Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Epson: Full specs for the digital rangefinder
By
(Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 20:18 EST)

Seiko Epson Corp. in cooperation with Cosina Corp. has now unveiled a name and full specifications for its digital rangefinder in the runup to the 2004 Photo Expo scheduled for 19th - 21st March in Tokyo, Japan.

First shown at the recent PMA show in Las Vegas, little detail was available at the time - but the Epson R-D1 has nonetheless provoked quite a bit of excitement over the last few weeks. The camera features a 6.1 megapixel APS-C sized CCD image sensor, offers both RAW (.ERF) and JPEG file formats, stores images on SD memory cards, and accepts a range of Leica M (or, with an adapter, Leica L)-mount lenses. Note that there are some limitations, however - Epson's press release noting that:

"Lenses with external dimensions exceeding 20.5 cannot be used with this camera. In addition, the following lenses cannot be used (correct as of March 11, 2004) - Hologon 15mm F8, Super Angulon 21 mm F4, Super Angulon 21 mm F3.4, Elmarit 28 mm F2.8 (early models), Summicron 50 mm F2 (dual range Summicron), Hektor 50 mm F2.5, and Elmar 50 mm F3.5."

The Epson R-D1 has some very nice design touches, such as a needle gauge on the top which is used to show image quality, white balance, and remaining storage space / battery life, and a small conversion ring on the rear panel showing equivalent focal lengths alongside those that would be marked on your lenses, for example. The APS-C sized image sensor will yield a focal length conversion of 1.53x. Also notable is that the camera has a 1.0x field of view through its viewfinder, giving you the same image you'd see if you were looking at a scene with your naked eye.

The Epson R-D1, developed in cooperation with Cosina, uses a proprietary rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, which is bundled along with a charger. Also included is Epson's "Photolier" software to convert RAW files, and a RAW conversion plugin for Photoshop. Pricing and availability haven't yet been announced, but Japanese digicam sites are speculating that the camera will ship this summer at a price of ¥300,000 without lens (approximately equivalent to US$2706 / €2194 / CAD$3564 / £1495 ignoring exchange rate fluctuations, taxes and duties.) Full specifications follow below:

Epson R-D1
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Name Epson Rangefinder Digital Camera R-D1
Type Interchangeable Lens Rangefinder Digital Camera
Imaging
Image Sensor 23.7mm × 15.6mm APS-C size CCD sensor (primary color filter)
Effective Pixels 6.1 megapixels
Image Size
CCD-RAW (12bit): 3008×2000 pixels
JPEG: 3008×2000 pixels / 2240×1488 pixels
Standards Compliance Exif 2.21, DCF2.0, DPOF1.1, PRINT Image Matching 2.6
Recording Media SD Memory Card
Optical System
Finder Type Real image rangefinder type Reverse Galileo finder
Finder Magnification Ratio 1.0 times (identical dimensions)
Baseline Length 38.2mm (effective baseline length: 38.2mm)
Rangefinder Double image alignment system (range 0.7m - infinity)
Viewing Frame
28 / 35 / 50mm interchangeable bright-frame type
Automatic parallax compensation function
Field of Vision 85%
Exposure Display in Finder LED indication of shutter speed (for autoexposure or manual)
Lens Mount
Lens Mount EM mount (Leica M-type compatible mount)
Compatible Lens
Accepts L-mount lens using optional Cosina adapter
Mount depth: 20.5mm or less
Focal Length Multiplier 35mm lens equivalent ratio: 1.53 times
Shutter
Shutter Electronically controlled vertical focal plane shutter
Shutter Speed 1/2000 - 1 second; bulb
Sync Speed Direct X contact (sync speed 1/125 second or slower)
Exposure Metering
Metering System TTL real aperture photometry (center-weighted light reading)
Metering Range EV 1 - 19 (using ISO 100 equivalent)
Image Capture
Exposure Control Method Aperture priority AE and manual (AE lock via AE lock button)
Exposure Compensation -2.0 to +2.0EV in 1/3EV steps (in autoexposure mode)
ISO sensitivity 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600
White Balance Auto, Preset (fine / shady / cloudy / incandescent / fluorescent)
Settings Standard, Epson 1, Epson 2, Epson 3, Preset (User setting)
Color Mode Color, Monochrome
Color Setting Monochrome filter function (Standard, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red)
Display
Liquid Crystal Monitor
2.0"-type low-temperature polysilicon TFT color liquid crystal display (235,000 pixels)
Field of view: 99.7%
Needle-type display module 4 indications ( Image quality setting, white balance setting, frames remaining gauge, battery power gauge)
Playback Display Functions
Image Display Single image, four thumbnails
Image Information Display
File name (file number, type), capture date and time, picture number (playback image number / total number of images), image size, white balance, shutter speed, image quality setting, film setting, ISO sensitivity, color mode
Histogram display function, blown highlight indication via blinking white for overexposed area
Framing guide indication
Image Analysis Display Playback zoom from 1 to 9.4 times (smooth operation)
Enlargement Indication
Horizontal and vertical panning of enlarged image portion (smooth operation)
* JPEG mode only
Playback Processing Functions
File Deletion Single frame / all frames
File Protection Single frame protection / cancellation, all frames protection / cancellation
DPOF Setting Single frame and all frames (0 - 99 copies)
Slide Show Slide show playback function of captured images (interval: approx. 3 seconds), possible to reverse order of slideshow
Function Settings
Language Setting Japanese / English / German / French / Spanish / Italian / Dutch / Traditional Chinese
USER button assignment
Single image deletion, single image protection, playback zoom, DPOF setup, settings display
One function may be selected in film setup
Power Saving Function Possible to adjust power saving mode timeout
SD Memory Card Format Formats the SD Memory Card
Needle Display Adjustment Needle position adjustment function
File Number Memory Use consecutive file numbers or reset after memory card is formatted
Time Setup Set camera's internal clock (year / month / day / hour / minute settings possible)
External Connections
Tripod Socket 1/4" (ISO1222)
Accessory Shoe Shoe (ISO512), PC socket
Release Socket Built into shutter release button
Size
Size (W x H x D) 142.0 x 88.5 x 39.5mm (excluding projections)
Weight Approx. 590 grams (excluding SD memory card, battery and neck strap)
Power Source
Power Source
Proprietary Lithium Ion battery pack (EBALP1)
Charger and power cord included
Environmental Conditions
Temperature Operating: 5 - 35°C, storage: -20 - 60°C (non-condensing)
Humidity Operating: 30 - 80%, storage: 10 - 80% (non-condensing)
Accessories
Included Accessories Proprietary Lithium Ion battery pack (EPALB1), battery charger A281H, neck strap, instruction manual, power cable, lens cover, EPSON Photolier (proprietary Windows CCD-RAW development application), EPSON RAW Plug-In (for Windows/Macintosh CCD-RAW development in Adobe Photoshop), Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2.0 and case
Optional Accessories Proprietary Lithium Ion battery pack (EPALB1)
More Photos
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Epson's R-D1 rangefinder digital camera. Courtesy of Epson, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins.
.

