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Just wondering about digital camera history.

Recently, I thought back to the first one I heard about, the Canon Ion
digital camera - many years ago. I wanted one bad. It was so exciting
to be able to take pictures without film, I thought.

It still is

That was the earliest one I heard about being available to purchase. I
had the pamphlet on it and all to drool over back then

I have since Googled it and seeing it again makes me smile. It's model
number was RC-250 and it stored 50 pics on Video Floppies (VF-50) that
you could view on TV, apparently.

Question:
Was the Canon Ion the first non-film camera available to buy on the
consumer market? If not, which was?

If you're interested, a rather good site to find out the history of digital
cameras (I'm guessing video and still as I've only glanced through it and
that was some time ago) is ...

http://www.digicamhistory.com/

Also found the following at ...

http://www.reviewsforcameras.com/history.html

"The first digital cameras for the consumer-level market that worked with a
home computer via a serial cable were the Apple QuickTake 100 camera
(February 17 , 1994), the Kodak DC40 camera (March 28, 1995), the Casio
QV-11 (with LCD monitor, late 1995), and Sony's Cyber-Shot Digital Still
Camera (1996)."



"ThermosBoy (TM)" <.@.> wrote in message
news:...
> Just wondering about digital camera history.
>
> Recently, I thought back to the first one I heard about, the Canon Ion
> digital camera - many years ago. I wanted one bad. It was so exciting
> to be able to take pictures without film, I thought.
>
> It still is
>
> That was the earliest one I heard about being available to purchase. I
> had the pamphlet on it and all to drool over back then
>
> I have since Googled it and seeing it again makes me smile. It's model
> number was RC-250 and it stored 50 pics on Video Floppies (VF-50) that
> you could view on TV, apparently.
>
> Question:
> Was the Canon Ion the first non-film camera available to buy on the
> consumer market? If not, which was?

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 10:10:08 +1100, "ThermosBoy (TM)" <.@.> wrote:

>Question:
>Was the Canon Ion the first non-film camera available to buy on the
>consumer market? If not, which was?

I believe it would have been the Sony Mavica - the original one with a
floppy drive... It's been a long road, but quickly travelled.

Andy

"ThermosBoy (TM)" <.@.> writes:

>I have since Googled it and seeing it again makes me smile. It's model
>number was RC-250 and it stored 50 pics on Video Floppies (VF-50) that
>you could view on TV, apparently.

>Question:
>Was the Canon Ion the first non-film camera available to buy on the
>consumer market? If not, which was?

I suspect the Apple Quicktake 100 was the first real consumer digital
camera. It had a fixed focus fixed focal length lens, and enough
built-in flash memory to take 8 (yes, photos in high-res mode
(640x480) or 32 in low-res mode (320x240). No additional memory could
be added (the Quicktake 150 had more memory when it appeared).

Data was transferred to the host via serial port. That wasn't so bad
on a Mac, where the serial ports are also designed for networking and
will run at speeds somewhere above 1 Mbit/sec. But on Windows, the data
had to be transferred through the PC's much slower serial port, and it
took many minutes to load those 8 images.

I've still got a QT100 somewhere, though I haven't tried using it since
I got a decent digital camera. From your description of the technology,
the Ion must have been later. 50 images in one session? Amazing!

Dave

On 2003-12-22, Dave Martindale <> wrote:
> "ThermosBoy (TM)" <.@.> writes:
>
>>I have since Googled it and seeing it again makes me smile. It's model
>>number was RC-250 and it stored 50 pics on Video Floppies (VF-50) that
>>you could view on TV, apparently.
>
>>Question:
>>Was the Canon Ion the first non-film camera available to buy on the
>>consumer market? If not, which was?
>
> I suspect the Apple Quicktake 100 was the first real consumer digital
> camera. It had a fixed focus fixed focal length lens, and enough
> built-in flash memory to take 8 (yes, photos in high-res mode
> (640x480) or 32 in low-res mode (320x240). No additional memory could
> be added (the Quicktake 150 had more memory when it appeared).
>
> Data was transferred to the host via serial port. That wasn't so bad
> on a Mac, where the serial ports are also designed for networking and
> will run at speeds somewhere above 1 Mbit/sec. But on Windows, the data
> had to be transferred through the PC's much slower serial port, and it
> took many minutes to load those 8 images.
>
> I've still got a QT100 somewhere, though I haven't tried using it since
> I got a decent digital camera. From your description of the technology,
> the Ion must have been later. 50 images in one session? Amazing!

