Epson Made The Perfect Camera

[@snappiness]

I'm getting this comment a lot, so thought I'd answer it here: Aren't Fujifilm X100/Xpro rangefinders? Great cameras, probably better cameras for most people, but they are not real rangefinders. They have optical windows in the classic position, but there is no coupling of the lens to a rangefinder mechanism for focusing. To manually focus a Fujifilm you'd need to use an EVF. Rangefinders don't need an EVF. Not saying a real rangefinder is "better" - it's super old tech - but there is a key difference there. Hopefully that helps! -james

[@thinkfaster]

To be fair, even with a real rangefinder, plenty of photographers only use the barrel markings and not the superimposed image focus in the viewfinder.

[@CianMcsweeney]

​@@thinkfasterdepends, zone focusing is definitely what street photographers primarily use, but anyone shooting wider apertures definitely uses the patch for focusing

[@Hanojsemaj]

No because they don’t have a rangefinder inside. They use typical auto focus systems. You’re not finding the range of the subject distance for focus.

[@athmaid]

Funny story, in 2021 Epson found 30 new in box R-D1s in one of their warehouses. They then hosted a Japan-only event where you could buy one for only 18 dollars. All you had to do was prove that you had once owned an R-D1 by sending a photo with the necessary EXIF data and you would be added to the lottery. They even hosted an exhibition for those photos

[@crabapples1995]

Haha, that’s amazing. Japan and the Japanese never cease to amaze me.

[@snappiness]

I love this story

[@grey.7828]

They would have thrown them away if it was in the US

[@shijimip9930]

@@crabapples1995ありがとう

[@itsjustpizza]

Many reviewers do not talk about it, but this is a Bessa with digital guts. That shutter cock isn't' a gimmick or even any kind of throw back to film, they had to do it like that because it's the same shutter from when it was a film body. I love Bessa's and I love the RD1. Great rangefinders.

[@HennessyPatrick]

Came here to say this.

[@theo_korner]

And the Bessa line is a rangefinder (or zone in case of L type) adaption Cosina CT SLR cameras - a further rangefinder spinoff ist the Zeiss Ikon Rangefinder

[@Gallery90]

Yep. Cosina (who did a lot more OEM work than most people know about) was essential for this project. Anyone who had experience with Voigtlander Bessa cameras would have felt right at home with the RD-1. Kinda odd the Cosina isn't mentioned in the video -- it is certainly in the Wikipedia link he showed.

[@bertvdlast]

I have some fancy digital caneras but i still love my Bessa R with 35 and 90 mm Leica lenses.

[@widepeppohappy]

Correct, the reviewer doesn't appear to have done much homework on this camera as far as it's development. I previously sold the Cosina R2/3/4 cameras, and while they are certainly passable as a 35mm rangefinder, they are not comparable to say a Zeiss Ikon or any M series camera from Leica. The principle issue with the Voigtlander camera is the relatively short rangefinder base length, which the review doesn't mention from my listening. Being a 6MP sensor it isn't the biggest deal in the world, but if you're planning on using longer rangefinder lenses you will find the accuracy lacking. The reviewer would do well to have a look at the R3A to see where the majority of the controls are adapted from the film counterpart, including the rewind knob. Further, a camera having a film advance lever doesn't preclude it from having an electronically controlled shutter, many of the Bessa R cameras have an electronically controlled shutter, this relates to the timing of the shutter, not cocking it. While the RD-1 is a very fun camera, particularly if you haven't had the rangefinder experience, you will run rings around it with any modern mirrorless with a M mount adaptor. I currently use a A7III in this manner and it's pretty good.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

I used to work for a company that serviced R-D1s from time to time. We only had one guy who knew how to work on them. It was a super interesting platform. They felt expensive, in a time where digital cameras all felt a little cheap.

[@Duomatic84]

Also the packaging is insane. Nothing I have seen comes close to it. A shockproof box within a shockproof box all lined with very rubbery foam almost like neopren.

[@kieferngruen]

I've been waiting for successor to this for years. Please Epson, make it happen!

[@UKMike2009]

The camera was of course manufactured by Cosina in association with Seiko-Epson and was branded as Epson to differentiate from the Voigtlander range of analogue cameras, Epson also being the electronic side of the Seiko-Epson business. I believe that Epson provided the snazzy dial on the top plate and possibly are also responsible for the shutter mechanism, as Seikosha, one of the best known names in shutters, was the foundation of Seiko watches.

