[Leica] Epson RD-1

[mikiro at yahoo.fr (Mikiro MORI)]

Here is a summary of my previous posts.

1. R-D1 is larger, heavier, and more solid than Bessa R2. It shares only 
a few parts with Bessa bodies.

2. The 1x viewfinder is as clear as that of Bessa R2. Its rangefinder 
is, both in theory and practice, as accurate as that of a 0.58x M camera.

3. The shutter charge lever is a unique feature of this camera, and you 
can use R-D1 and Leica M interchangeably with no stress. Unfortunately, 
the lever itself is of the same material as used in Bessa and in fact a 
weak point.

4. The sound of the metallic shutter of R-D1 has a higher pitch than 
that of Leica M but much more comfortable than that of Bessa R2.

5. In terms of image quality, R-D1 is just comparable to Nikon D70 and 
other D-SLRs with similar sensors.

After using R-D1 for a month, I am deeply attached to this camera. I 
have never had this feeling with D-SLRs.

Undoubtedly, a future R-D2 will be a more sophisticated and affordable 
camera, but Epson say they will not revise this model in short terms. 
Time will tell.

MIKIRO
Japan