking about this camera today and I was surprised to see it still being talked about 12 years later. That mechanical winder does make a lot of sense as a way to save battery, something there doesn't seem to much of on the X-Pro1 & 2. On battery savings, I wonder why Fujinon lenses are only fly-by-wire. I wonder which uses more battery, those gauges, or a LCD. Great video!
Great review! I really wanted the RD-1 but it was mindbogglingly expensive and virtually made of unobtanium in the UK 12 years ago. A shame they didn't continue developing the idea though. Could have been a fantastic Epson/Voigtlander digital range by now. (So right about the winder!)
A modern version of this would be marvelous.
On finding out that this is a digital camera, I was going to change to another vid.... BUT i figured i'd watch the whole vid. SO glad I did! I shoot film! BUT this camera seems to be more film based than digital! Loved the review and might see if i can get me one of these babies :-) Tank you :-)
Thank you so much for this review! One of the best cameras ever made, in my opinion; in fact, I have owned the R-D1, R-D1S and the latest one, the X (which i actually enjoyed the least, because the screen does not flip around....).
I am still considering getting another one and keep it this time (my main shooter is a Monochrom), just because of the shooting experience. Best ergonomics ever, far superior to all the digital Leicas I have owned.
I moved on because I got hooked by the appeal of larger sensors, but in all fairness the images I took with the Epson are still quite remarkable today - super B&W and very nice colour palette.
Yes, I will get myself another one before they all disappear, and if they ever decide to make a modern version of it, count me in!
SO COOL CÁMARA!!!
i agree with you on the shutter lever. i want it on modern digital mirrorless
correction. ive wanted all that epson stuff on all modern digital camera since i knew about it. and everytime i made a comment about it, they just tell me “its not going to happen” “ its pointless” “ youre an idio”. still i wish someone would make one because i cannot make one. or a digital back for any film cameras instead will be nice
I really love the look of this camera. It looks like it takes great photos. I agree that it would be great if they came out with a version that has updated internals. The first camera I had experience with was a Kodak Retina that my father picked up when he was in Thailand. There really is a big difference in the experience you get with cameras like that and modern digital cameras.
I think it was the Retina IIIC.
5:28 C'mon Jordan, f/16 please!
Great episode, guys. This is turning into a great series.
Most beautiful camera ever made. I agree that it would be totally awesome if they would remake it with a full frame sensor and leave the build and handleing just like it is. I would buy that thing right away. Anyhow the RD1 is a great camera on its own right and a hell lot of fun to shoot with. Great video. Thank you.
11:53 nice epilogue. Couldn't have said it better myself. Agree with all of that.
i agree with you Chris... bring back the classic photography experience.