[@shim2387]

yep. the analogue dial especially made by Seiko themselves using the seiko watch movement is just absolute beauty

[@astronautique]

Wow that's really cool! I love Seiko's watches and that's awesome

[@GarrettLucasWV]

Epson made some very cool photographic tools back in the day. The stuff they made was innovative and great quality. I had the company's P7000 multimedia storage device that came in very handy on road trips. Way back when, storage was a real premium and CF and SD cards were extremely expensive for anything over a couple of gigabytes. The P7000 let you back up your cards since the P7000 had memory card slots and even a screen you could use to view your photos on the fly. Once you downloaded your photos onto the P7000, you could then turn around and re-use your cards. Of course, you wouldn't have a backup any longer if you did. So, for my long trips across the country, I ended buying two P7000s total. It was a very cool piece of kit, or at least I thought it was, but I'm a bit of a geek.

[@morottaja123]

The Epson R-D1 is so cool! Though you did miss one unique and amazing feature of the camera. Ever wondered why the dials on top plate are so smooth and enjoyable? The dials were made by SEIKO which is arguably the most famous and prestigious Japanese watch manufacturer.

[@yamakawa511]

It's the same company - Seiko Epson, the HQ is in Suwa, Nagano prefecture. Also Cosina is located in Nagano City not too far away so the collaboration isn't surprising. Y

[@AveryDelMiller]

I've known about the RD-1 for years, but this video has made me think about it in a whole different way. The shooting experience with the dials, physical rangefinder, and winder seems phenomenal!

[@basedhalcyon]

I've had one of these for a few years, used it to take some of my favorite pictures. I love it so much. My screen's broken, but the camera is still more or less fully functional.

[@Moonrakerd]

this is as close as it gets to be perfect, the only problem is its age, I wish there would be something newer with the same concept

[@daviehudson4270]

Leica tried it with the M-10-D but bottled out going the whole way

[@SokolHazizi]

Personally I was blown away when I discovered this camera. Whenever I held a digital M Leica I always thought, why not keep the lever, and it would totally make sense (from user's pov that is). The RD-1 is imho much more better build around the M mount than any Leica digital, it really has the best of both worlds in it, analogue and digital. One can only dream of a new version with a bit of sensor upgrade on it. Exquisite video James!

[@snappiness]

It really works as a package way better than I thought! It just feels right. Nothing gimmicky about it. It pairs with the manual rangefinder experience really well. A new version would be amazing.

[@williamsjbradley]

I’m from Ottumwa, where all of these photos are taken, and this just blew my mind.

[@gullevek]

Yeah, that's the camera. I got the R-D1s too back in the day before even Leica had a digital camera. the CCD sensor is amazing (unless you go high iso and high iso is like more than 400), still, an amazing camera and something worth to own. My favourite combo back then was with the Cosina Ultron 28/f2, makes it about a 40mm lens and a really good compromise.

[@jshell]

Ottumwa! I spent a day there on a wacky cross country solo train and bus adventure and got a lot of good photos with my X-Pro1 and some manual lenses - something I always have to remind myself “I (kindof) have this already” when my shopping fingers start clicking on RD1 and Leica M8 or Digilux 3 listings. Cool town. Nice pics! I recognized that “pawn antiques” mural immediately.

[@robbe4711]

Love this camera...it is time for a new full frame version. Want it now!

[@KimHojbergJensen]

The printer companies saw their chance. My first digital camera was a HP Photosmart C200, 1 MP. Unfortunately I have lost it but I still have photos from it, from around 2001.

[@SianaGearz]

At the time i was using a Sanyo VPC-Z400, which is such an absolute mad thing, just the whole construction of it. I still have it, i no longer use it but i like admiring it, it has lots of ingenious details. This is another electronics brand with no camera experience, and they've done a top notch job. It seems Sanyo was actually the OEM for Epson at first as well, back in the 90s. Your HP camera seems to be based on a Konica Minolta one.

[@TL-vt8uk]

Love my R-D1x...not to mention its value has skyrocketed!

