1996 D-N R
DVD PLAYERS - 1996. Toshiba and Panasonic release the first DVD players 1 November 1966 for the home audience in Japan, the Toshiba SD-3000 (left) and Panasonic A-100 (right). Only ten Japanese disc titles were available, mostly music videos.
https://hifi-wiki.com/index.php/Panasonic_DVD-A_100
DICOMED
BIGSHOT 4000 Digital Camera Back - 1996. Example of a professional studio camera back. Other camera backs
of that time had CCD sensors that were smaller than the film apertures of their
adopted parent cameras, none being a large as a 35mm film frame. The Dicomed
4000 was the first not only to exceed the 35mm frame size, but also to exceed
the 5.6x5.6cm size
of a Hasselblad back. Its 6x6cm area array with a mosaic of 4096x4096
pixels (total 16,777,216) was exclusive to Dicomed and overfilled the
film aperture of the Hasselblad. The monochrome version was $35,000,
sequential color (three exposures) $39,000, one-shot color
$55,000. We believe we were the first digital camera history web
site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9604cs.html
EPIX
PRO (NEC PC-DC401 in Japan) / OBSIDIAN IC-100 - 1996. (NEC PC-DC401 in Japan or Obsidian IC-100 in U.S.) 1/2-inch
640 x 480 pixel CCD. Type "C" lens mount. No LCD.
MSRP $1950
(EPix). EPix Imaging changed the camera's name to Obsidian
IC-100. Obsidian Imaging Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of
Epix Technoligies. In 1996 Epix Imaging Systems inc. changed its
name to Obsidian Imaging Inc. MSRP $1,900. See Obsidian
Imaging IC-100 on the 1996 0-R page. We believe we were the first
digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information
concerning this camera.
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9603cs.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157656292176968
EPSON
PhotoPC (Colorio Photo CP-100 in Japan), (Sanyo VPC-G1, Sierra Imaging
SD640) - 1996. Manufactured by Sanyo. 640
x 480 pixel
CCD.
1MB internal memory. Fixed-focus 43mm lens. Shutter 1/30 to
1/10,000 second. Built-in flash. Original MSRP was $999,
but lowered to $499 making the Epson PhotoPC the first to break the
$500 price barrier. We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
EPSON PC Exposed - Above photos show the PC with cover removed. Even though
it was a fairly inexpensive model it still required a lot of technology
and advanced fabrication capability to produce.
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9604bhs.html
EPSON
PhotoPC 500 (Colorio Photo CP-200 in Japan) - 1996. 1/3-inch, 640 x 480 CCD. ISO 130. 43mm f/2.8 lens.
Shutter 1/30 to 1/10,000 second. Built-in flash, video out and
autofocus.
MSRP $729. For
those of you who would like to start a collection of older digital
cameras, but think that all the good stuff may have been bought up
years ago, the opposite is true. Many cameras as old as the PC 500 or older can routinely be found for sale at bargain prices. In addition to those who sell their
collections from time-to-time, there are still countless cameras stored
away and forgotten in closets, drawers, dealers' shelves, etc. Check eBay "vintage digital cameras" once a week,
or search eBay for any particular model and you will be pleasantly
surprised at the many cameras still available. This
new-in-the-box $729 PC 500 was purchased in May of 2014, eighteen years
after introduction, for a grand
total of $14.50! We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
http://www.informedusa.com/t/epsoncamera10.10.html
FUJI
CLIP-IT DS-7 (Apple QuickTake 200, Samsung Kenox SSC-350N) - 1996. 640
x 480 pixel CCD. SmartMedia memory card. ISO
100.
Shutter 1/4 to 1/5000 second. F/2.2 fixed-focus 38mm
lens.
(Some variation in marketing dates, pricing, programming and
accessories
between brands.). We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fujifilm_DS-7
FUJI
CLIP-IT DS-8 - 1996. 1/3-inch
640 x
480 pixel CCD. ISO 100. Shutter 1/4 to 1/5000 second.
Fixed-focus 38mm f/2.2 lens. We believe we were the first digital
camera history web site to provide a photo and information concerning
this camera.
http://www.computer-specifications.com/specifications/FujiFilm-DS8-Specs.html
FUJI
DS-220A - 1996. 1/3-inch
640 x 480
CCD.
ISO 120. 36/72mm f/3.5 lens. Shutter 1/4 to 1/1000
second.
The 220A had a few minor improvements over the 220 of 1995, mostly
having to do with output capabilities. MSRP $1049.
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/fujix-ds-220a
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fujifilm_digital_cameras
FUJI
HC-2000 - 1996. A
single-exposure
digital
camera that had three 1.3-million-pixel CCDs (1/3-inch, 1280 x 1002
pixels)
that provided improved resolution when compared to cameras that had a
single
imager for red, green, and blue-sensitive pixels. The Fuji
HC-2000
had shutter speeds of 1/4 to 1/2000 second, an internal frame buffer
for
up to 12 images, and PC Card storage. MSRP $19,900. We
believe we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a
photo and information concerning this camera.
https://www.fujifilm.co.jp/news_r/nrj024.html
http://ant.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/METHOD/Ant_Macro/HiVideo/Gallary.html
FUJI 505A, 5015A - 1996. Same as Nikon E2N, E2NS. Upgades to the 1994 DS-505, DS-515 such
as higher ISO speed. 2/3-inch, 1280 x 1000 pixel
CCD.
