Technology Newsline
Retro-Look Digital Rangefinder Camera Merges Tradition with Innovation
By John Boyd
nique is a much overused word camera is also seen as a product these days, but it aptly describes that will showcase the company’s U Epson’s R-D1, the first and (at the inventive spirit, expertise in digital time of writing) only digital rangefinder imaging, and skills in mechanical camera in the world. The R-D1 is also the precision engineering. first digital camera to accept Leica L- and Isao Edatsune, general manager M-mount lenses and it incorporates the of inkjet printer and photo prod- world’s first coincidence-type viewfinder uct planning at Epson, first con- with 1× magnification. ceived of the R-D1 near the end of In designing the R-D1, Epson went 2001. “The governing design phi- back to the future to come up with a losophy was to create a digital product that marries the best of tradi- camera that felt, looked and oper- tional rangefinder design with the advan- ated just like a traditional film The Epson Rangefinder Digital Camera R-D1 tages of high-performance digital photog- camera,” says Edatsune. “The kinds raphy. The camera’s appealing retro-look of user we have in mind are professional the SLR, the distance between the lens is much more than cosmetic: It dictates photographers and those involved in dig- mount and the surface of the film is the choice and omission of features and ital-image-based art work, as well as high- shorter, making for a significantly slim- functions, while underscoring the prior- end camera enthusiasts.” Among these mer, less bulky camera body, as well as ity put on manual operations. What ap- groups are aficionados who prefer the more compact lenses. All these advantages pears to be a redundant film advance look, feel and unencumbered features of a combine to create strong appeal for many lever, for instance, is actually used to re- film camera, yet also want to take advan- fans of traditional cameras around the cock the shutter after taking a picture. tage of the advances made in digital image world. Such novel thinking and attention to en- processing. “The R-D1 enables these Yet the vaunted slimness of the gineering detail is apparent throughout devotees to do just this, without having rangefinder design turned out to be a ma- every aspect of the camera’s design. the electronics get in the way of picture jor obstacle when Epson came to incor- Given Epson’s leadership role in digital creating and taking,” Edatsune adds. porate a six-megapixel CCD (charge cou- image processing and photo printing After he convinced top executives pled device) APS-C image sensor, which technologies, the company views the R- of the camera’s merits, Epson enlisted has an area six times that of the 2/3-inch D1 as an apt vehicle to extend Epson’s in- optical specialist Cosina Corporation in CCD used in most compact digital cam- fluence to the frontend of the photo busi- 2002 to help with the camera’s optics, eras. The lack of depth meant that there ness: the actual picture taking. The novel while Epson took responsibility for every- was little space with which to channel the thing else, including manu- light rays entering the camera via the lens. Merit of the rangefinder facturing. Therefore the rays of light had to be system=thin body The rangefinder design is acutely angled in order to have them focus preferred because it has a correctly onto the CCD so as to render a number of advantages over faithful image. “This was our biggest chal- single-lens reflex (SLR) cam- lenge,” says Edatsune. “And we needed to eras. These include a brighter call on all our experience in precision en-
Difference in flange back viewfinder, silent action, less gineering to meet it.” (distance from lens mount