Epson R-D1
 | |
| Type | Digital rangefinder camera |
|---|---|
| Lens | Leica M-mount |
| Sensor | 23.7 x 15.6 mm, 1.53 × FOV crop |
| Maximum resolution | 6.1 megapixels |
| Flash | fixed hot shoe |
| Shutter speed range | 1 to 1/2000 s |
| ASA/ISO range | 200-1600 |
| Focus modes | Manual |
| Rear LCD monitor | 2 inch |
| Storage | Secure Digital (SD) |
| Battery | Li-Ion EPALB1 Rechargeable |
| Dimensions | 142 x 89 x 40 mm |
| Weight | 560 g (body only, without battery) |
| Made in | Japan |
The original R-D1, announced by Epson in March 2004[1] and discontinued in 2007, was the first digital rangefinder camera. It also was the first consumer digital mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) camera. Subsequently, three modifications of the original R-D1 were produced - R-D1s, R-D1x, and R-D1xG.
R-D1
R-D1 was jointly developed by Seiko Epson and Cosina and manufactured by the latter, which also builds the current Voigtländer cameras. It uses Leica M-mount lenses or earlier Leica screw mount lenses with an adapter.
An unusual feature to note on the R-D1 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.
R-D1 and all of the subsequent modifications of the camera have been using the same 1.5x crop factor sensor, interline-transfer CCD (Sony ICX413AQ). The same sensor as used in Pentax *ist D, Nikon D100. Sensor originally dates to 2002.
R-D1s
The successor of R-D1, the R-D1s was released in March 2006. The Epson R-D1s is mechanically identical to the R-D1, but with a firmware upgrade. It adds:
- JPEG+RAW mode
- Quick view function
- Adobe RGB mode
- Noise reduction for long exposures
Users of R-D1 could upgrade their camera to have the same functions.
R-D1x
The successors of the R-D1s, the R-D1x and R-D1xG[2][3] were made available from 9 April 2009 in Japan only. They feature very similar feature set except for few modifications:
- Larger 2.5" LCD display (vs 2" in the previous model) but with the same resolution - 235K
- LCD is no longer articulated and cannot be closed
- Support of SDHC memory cards which increased max. capacity to 32 GB (vs. 2 GB for previous models)
- Improvements in accessibility of rangefinder adjustment
- R-D1xG model also includes removable grip
On 17 March 2014, Epson announced that the R-D1x is discontinued.
References
- ↑ Epson launches the world's first rangefinder digital camera, TOKYO, Japan, March 11
- ↑ R-D1x on the Epson website
- ↑ "R-D1xG page on Epson web site". Retrieved 2010-09-19.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Epson R-D1. |
- 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