RD-1 cameras and perceived value.

cyrano · Expire: 2016-12-30

I was reading the Contax ND thread and it was mentioned that it's price now is so high because it was sold in limited numbers and was the first full frame digital camera marketed. I wonder what if the values of the old Epsom rangefinders is going to be in a few years time if anything? Being as digital cameras change every 5 minutes (so it seems) then will we witness a similar price hike for the worlds first digital rangefinder? With the current pricing of Leica's I find this hard to believe but I am wondering if this may change in the future as a collectible...

I swapped my one for a Fuji..... Smile

or

scsambrook · Expire: 2011-11-18

Interesting point. I don't think the Epson will climb in value, although its allure is enough to have kept prices quite high until now. But as prices of the Leica M8 continue to fall, maybe the Epson RD1 will start to lose value as well. To my regret, I've never even handled one.

TVR · Joined: 19 Jan 2012 Posts: 97 Location: Brandon, MB

i have an epson rd1 and i love it even though it is dated who cares the images it produces are excellent, yes the pixel size is small by today's standards it has enough charm and originality to make it a excellent user experience my opinion, compared to other digitals it has held up quite well, although originally it was very expensive Very Happy

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I have always been in love with the looks of the RD-1 and when I was looking for a digital rangefinder, I was seriously considering one. But any good RD-1 I found was twice as expensive as the M8 cams in similarly good condition!!

Even today an RD-1 goes for �2500,- or more here in Germany! Shocked

I don't think that it will become even more expensive, but I neither think that it will become a lot cheaper.
It's already a rare item and since more and more cams are leaving the game due to defects, this will become worse.

cyrano · Expire: 2016-12-30

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

rbelyell · Expire: 2014-01-31

i just received mine two days ago. got it on the bay for way under $1000. deals can be had on this if youre persistent. as for comparison with contax nd, apples and oranges. whatever one thinks of the nd its not materially different than any other dslr. the rd1 is a rangefinder, that places it in singular company, only with the m8, m9 out of all the hundreds of dslr's! it represents a wholly different experience from the nd and from the rest of dslr-dom. as far as price, i personally wanted an m8. but after following US ebay many months, the cheapest m8 i found was still near twice as much as i paid for the rd1. add to this leica no longer services the m8, it is prone to serious sensor issues, and unlike the rd1 there is no DIY fix for very common rf misalignment.

personally ive so far been amazed at the IQ of this 6mp ccd sensor. and thats a catch right there: ccd vs cmos. theyre different, they render differently. in a photography landscape more and more similar and clinical with the seemingly omnipresent sony sensor--now even in leica digis--the ability to have a different look is and may become even more meaningful.

its not all great. the film rewind knob is dopey and gimmicky and makes any kind of action or movement photography geometrically more difficult. i understand the 'slow you down' rationale for it, i just very much disagree with it. and not having framelines above 50mm (80mm equivalent as it has a 1.6 crop factor), is very limiting, as is the 28mm (45mm) widest frameline. but the experience is indeed singular. i love the rf focusing as i dislike focus peeking and constantly popping between magnification for focus and 'live' view for composition. i love the 1:1 finder--unlike anything in digi world. and i really love the sharp, film like results.

cyrano · Expire: 2016-12-30

Yes, they really do make a cracking picture, that sensor,despite all the pixel mania today still delivers a more than adequate result.
It's a hard decision for me to make but an unbeatable price would be,unbeatable really. I have thought long and hard over this and am still unsure whether to keep or sell. It's extremely unlikely anything like this will be issued in the future I should think.