Review – The Epson R-D1 – A budget friendly Leica MD alternative

You probably forgot that once Epson made a digital M-mount camera named R-D1. Mattias Burling tested it:

This is the Epson RD1, the first digital range finder with a Leica-m mount. It was released back in 2004 but still cost a pretty penny on the used market. I decided to review it after you, my viewers, decided I should via one of my polls here on youtube.

Also Casey tested the Epson:

This is by far the most interesting camera I have ever used. Its a digital camera from 2004 that STILL costs around $900 used. Is it worth the price in 2018? I think so.

also via ThePhoBlographer

No real news from the latest CIPA report

The latest CIPA report from May doesn’t show any sign of change in the trend:

  1. Compact camera sales are still dropping compared to the previous years
  2. System Camera sales are on par with previous years

It means that we probably bottomed out the System Camera down-trend from the past years. This is the good news. The bad news is of course compact cameras are going to get near extinction danger.

Nokishita reports Canon will announce TWO Full Frame cameras!

Nokishita spoiled some info about the three registered Canon mirrorless system cameras. According to their knowledge two of them are Full Frame and will be announced in very late 2018 at earliest:

  • K424
    • Mirror-less camera
    • Full size
    • Wi-Fi · Bluetooth installed
    • Not compatible with smartphone’s Bluetooth remote control function
    • Maximum size of test image: 6720 × 4480
    • (Judging from the progress of the test) Release in late 2018 to early 2019
  • K433
    • Mirror-less camera
    • Probably full size (not APS-C)
    • Wi-Fi · Bluetooth installed
    • Compatible with smartphone’s Bluetooth remote control function
    • Probably released in 2019
  • EC 811
    • Mirror-less camera
    • APS-C
    • Wi-Fi · Bluetooth installed
    • Compatible with smartphone’s Bluetooth remote control function

I guess it’s pretty safe to assume that Canon’s new FF cameras will ship during the first half of 2019. We are probably going to see 1 or 2 prototypes at Photokina in late September.

 

Skylum reinvents the approach for managing photos with upcoming Digital Asset Manager

If you are seeking for an Adobe Lightroom alternative this might be for you. Skylum announced this:

Skylum plans to offer the new DAM free to anyone who owns a current version of Luminar. Within a few weeks, the company will announce its final sale of the current version. There will be a well-known, well-publicized, time limit set for this sale and at the end of the sale, the retail price of the product will go up. Everyone who buys (or currently owns) the current version of Luminar before that date, will get the new DAM free of charge. After that date, the price will rise and will still be very affordable.

The new DAM is still under development, and the company wants to make sure it is rock solid before it comes out of BETA. We’re in the home stretch. As soon as possible, the shipping date will be announced. For now, make sure you own the current version of Luminar to put yourself in the queue to receive the new DAM free of charge. 

Note that you save $10 on Luminar when using our code “MIRROR” at checkout!

This is the presentation video of the DAM module:

You can now adapt Alpa lenses on the Hasselblad X1D and it looks gorgeous!

The swiss company Alpa announced their new HXD Adapter for Hasselblad X-mount cameras. I doubt many readers here do actually own Alpa lenses. But for sure it’s worth to check out these gorgeous pictures (Click on them to enlarge):

Here is the press text:

ALPA HXD Adapter

With the introduction of the ALPA adapter HXD, a variety of ALPA lenses and lens modules can now be used on current and future Hasselblad X cameras. The adapter allows the use of high-quality ALPA/Rodenstock optics from 32 to 180 mm on the Hasselblad X1D. Depending on the combination technical movements and multiple stitching beyond 100 megapixels become achievable.

By introducing the electronic shutter in the Hasselblad X1D and the camera’s advantageously short flange distance, a wide range of high-quality ALPA-Short-Barrel lenses (SB-Mount = lenses with shortened lens board) can now be used. The high modularity of the ALPA platform opens up a wide range of combination options for optics from 32 to 180 mm focal length. In addition, lenses for Hasselblad V, Pentax 67 and those with PL mount can be attached via the respective ALPA lens modules. The design of the adapter allows easy and safe mounting. MR

Since the X-cameras can also be attached directly to ALPA bodies via this adapter, multiple stitching is also possible on an ALPA camera movements when long focal length lenses of type SB34 are used. Images of more than 100 MP become reality and with a sufficiently large image circle, even 9-fold stitches with even higher megapixel count can be realized. For a corresponding overview of the possible combinations please see the download area.

The comfortable aperture priority mode of the X cameras makes working extremely comfortable and easy. The electronic viewfinder and the large display allow reliable focusing by zooming and focus peaking.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

ITEM NO 190.070.010
… D I M E N S I O N S …
WIDTH 98 mm
HEIGHT 98 mm
LENGTH 16 mm
WEIGHT 69 g

This would be cutting edge: Brand new Nikon patent describes CMOS global shutter sensor for their future mirrorless system camera

Like Morpheus I know the big question that is swirling in your mind: Is Nikon going to take the blue pill (conservative route) and make a boring entry level FF mirrorless and DSLR surrogate? Or will they go bold take the red pill and make something that will take down Sony’s pants?

Nobody knows it yet but at least on a “Patent-level” I can assure you Nikon is thinking boldly: In January of this year they submitted a patent for a new sensor made for Nikon mirrorless cameras. It has two cutting edge techs current Sony cameras do not have yet:

1) The patent describes a CMOS global shutter
2) The Sensor also has a Canon Dual focus alike tracking system

Nikoneye.com who spotted the patent shares this official Nikon patent description:

In order to realize a global shutter in a CMOS image sensor, there is known an imaging apparatus in which a storage section is provided to a pixel.

Now, patents are ephemeral like clouds, we don’t know if that patent will disappear in Nikon’s deep dungeons or if it will translate into a real storm!

Here are the patents images:

Olympus will announce the new 12mm f/1.2 PRO but no new E-M5III at this years Photokina

Olympus will keep a low profile at this years Photokina and they will definitely NOT announce the new OMD E-M5III. This camera will be launched in early 2019 only. We still have no news if the PEN-F will be announced this year or also in 2019.

What’s 99,999% sure is that Olympus will launch a new 12mm f/1.2 PRO lens.

What about Panasonic? No news yet…but the LX200 is a hot candidate for a Photokina presentation…