[@zynthio]

this looks right up my alley. the price is rough though. I love shooting on my manual film camera, the tactility is everything. but with how film prices are, and will continue going, i will probably need to shoot digital primarily. A digital camera with a manual shutter lever sounds like a dream come true, and it looks amazing

[@markmeador1137]

I used to have a Nikon D40 digital camera. It had 4 mp. I printed a lot of 8 x 10’s and 11 x 14’s and they looked great.

[@VHS_PAL]

A real collectable. If you're depressed by the broken screen front, take it out, measure it and get someone to laser cut one from acrylic / perspex. Use wet and dry paper and paint renovator to polish the edges.

[@somephotovideos]

Oh wow. Would love to track one of these down but in the meantime - BRING IT BACK, EPSON!

[@tsdmoto]

I had one of those and it was the most fun of any camera I've ever owned.

[@DonVetto-vx9dd]

It looks A E S T H E T I C. Man if any of the big companies make a modern version of this with metal dials, they would be highly sought after.

[@tamagotchi64]

@@Chrixelpixel nerd shut up

[@eravas411]

@@Chrixelpixel funny thing about language, if you use a word a certain way and a lot of other people understand what you meant and are also using that word the same way, doesn’t matter what’s in the dictionary, that word can be used that way. Maybe not formally, but colloquial usage of words has no criteria other than “do other people know what you meant?”

[@mpcrt6512]

Is that not what fujifilm are doing now ? Sure they don’t have the advance lever, but I shoot with Fuji and all of their dials are metal 🤷‍♂️

[@erwinz5726]

The exact reason why i bought Powershot G10 ❤️ beautiful chunky metal knobs

[@Chrixelpixel]

@@eravas411 for some reason my comment was deleted. I agree. But the issue here is, that word needs grounding, something to tie it to. Is the design aesthetically pleasing? Does it hit a certain mood for you aesthetically, that sort of thing. Just saying-it looks aesthetic- really doesn’t make any sense.

[@stuartcarden1371]

One day...One day! It's such an exciting camera but is a little pricey for me at the moment.

[@BGazzah]

I still have and use my RD-1. It is gradually failing with the latest issue being the screen, but I hardly ever used the screen anyway. I love it and the images it produces.. I use the Bessas it is based on as well and love those just as much.

[@azoique]

How funny, i thought of this camera yesterday and that it would be awesome for a relaunch. Such a fun camera from the past. The analog dials/meters were so cool.

[@ChrisWhittenMusic]

I had one from new, on launch. The two downsides were the crop sensor - which is difficult with M mount lenses, and the rangefinder mechanism, which on mine at least kept going out. The second time I took it into the main camera store in Sydney the guy said he would calibrate it one last time, then no more. That was only a year or so after Epson discontinued the camera. The images it produced were fantastic, and it was fun to use. However, in the modern era, it has become a hipster camera with a price tag to match.

[@ecmjr]

Oh wow! The analog dial is very cool!

[@derrenleepoole]

Not jealous. Not jealous. Not jealous. Okay, maybe a little. I would love to own this camera, maybe one day. Looking forward to more videos on this.

[@Xombie17]

There's a new camera and company called Camp Snap that really made me think of this camera. It's geared a lot more towards introductory camera users than professionals, but I love the concept. Simplicity. No screen, nothing to adjust, no worrying about taking the "perfect picture," just a photo counter, a viewfinder, and a flash. The idea behind it is basically to bring back the disposable film camera vibes, like something a camper would take to summer camp. I'm having a lot of trouble with shipping, but they're supposed to be working on that, and it's supposed to finally get here tomorrow. They also work on updates to the camera, like a B&W mode you can activate with software. It would be cool if you reviewed it and gave them a shout-out from me, because of how cool they were dealing with the shipping issues. They deserve it lol.

[@snappiness]

I actually did buy one and am using it now :)

[@Xombie17]

@@snappiness Awesome! I ordered mine at the start of November. It's finally getting here tomorrow. I love my Em-1 III, but I'm super excited to try this basic camera 😂 Still, give them a shout out for me 😂 I feel bad for giving them grief over shipping.

[@jandekker6008]

I got all excited when I saw the Voigtlander Bessa body was back from the dead, but calmed down when I realised this thing is 20 years old. Still cool though.