Original Source Press Release:

Epson Launches the World's First Rangefinder Digital Camera

- TOKYO, Japan, March 11 - Seiko Epson Corporation ("Epson") has launched the Epson Rangefinder Digital Camera R-D1*1, the world's first rangefinder digital camera, in partnership with Cosina Corporation.

Technical collaboration
Epson has helped transform the world of photo printing into the digital world by developing inkjet printers and other digital photo printing technologies. Among the critical technologies behind the stunning quality of Epson's digitally rendered photos is digital image processing-technology for optimizing digital data as a high-quality photo image. Digital image processing technology is already being used in Epson's printer drivers, high-resolution scanners and other input and output devices, but Epson had been looking for new potentially intriguing applications for it, as well. It was while scouting the possibilities that Epson met up with Cosina, a company that can boast some of the world's foremost original optical technologies.

Cosina has developed outstanding original optics technologies in the production of camera lenses while still maintaining a rigorous fidelity to the historic photography heritage. Epson felt that if the companies were to use the rangefinder camera platform-a platform that is being left in the wake of progress toward the digital age-and if they were to merge Epson's digital image processing technology with Cosina's advanced optics technology, they might be able to discover some completely new creative photographic possibilities. This idea led to collaboration between the two companies, with engineers from both sides paying uncompromising attention to detail during product development. Thus was born the R-D1

The R-D1 dares to swim against the high tide of fully automatic electronic digital cameras. It is a digital camera that still manages to feel like a traditional manual camera, for people who appreciate the peculiar satisfaction that comes with the ability to use an analog camera well. In other words, the R-D1 is simultaneously a state-of-the-art digital camera that offers outstanding performance and image quality, and a throwback that offers camera buffs the look and feel of a vintage film camera, as well as the joy of skillfully using their camera as a tool.

Digital camera firsts
Among many digital camera firsts, the R-D1 is the world's first rangefinder digital camera. A rangefinder is a type of camera that has a built-in device for measuring distance based on the principles of triangulation. The photographer focuses the camera by superimposing two slightly different views of a scene with the rangefinder. In general, compared to an auto-focus system, performance does not change even if lenses are swapped, and focus can be achieved quickly, accurately and with a light level that is nearly the same as the unaided eye, even in dimly lit locations. In addition, since the field of view is not blocked by the action of a shutter as it is with a single-lens reflex camera, the photographer will not miss the decisive moment.

The R-D1 is also the world's first digital camera to accept Leica L- and M-mounts*2. As such, it offers a new platform that links the future with the past. A huge number of lens types - more than 200 - have been created and sold over the long history of photography. This camera gives twenty-first century photographers a way to use these famed lenses from our photographic heritage. The new camera gives photographers the chance to develop a new cult of photography by allowing them to resurrect their familiar old lenses in a digital world.

The R-D1 also uses the world's first 1x viewfinder, enabling photographers to view scenes - including panoramas - through the camera as if they were looking at scenes using their naked eyes. The camera also has the advantage of improved focus precision compared to low magnification optical finders.

Epson = Photo
With "Epson = Photo" as its watchword, Epson is committed to bringing color to life and to the way people communicate, by aspiring to create new possibilities that expand the horizons of the digital photo market and by suggesting new ways to enjoy digital photography using advanced digital image processing technology.

The R-D1 will be exhibited at the 2004 Photo Expo, which will be held from March 19-21 at the Tokyo Big Sight.

*1 Epson Rangefinder Digital Camera R-D1 is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corp.
*2 The L-mount is adaptor-compatible.
Note: Lenses with external dimensions exceeding 20.5 cannot be used with this camera. In addition, the following lenses cannot be used (correct as of March 11, 2004)
Hologon 15mm F8, Super Angulon 21 mm F4, Super Angulon 21 mm F3.4, Elmarit 28 mm F2.8 (early models), Summicron 50 mm F2 (dual range Summicron), Hektor 50 mm F2.5, and Elmar 50 mm F3.5.

About Epson
The Epson Group increases its corporate value through its innovative and creative culture. Dedicated to providing its customers with digital image innovation, its main product lines comprise information-related equipment such as printers and projectors, electronic devices including displays, semiconductors and quartz devices, and precision products such as watches. Epson products are known throughout the world for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.
The Epson Group is a network of 88,036 employees in 111 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., which is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Group had consolidated sales of 1,322 billion yen in fiscal 2002.

Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

Powered by Coranto