ISO 800, 3200. Shutter 1/8 to 1/2000 second. We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/category/fujix
HITACHI MP-EG1 / EG1A - 1996. Shown in Fall 96, marketed in 1997. World's first digital camera which could
output
moving pictures to a personal computer in the MPEG format.
1/4-inch
352 x 240 (video) and 704 x 408 (still) pixel CCD. ISO
110.
3X zoom f/2.4 autofocus lens.$2,400.
In 1998 Hitachi marketed and improved version, the MP-EG10 /
EG10W, for $999. The 10 / 10W could be purchased as a package with a
360MB PC card hard drive for $1299. The CCD was 360K pixels. We
believe we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a
photo and information concerning this camera.
http://www.smecc.org/hitachi.htm
http://photojpn.org/HIST/hist1.html
IMAGETECH 3D fx - 1996. The ImageTech 3D fx is one of several lenticular 3D cameras sold under the ImageTech brand. Other, more well known lenticular 3D cameras are the Nimslo and the Nishika. All lenticular 3D cameras incorporate multiple lenses to produce multiple images taken simultaneously from slightly different angles. Producing the final lenticular print requires special processing whereby the individual images are sliced up into very thin vertical strips which are then interlaced and covered with a sheet of plastic that has long vertical lenses in it. These lenses focus on different images depending on the viewing angle. When you tilt the lenticular picture back and forth, left and right, you see the original images one at a time which causes the illusion of 3D. The ImageTech 3D fx incorporated three plastic 27mm lenses, a fixed aperture of �/9.5, and a fixed shutter speed of 1/100.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/toycameras/discuss/72157623482454201/
JENOPTIK KONTRON EYELIKE - 1996.
Kontron Eyelike Digital Camera from Jenoptik in Germany.
The basic model had a resolution of 2000 x 2000 pixels with a 36-bit
tonal range. Could be upgraded to 6000 x 6000/24-bit colour,
which would allow for resolutions of 300 dpi for larger formats (50 x
50 cm) and 600 dpi for smaller formats (25 x 25 cm). Shown at
1996 Photokina. MSRP $30,000. Electronic Publishing,
June 1997, page 16. We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
JVC
TK-F7300U and KY-F55 - 1996. Hi
Resolution Video
Cameras. Example of professional cameras designed for
medical
and industrial use. Still images can be digitized with a frame
grabber and digitizer. Single 1/3-inch, 4416 x 3456 pixel
CCD.
Price, $9500. We believe we were the first digital camera history
web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
http://pro.jvc.com/pro/users/appl/A1067.htm
KODAK
DC20 (Chinon ES-1000) - 1996. Shown
at Comdex Fall '95, marketed in 1996. 501 x 370 pixel CCD
(Chinon)
or 493 x 373 pixel CCD (Kodak). 1MB internal memory.
Fixed-focus
6.5mm lens. Shutter 1/30 to 1/4000 second. Although
specifications
were the same, the software for the two cameras varied. Price,
$300
(Chinon), $560 (Kodak). We believe we were the first digital
camera history web site to provide a photo and information concerning
this camera.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_DC_Series
KODAK
DC25 - 1996.
493 x 373 pixel
CCD.
ISO 800. Shutter 1/20 to 1/4000 second. Fixed-focus,
47mm f/4 lens. The DC-25 was the first digital camera to use removable
Compact Flash. MSRP $499. We believe we were the first
digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information
concerning this camera.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_DC_Series
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_DC25
https://upload.cyfrowe.pl/cyfrowe/instrukcje/aparaty/kodak/instrukcja_kodak_dc25_en.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_DC_Series
KODAK DCS 420cir - 1996. See 1994, Kodak DCS 420.
KODAK DCS-425 / 435 - 1996. Based
on the Nikon Nikonos RS. Developed for the U.S. Navy Seals. The
Nikonos RS (1992-97) was the world's first TTL autofocus reflex-type
underwater camera (up to 100 meters). Lens 20-35mm, f/2.8 zoom. The DCS
425 came in color (425c, ISO 100-400) and infra-red (425ir, ISO
200-800), both with 1.54 MP CCD. The 435 had a 1.2 MP CCD, ISO 200 to
1000. We believe we were the first digital camera history web
site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
KODAK DVC 300 - 1996. First USB device / CCD digital video camera. 320 X 240 for video and 640 X 480 for still photos. We believe we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
KONICA
Q-EZ - 1996. 1/3-inch,
640 x 480
pixel
CCD. ISO 100. Shutter 1/30 to 1/2000 second. 43mm
autofocus
f/2.8 lens. We believe we were the first digital camera history
web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/konica-q-ez
KYOCERA DA-1 STILL VIDEO CAMERA - 1996. Kyocera-Yashica
announced the Kyocera DA-1 Electronic Camera which used the original
Sony Mavica
method of recording (analog) images, but the DA-1 then digitized
them in the camera for export to a
computer (this is in question since we do not have a manual. Some
sources say the image was stored as digital on the mini floppy, then
could be exported as digital from the camera to a computer or TV) , The
only such camera ever marketed. The camera also had
NTSC video output. 1/3-inch, 640 x 474 pixel CCD. ISO
250.