[@theo_korner]

If you need spares for the mechanical parts or the shutter, look for the cosina slr which this is based on to part out

[@theo_korner]

Cosina CT series is the one - had to look it up again - parts will also fit Voigtländer Bessa and Zeiss Ikon (rangefinder) cameras, some tinkering might be necessary

[@snappiness]

Interesting... I know the connection with who designed the camera, but hadn't thought that it shared some components with a film body

[@theo_korner]

@snappiness AFAIK the bodies for the Epson came straight of Cosinas Voigtländer Bessa R production line

[@henrygarcia3578]

Such an interesting camera ! Again would LOVE TO SEE A LEICA M8 VIDEO FROM YOU !

[@hermanzhang6494]

This is the real Leica MD. Wish Leica would add one of these for their MD series later on

[@ofeykalakar1]

Had an R3M for mechanical. Great film camera. Also have an M10-D which has no rear screen but does have a fake advance lever that doubles as a brilliant thumb rest.

[@zxidy]

I really like the leaver feature. Keeps it fresh so you’re not spraying like modern cameras

[@wiggyjones]

I have a Voigtlander Bessa R and a Bessaflex TM; I bought both new years ago from Cameraquest. I wish I had an Epson RD1. I love Cosina cameras.

[@benfidar]

I remember these. Made by Cosina in Japan like the wonderful Voigtlander Bessa, which I bought instead. I bet this would be fantastic with a 25mm color skopar!

[@edbarnas6506]

I had one for a number of years (bought used). I loved the feel and look. As a converted Bessa, it was a bit louder than my analog M's and, as noted in the video, low light performance left something to be desired. Loved the crank but the battery life was short and the body only supported 2GB SD. Have some lovely images made with that camera but eventually sold it when I was downsizing my camera gear.

[@Badgerheist]

Awesome! I just learned I have at least two cameras with the same sensor :) My camera envy has subsided by a couple stops.

[@mrendall90]

Great video. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that lens at some point as well.

[@Javifoto]

I had one. I miss it so much.

[@rvannooij]

I loved the R-D1 when I used it. Particularly the manual charging of the shutter, the analogue dials and how it handled color. It has very nice ergonomics, everything is within easy reach without having to go through several menus. Unfortunately mine started developing the 'black images' issue, probably due to the OEM battery deteriorating after a decade.

[@jacquesmathurin8389]

I experienced the same problem with my Nikon D100 which has the same sensor. The black frame usually appeared on the first shot after turning the camera on. Whenever I turned it on, I would fire one shot and leave the camera on. The small screen does not use much battery power.

[@DFMurray]

Comic Sans font on front? Bold choice.

[@dongxu2059]

amazing camera, it´s my only digital and honestly I don´t need more. Thank you for sharing the film simulation setting. The limitation is the buffer speed in my opinion

[@thissidetowardscreen4553]

Excellent video and very fascinating camera! Thanks for sharing and showing this amazing piece of digital history! I remember seeing all those epson cameras that if I can recall were bundled with printers and thought nothing. I never knew they went to an extreme digital! Great content as always!

[@cstpa1]

the shape immediately reminded me of the voigtlander bessa r

[@luzr6613]

Lovely stuff. IQ reminds me very much of my other enduring favorite - my E-1 Oly. One day i will get one, and i bet i will find that, in the hand, they are totally different but with much in common. Thanks for the vid - enjoy yourself!

[@4mooncheese]

Would love to get one of these. Love rangefinder cameras, and the analog features are an absolute dream for me.

[@HeSo_71]

where do you get that soft shutter button from? looks like a special shutter button dedicated for the R-D1

[@Extirpo]

Thx for the throwback vid! I have one of these lying somewhere on the shelves. I remenber being *very* happy with it, and not least the pictures through the Epson software (gave some unique pastel colours). But Epson ditched support and I was left with generic raw processing that didnt fit my taste. Perhaps time to revisit the gem?

[@degoulistdegoulist2760]

THIS NEEDS TO MAKE A COMEBACK !!!!

[@johnjon1823]

That background music has a Napoleon Dynomite vibe to it. I am not sure if I want to feed a Llama, or play tether ball, but I know I do NOT want to try time travelling. Vote Pedro!

[@StarrysLostandFound]

What an amazing throwback. Very sweet

[@Poorgeniu5]

Dials are timeless! Its one of the reason why Bugatti have minimal amount of screens in their cars!

