Sell the Epson R-D1 and get a Fuji X10?

retrogamer1990

retrogamer1990

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Nick
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Hi guys

Well the title says it all really. I do love my Epson, but I can't afford to put decent glass on it (got some russian Jupiters... 8 and 12 on there) and I played about with an X10 in jessops and loved it.

I just can't seem to come to a conclusion as to which is a better choice. I know I want a compact camera with an optical finder (had an X100, that was crap and overpriced, and I found the ergonomics of the X10 to be nicer - but at the right price I would probably consider it)

My pro's and cons are as follows: (they share some pros and cons, for example both are similarly sized so I did not include this factor)

Epson

+ bright finder with rangefinder
+ ability to see outside of frame
+ manual focus and scale focusing
+ potential for excellent glass (m-mount)
+ aesthetically pleasing
+ excellent controls (phsyically, at least)
+ can be disguised as a film camera
-expensive for what it is
- crap LCD, confusing menus
- the sensor is very poor in low light (it's a nikon D70 sensor....says it all)
- not particularly versatile
- if it develops a fault or becomes damaged, it will be hard/expensive to get repaired
-the batteries are godawful

Fuji

+video
+newer sensor with higher res and good low-light performance
+zoom lens (I am a proponent of the fixed lens ethos but if it's not interchangeable then a zoom is preferable)
+ larger LCD
+close focus
+I regard fuji as a quality brand
-inferior finder
-no physical manual focus or ISO dial (less convenient interface)


It may seem as if the fuji wins in my comparison but I have not had real experience with this camera so I can't really put down any more points. I am very attached to the more manual, involved way of working with the epson, but the quality seems so far behind compared to more modern cameras, I don't think it will not keep up in the long run. and I can't afford to have two digital cameras. If I could afford a leica M9 I would buy one because, like the epson, it fits my preferred style of shooting.

so there is my slightly inebriated train of thought. if anyone can help me, or think of more points to make about either camera (especially the fuji) then please post on the thread!

Thanks
Nick
 
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I have recently bought an X10 and also own an X100 (mine isn't crap or overpriced ;) )

I did own an Epson a while ago and it is true to say it is unique and VERY quirky but lovely to use. However it was very limited and I would say has not aged particularly well. I'd still guess that with good glass it would ultimately be better than the X10 which has a much smaller sensor but maybe not obviously so.

What I can say about the Fuji is that it is the ONLY compact I have owned which feels like a 'proper' camera to use - it is well thought out and the lens is superb. The viewfinder is better than I thought it would be.

Image quality looks great for a small sensor camera.

It would be difficult to choose between the Epson and the X10 as they are VERY different cameras but if I had to pick one for everyday use it would be the Fuji as it doesn't suffer from the compromises that the Epson has
 
Someone should start ofering sensor transplants on the Epsons, they could make an absolute mint. Shouldn't be that hard either since it's not really a digital camera but a film camera that ate a digital one.
 
Probably an X10 is your best bet. If you had a bigger budget a Leica M8 might be worth a look.
 
fixedimage said:
Someone should start ofering sensor transplants on the Epsons, they could make an absolute mint. Shouldn't be that hard either since it's not really a digital camera but a film camera that ate a digital one.
Click to expand...

absolutely this, I suppose it would have to be an APS sensor but heck making it into a small D300 would be incredible

well, or they could just release a new one to compete against the M8/M9
 
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The RD1 still fetches a high sale price today, perhaps you could sell it and buy a Nex-7 instead which has a huge viewfinder and decent high ISO performance, plus it will take m mount lenses. Might have to wait til March to get one though. It doesn't answer your question, but that's what I'd do. I certainly wouldn't want to be left with a small sensor compact as my only camera.
 
manualfocus-g said:
The RD1 still fetches a high sale price today, perhaps you could sell it and buy a Nex-7 instead which has a huge viewfinder and decent high ISO performance, plus it will take m mount lenses. Might have to wait til March to get one though. It doesn't answer your question, but that's what I'd do. I certainly wouldn't want to be left with a small sensor compact as my only camera.
Click to expand...

This is a good point, you're used to manual focus so the loss of AF on the nex7 wouldn't/shouldn't bother you and you could get an adaptor to use your jupiter lenses and any m lenses you might buy on it.

Going by the NEX3 image quality etc then the 7 will be a hell of a camera but it's quite different to the x10 and VERY different to the RD1.
 
I love my R-D1.

I've tried the X series (10,100, pro) and they too are lovely cameras. Just different!!

The beauty of the R-D1 (apart from the image quality) is the ease of use. The menus are OK (not confusing but just not many of them) but I hardly use them. Only to format the card, really. The reason for this is because the controls are on the camera. ISO, shutter speed, it's all there right under your fingers without having to enter any menus.

