14 DAY TRIAL // Epson has just unveiled the EPSON R-D1s digital rangefinder (RF) camera, which can be found, unfortunately, only on the retail Singapore market, being also the first rangefinder camera to be released in the Asian country.
More precisely, this camera is an enhancement brought to the previous successful model - the R-D1 - which was only available in US, Europe and parts of Asia. The EPSON R-D1s has been especially developed for the professional photographers and enthusiasts, and sports a focus mechanism that enables the photographer to judge the actual focusing distance, as opposed to single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras.
Furthermore, the camera is fully compatible with the entire range of L and M mount lenses and is also capable of shooting both RAW and JPEG formats simultaneously and delivers resolution high enough for large prints.
"Epson is proud to unveil the EPSON R-D1s - the first and only digital rangefinder camera in Singapore. As digital imaging becomes increasingly popular, the EPSON R-D1s retains functions which allow photographers to migrate to a digital rangefinder camera without sacrificing their preference for a traditional analogue rangefinder feel. The EPSON R-D1s was designed with professional photography requirements in mind and it has the added feature of allowing photographers to use their existing L and M mount lenses without having to invest heavily in a new set of lenses," said Siew Jin Kiat, Senior Manager, Digital Image - Consumer.
The EPSON R-D1s features a "Film" setting, which enables users to optimize photographs by selecting Portrait, Landscape or Night Scene modes, adds adjustment functions that allow photographers to access a full range of controls over sharpness, color tones, contrast and noise reduction.
"The EPSON R-D1s is an unique camera. It functions exactly like what you would expect of a top-end digital rangefinder camera, but yet it feels completely like I have been shooting using a classic analogue rangefinder camera. I would strongly recommend this to anyone looking to switch from a conventional rangefinder to a digital one. It is truly worthy of its reputation as a digital rangefinder that combines the feel of classic analogue rangefinder cameras with the sophisticated features associated with going digital," said one of the most renowned Singapore photographers Tay Kay Chin.
The EPSON R-D1s is already available and it can be purchased at a price of $3,888.
Specs (Manufacturer's given details)
￭ CCD lens, 6.1 million effective pixels ￭ Film setting mode for Portrait, Landscape and Night Scene ￭ Full manual and aperture priority auto exposure modes ￭ Leica M and L Lens support ￭ ISO sensitivity: 200, 400, 800, 1600 ￭ RAW, JPEG, RAW & JPEG support ￭ Shutter speeds from 1sec-1/2000sec ￭ Secure Digital slot ￭ Dimensions: 142 x 89 x 40mm ￭ Weight : 560g