[@lugakooch5537]

I often feel like shooting with older cameras is really more about the process. Often they arent that good for lowlight, but i still like to go out, even if the results arent really great or even usable.

[@productguru8323]

I've RD1 with the cap lens!

[@WhoIsSerafin]

Epson made great automatic wrist watches also. They were such a unique company at one time.

[@miscible21]

THE JEALOUSY INTENSIFIES!

[@Goldsteinphoto]

My advice is if you want to become a good photographer use a modern digital camera and shoot a lot. If you want to explore the "craft" of photography use a view camera and make prints in a darkroom. Swings, tilts, rise, fall settings of a view camera will give you a good understanding of image control.

[@gerekappo]

The only thing you missed talking about was the lens mount!

[@moostomp]

Would you not consider the hybrid EVF/OVF of a fujifilm X-Pro or X100* camera to be a digital rangefinder?

[@jpoconnor5744]

They do not have rangefinder mechanisms. The OVF/EVF is certainly a viewfinder on steroids, but not a rangefinder. Of, course, they certainly are fantastic cameras.

[@depotmsa2362]

i'm rocking this lens on my fujifilm x pro 1 and leica t , its so fun

[@pwood5733]

Gorgous, i would love to be seen out shooting this pretty camera wow

[@tasaeki]

There is also Fuji’s X-Pro series. So there are at least 4 companies featuring range finder digital cameras.

[@ManyDoors777]

They need to remake this thang with a newer CCD sensor! Boom, that would be cray!

[@KarySchump]

Cool video about a very groovy camera. Also good to know about buyee for getting items from Japan, I had no idea.

[@snappiness]

It's a great site, especially for harder to find cameras (that also sold in Japan, some only sold in other countries)

[@GrainOnTheGo]

I will never understand why more manufacturers didn’t do the winding lever on a digital body gimmick. It baffles me. Love the RD-1 but I know I wouldn’t use it all that much, especially for its price.

[@juergen-schanz]

I saw the camera for the first time at Photokina 2004 in Frankfurt and immediately fell in love with it. I was a student at the time and the price of 2,500 euros without a lens was out of reach for me. I set up a reminder on ebay a year or two ago, but the second-hand prices are still quite high and the Nikon D1x, D2x and D3s - which are now available for a tenth or twentieth of their original price - have reached my shelf faster. I'm curious to see if the RD-1 makes it to me earlier than a Fuji S3 Pro. But why not both? Thanks for the video.

[@mastedi]

Really wish that someone comes up (hello 7artisans are you reading this?) with a simple camera like this.

[@kiwipics]

The RD-1 is one camera that I'd love to have.

[@ahaka2022]

i use the rd1s with the 40mm f1.4 everyday... how do you clean the camera. mine is quite dirty. i usually just clean it with tissue paper and a credit card. dial mechanics is from the seiko watch. seiko epson

[@RobertJBareIII]

I believe the Nikon coolpix p7000 (I think that’s the model) is also a rangefinder type digital camera

[@stevenclark2188]

I always wanted one of these. But I never had the money at the time. It's the antithesis of my M6 Mark II where I'm barely aware of half the functions. I didn't even have EVF focus point selection turned on until a few days ago!

[@trels203]

Sick vid man, hope to see more epson content 🤙

[@kiume_]

I keep regretting selling mine many years ago. but if they'd re-release it with a modern sensor now, it would definitely be my endgame camera.

[@Vintagetrippin]

For those curious, these go for on average $2000 USD

[@JulioBomfim]

This incredible camera uses the SAME CCD sensor as the Nikon D100 (which would also be worth a review here).

[@geraldillo]

This was the first digital camera that I saw for sale in a camerastore. I did like the looks of the camera very much but I didn't understand anything about the functions of the indicators and I was thinking that digital photography must be very difficult. Also the camera was quite expensive, especially since Epson was not well known for producing cameras. If I would have known at that time that it's possible to adapt SLR lenses on that camera I would probably have bought it.