As for the battery, a decent Japanese battery will last easily long enough to fill a 2GB card. I have three Epson batteries and each fills a whole card plus a fair bit of chimping/scrolling/zooming etc. I just think of them as tiny film cannisters you change every few hundred shots.

ALso, I don't love autofocus. It's OK, but I feel like I'm not in control. Sounds stupid? Perhaps. But I like being able to pick the exact spot and it feels like the camera isn't in the way at all. Though the X series focus pretty nicely, I feel like it's the camera doing most of the work and I feel removed from the shot a little. Having said that I do sometimes miss it when I'm trying to crack off a shot and miss the focus. Bit perhaps that's what makes is even more satisfying when you nail it...

The Viewfinder on the R-D1 is just unbeatable, certainly by the X series. OK so there's very little info in the display (shutter speed and rangefinder patch) but the 1:1 magnification make it feel so natural to use. It doesn't feel like I'm peeping down a glass tube at my subject.

The X series are great cameras. To be honest, they're probably BETTER cameras, technically. I, however, find the R-D1 the most natural to use and I've taken all my best and most satisfying shots with it. I find it incredible in low light, beautiful colours and superb high speed B+W. It's a legend for many reasons but it's a camera that divides opinion, and rightly so. In this day and age of speed and convenience some people feel it has it's limitations. And it does. Weather those limitations bother you says a lot about what kind of a photographer you are. Neither are 'the best' but they are different. I have a feeling the R-d1 will still be around long after the X100 has been superseded by the latest new ultra fast super million pixel smoke and mirrors this and that. Get out there and take photographs.

Cheers
ped

See http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/sets/72157626219512492/
 
ped said:
I love my R-D1.

I've tried the X series (10,100, pro) and they too are lovely cameras. Just different!!

The beauty of the R-D1 (apart from the image quality) is the ease of use. The menus are OK (not confusing but just not many of them) but I hardly use them. Only to format the card, really. The reason for this is because the controls are on the camera. ISO, shutter speed, it's all there right under your fingers without having to enter any menus.

As for the battery, a decent Japanese battery will last easily long enough to fill a 2GB card. I have three Epson batteries and each fills a whole card plus a fair bit of chimping/scrolling/zooming etc. I just think of them as tiny film cannisters you change every few hundred shots.

ALso, I don't love autofocus. It's OK, but I feel like I'm not in control. Sounds stupid? Perhaps. But I like being able to pick the exact spot and it feels like the camera isn't in the way at all. Though the X series focus pretty nicely, I feel like it's the camera doing most of the work and I feel removed from the shot a little. Having said that I do sometimes miss it when I'm trying to crack off a shot and miss the focus. Bit perhaps that's what makes is even more satisfying when you nail it...

The Viewfinder on the R-D1 is just unbeatable, certainly by the X series. OK so there's very little info in the display (shutter speed and rangefinder patch) but the 1:1 magnification make it feel so natural to use. It doesn't feel like I'm peeping down a glass tube at my subject.

The X series are great cameras. To be honest, they're probably BETTER cameras, technically. I, however, find the R-D1 the most natural to use and I've taken all my best and most satisfying shots with it. I find it incredible in low light, beautiful colours and superb high speed B+W. It's a legend for many reasons but it's a camera that divides opinion, and rightly so. In this day and age of speed and convenience some people feel it has it's limitations. And it does. Weather those limitations bother you says a lot about what kind of a photographer you are. Neither are 'the best' but they are different. I have a feeling the R-d1 will still be around long after the X100 has been superseded by the latest new ultra fast super million pixel smoke and mirrors this and that. Get out there and take photographs.

Cheers
ped

See http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/sets/72157626219512492/
Click to expand...

Why are you digging up a nearly 5 month old thread???

Well I'm pretty sure the OP decided whatever he did by now but I do find it odd that he thought the x100 was 'crap' but the X10 was great.
 
I know what you mean about autofocus. I got a 70-200 and an S5 pro whilst I wait on the D800 becoming more widely available. I almost forgot how disconnected you feel when using autofocus coming from using the M9 and 50mm. The real bonus of autofocus though is I can now get decent photographs of my kid running about as manual focus makes me want to tear my hair out in those situations.

Something about small Leica/Zeiss glass and manual focus that just makes me want to take photos though. Which is what this hobby is all about for me.
 
ped said:
I love my R-D1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/chiscocks/sets/72157626219512492/
Click to expand...

I remember when you got yours, I was selling my Bessa at the time. I remember being very jealous of you :razz::razz::D

Swapping an RD1 for a X10 seems madness to me but as they're so different animals I suppose it makes sense from a practical point of view. I'd see the X10 as a nice top end compact but I'd see the RD1 as a labour of love, a bit like the X Pro 1 or X100 I suppose.
 
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