Shutter 1/60 to 1/1500 second. 60mm f/3.2 lens. It used two
CR123A batteries. MSRP $798. We believe
we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a photo
and information concerning this camera.
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9604dhs.html
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/kyocera-da-1
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sara-net/sets/72157624500655392/
LEAF MICROLUMINA - 1996. Leaf developed a medical/industiral version of the 1994 Lumina
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/cameras/item/leaf-microlumina
MARS
GLOBAL SURVEYOR - 1996. In November
1996, NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory began America's return to
Mars after a 20-year absence by launching the Mars Global Surveyor
(MGS)
spacecraft. The Mars Global Surveyor went into orbit around Mars
in September of 1997. Most of the data volume from MGS is
generated
by a dual-mode camera called the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC).
In narrow-angle mode, MOC's black and white, high-resolution telephoto
lens can image Martian rocks and other objects as small as 1.4 meters
(4.6
feet) across. The largest raw image possible is 2048 x 4800
pixels
in size. In contrast to the detailed surface images, MOC's wide-
angle, global monitoring mode uses a fish-eye lens to generate
panoramic
images in color spanning horizon to horizon (NASA). Click on
image
to see full-page view. http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/marsurv.html
MICRODIA QUICKSHOT - 1996. Imager .25MP 1/5" CCD, 640x480/320x240 pixels. Autofocus, compact flash slot and built-in memory. MSRP about $100. Microdia was the OEM for the Umax PhotoRun and the Mitsubishi DJ-1000. We believe we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera. Many thanks to Louis Leung of Microdia for specs and photo.
https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de/en/prototypes-rarities/item/microdia-quickshot
http://www.easyhelpguide.com/manual/Microdia.html
MINOLTA
Dimage V - 1996. First
shown at Fall '96 Comdex. Marketed in 1997. 1/3-inch 640 x
480 pixel CCD. ISO100. 3X zoom f/5 lens. Shutter 1/30
to 1/10,000 second. First with detachable lens assembly and
electronic tether. Price, $700. Click on image to see
enlarged
view. We believe we were the first digital camera history web
site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
http://www.rvharvey.com/dimagev.htm
https://www.engadget.com/products/konica-minolta/dimage/v/specs/
MOMITSU
MES-1000 (Chinon ES1000 / Kodak DC20) - 1996. Photo
not available, Chinon ES1000 shown. 501 x 370 pixel CCD
(Kodak).
1MB internal memory. Fixed-focus 6.5mm lens. Shutter 1/30
to
1/4000 second. We believe we were the first digital camera
history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this
camera.
http://www.computer-specifications.com/specifications/Momitsu-MES1000-Specs.html
http://www.memoryx.com/momeme.html
NEC PC-DC401 / EPIX Pro in U.S. / OBSIDIAN IC-100 - 1996. 1/2-inch
640 x 480 pixel CCD. Type "C" lens mount. No LCD.
MSRP $1950
(EPix). EPix Imaging changed the camera's name to Obsidian
IC-100. Obsidian Imaging Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of
Epix Technoligies. In 1996 Epix Imaging Systems inc. changed its
name to Obsidian Imaging Inc. MSRP $1,900. See Obsidian
Imaging IC-100 on the 1996 0-R page. We believe we were the first
digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information
concerning this camera.
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9603cs.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/maoby/albums/72157656292176968
NIKON COOLPIX
100 - 1996. First
camera with removable PC card slot camera insert. 1/3-inch 512 x 480
pixel CCD. ISO 100. 52mm fixed-focus f/4.0
lens. Shutter 1/45 to 1/10,000 second. Announced June '96,
released Jan '97. Price, $249. We believe we were the first
digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information
concerning this camera.
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/coolpix/others/100/
NIKON
COOLPIX 300 - 1996.
1/3-inch,
640 x 480 pixel CCD. ISO 100. Shutter 1/30 to 1/2500
second.
45mm fixed-focus f/4 lens. Announced June '96, released Jan
'97. First digicam whereby the LCD screen was also a touch screen.
Price, $349. We believe we were the first digital camera history
web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
NIKON E2N, E2Ns- 1996. Same as Fuji 505A and 515A. Upgades to the 1994 E2 and E2s such as higher ISO speed. 2/3-inch, 1280 x 1000 pixel CCD. ISO 800, 3200. Shutter 1/8 to 1/2000 second. We believe we were the first digital camera history web site to provide a photo and information concerning this camera.
1996
D-N