[@daviehudson4270]

Indeed they did, it's the perfect film shooters digital and the sensor was designed specifically to mimic film. I've had one for about 5 years now and the images neer fail to amaze

[@linasjot1693]

A great exclusive camera with unique features. But the price, oh boy. $2k for a 2004 camera with a 2002 level sensor (like the Nikon D100, camera that now costs ~ $100). For that price you can find a Leica M8 on the market, or the newer and more modern Pixii A2572 rangefinder digital camera. And yet the Epson R-D1, with its analogue dials, film rewind/shutter release mechanism, etc., is a unique digital camera that will never cease to fascinate any photography enthusiast.

[@manolifischer]

wow fantastic video! I love the rangefinder type cameras. I own a Fujifilm x100v, its a digital rangefinder and I love making pictures with it

[@jpoconnor5744]

The X100v is a fantastic camera, for sure. Note that, despite its styling, it does not have a mechanical rangefinder. It uses autofocus and can do manual focus with the EVF.

[@LaurenceVonThomas]

Those gauges were developed by watchmaker Seiko if I remember correctly

[@jpoconnor5744]

That is correct. Seiko owned Epson and created the analog dial display ensemble.

[@CurtoidHarvonium]

Well designed mechanical buttons, switches, knobs, and mechanical meters are all appreciated by my haptic self, though I certainly revel in the other advantages of electronic technology.

[@starling1360]

Awesome, looks like Bessa R

[@mikevandebunt811]

So... there's a Leica on the shelf that you imply you will talk about in the future. It looks like it is an R Series, possibly an R4. (I have the all mechanical R6.)

[@snappiness]

It is an R series :)

[@eggcords]

could we get a comparison between the epson, pixii and the ricoh gxr please? :)

[@MicaelWidell]

Would love to see more camera companies make rangefingers. There is a gap in the market for an affordable compact M-mount rangefinger. Sure, we have the pixii now, but it is not exactly affordable. On the other hand I understand it is probably very very hard to make an affordable one, because the demand for rangefinders is still tiny compared to other types of cameras, and therefore it is likely hard to get economies of scale.

[@calumdavey3260]

Great video! When are you reviewing the Brightin Star 28mm? :)

[@viralprimenetwork]

Great review thank you for sharing 👍👍

[@jj963963jj]

Didn't know that this interesting camera R-D1 is about US$2000, love to try one if have chance 🎀🎀

[@krishnakumarr9619]

1:40 this is what i wanted to see in the xpro series of Fuj

[@mochidera3928]

This is pretty cool!

[@ljqbeqyxt]

Plus manual winding means a lot longer battery life and one less motor mechanism to break

[@jebeq2007]

I 100% agree, the Epson R-D1s is a fantastic camera and all the analog features on it just seem irresistible. Only thing is that I couldn't even justify paying e $500 bucks for it non the less over $2000 for it. It really is more of a collector's piece of gear. I, on the other hand opted for the Nikon D100. The sensor on the R-D1s is actually a Nikon Sensor and is the one on the Nikon D100. For me it was a no brainer and I managed to get two Nikon D100 cameras for under $40 bucks. From what I have seen of photo sample online of the RD-1, the Nikon D100 files look Identicle. I love the Nikon D100 and get as close to a analog film look from it asides than from my Olympus E-1 and Fuji X-E1. So for those looking for an Epson R-D1s look no further it's actually the Nikon D100 for a mere fraction of the price. I would put a link to some sample photos but KZbin does not allow links.

[@jpoconnor5744]

The D100 and R-D1 family do use the same sensor… made by Sony, not Nikon.

[@jacquesmathurin8389]

You are absolutely right, I used to own a Nikon D100. If you are an artsy type who loves grainy black & white photos, just shoot it at ISO 1600.

[@beneath_the_woods]

Great, now I want to spend way too much money on a 6 megapixel camera haha Must be one of the coolest cameras I've ever seen

[@danigonzalez4299]

I think some Voigtlander had gages too?

[@jasonandrews7355]

I don't want to sound like a grumpy Luddite, but I gotta say that the thing I like best about actually using a camera is the haptics, and I think newer cameras generally don't focus on this very much. This camera looks like it would feel amazing to shoot, almost indistinguishable from an old film rangefinder. If it was 1/4 of it's current price, I'd be all over it, but I absolutely can't justify the insane cost of a 20 year old camera that has mortal electronics.

[@Bagatellamusic]

This is basically a Voigtländer Bessa rangefinder (made by Cosina) with a digital APS-C-sensor. And (almost) Comic Sans...