Epson R-D1
Encyclopedia
The R-D1, announced by Epson in March 2004 and discontinued in 2007, was the first digital rangefinder camera
. Manufactured by Cosina
, which also builds the current Voigtländer
and Zeiss Ikon (ZM) cameras, the R-D1 and its successor, the Epson R-D1s (mechanically identical but with a firmware upgrade), use Leica M-mount lenses or earlier Leica screw mount lenses with an adapter.
An unusual feature to note on the RD-1 is that it is a digital camera that has a mechanical shutter, despite not being a DSLR. The controls operate in the same way as film-based rangefinder cameras.
Data such as white balance, shutter speed, picture quality, and shots remaining are all displayed with servo driven indicators on a dial like a watch face (made by Epson's parent company Seiko). With the rear screen folded away, it is not obviously a digital camera.
The R-D1s's successor, the R-D1x and R-D1xG was made available from April 9th 2009 in Japan only.
Rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...
. Manufactured by Cosina
Cosina
is a designer and manufacturer of cameras and lenses, and a glassmaker, based in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.-History:Cosina is the successor to Nikō , a company set up as a manufacturer oflenses in 1959...
, which also builds the current Voigtländer
Voigtländer
Voigtländer is an optical company founded by Johann Christoph Voigtländer in Vienna in 1756 and is thus the oldest name in cameras. It produced the Petzval photographic lens in 1840, and the world's first all-metal daguerrotype camera in 1841, also bringing out plate cameras shortly afterwards...
and Zeiss Ikon (ZM) cameras, the R-D1 and its successor, the Epson R-D1s (mechanically identical but with a firmware upgrade), use Leica M-mount lenses or earlier Leica screw mount lenses with an adapter.
An unusual feature to note on the RD-1 is that it is a digital camera that has a mechanical shutter, despite not being a DSLR. The controls operate in the same way as film-based rangefinder cameras.
Data such as white balance, shutter speed, picture quality, and shots remaining are all displayed with servo driven indicators on a dial like a watch face (made by Epson's parent company Seiko). With the rear screen folded away, it is not obviously a digital camera.
The R-D1s's successor, the R-D1x and R-D1xG was made available from April 9th 2009 in Japan only.
External links
- R-D1 on the Epson website
- Epson R-D1 : A Field Test, The Luminous Landscape
- R-D1.Info covering history, owner issues, FAQ, accessories, and Rich Cutler's information
- R-D1 specific forum on Rangefinderforum.com