My first was the Agfa ePhoto 307, introduced september 1996 @ $549 !!!
8MB memory, 640x480 resolution. Fixed focus. No LCD.

Apple QuickTake 100 has a 1994 copyright in the manual.

BUT, the Sony MAVICA was introduced in 1981 !!!!
See http://www.basex.com/press.nsf/0/2D4...0?OpenDocument
But it was never sold commercially the article says only 1 unit
existed

Canon was first in 1984 with its still video system RC-701.
Price for a package $13500.

But there is lots of info here: http://www.digicamhistory.com

"JohnO" <johneo@NOSPAM!cox.net> wrote in message
news:8kqFb.12199$ti2.5110@lakeread03...
> If you're interested, a rather good site to find out the history of
digital
> cameras (I'm guessing video and still as I've only glanced through it
and
> that was some time ago) is ...
>
> http://www.digicamhistory.com/
>
> Also found the following at ...
>
> http://www.reviewsforcameras.com/history.html
>
> "The first digital cameras for the consumer-level market that worked
with a
> home computer via a serial cable were the Apple QuickTake 100 camera
> (February 17 , 1994), the Kodak DC40 camera (March 28, 1995), the
Casio
> QV-11 (with LCD monitor, late 1995), and Sony's Cyber-Shot Digital
Still
> Camera (1996)."

I had a QV10 in 1995. I keep telling people I was an early adopter of
digital. Bought a DC260 in 1998 which was regarded as one of the best at
the time. My first 'real' camera was a Canon A-1 that I bought way back
in 1978.

Kenny

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 09:13:53 +0000 (UTC), (Dave
Martindale) wrote:

>I've still got a QT100 somewhere, though I haven't tried using it since
>I got a decent digital camera. From your description of the technology,
>the Ion must have been later. 50 images in one session? Amazing!

haha.
It was introduced in 1988-1989, apparently. But it was really a video
still camera with low resolution (200K pixel CCD). Suitable for the
most demanding photographers Behold its glory:
http://www.digicamhistory.com/Canon_XapShot_sep.html


From http://www.digicamhistory.com/1988.html
CANON RC-250 XAPSHOT (Ion in Europe, Q-PIC in Japan) - 1988. The
XapShot was a Hi-band still video camera with a ½-inch 200K pixel CCD.
ISO 100. 11mm f/2.8 lens. Shutter 1/30 to 1/500 second. The XapShot
had a built-in flash, self-timer, and an unusual rechargeable lead
acid battery. MSRP $499. The $499 was just for the camera itself.
Also required was a $999 kit which included one floppy disk, the
battery, and computer interface card with software. The two-inch
floppy disks sold for $10 each. The USA version of the XapShot could
send a NTSC signal to a TV/VCR for playback and recording of images.
There was also a very basic software utility that worked under System
6/7 for the Mac in conjuction with the Computer Eyes NuBus video
capture card that the camera connected to. Later, a Plug-in shipped
that worked with Letraset's ColorStudio and then Adobe Photoshop to
capture the images.


Hard to believe how fast things have changed when you look back.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:53:43 -0500, "JohnO" <johneo@NOSPAM!cox.net>
wrote:

> http://www.digicamhistory.com/
>
>Also found the following at ...
>
> http://www.reviewsforcameras.com/history.html

Both informative sites, thanks!

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003 16:48:46 +0000 (UTC), "Povl H. Pedersen"
<> wrote:

>My first was the Agfa ePhoto 307, introduced september 1996 @ $549 !!!
>8MB memory, 640x480 resolution. Fixed focus. No LCD.
>
>Apple QuickTake 100 has a 1994 copyright in the manual.

http://www.digicamhistory.com/1994.html
Yeh, looking at the photos of the QuickTake here jogs my memory. I
remember the shape of this cam now.

>
>BUT, the Sony MAVICA was introduced in 1981 !!!!
>See http://www.basex.com/press.nsf/0/2D4...0?OpenDocument
>But it was never sold commercially the article says only 1 unit
>existed

Ahh yep, I think the Mavica was actually the first filmless cam I read
about. It was in tech-related books and things outlining future
developments and stuff, before I heard about the Canon Ion.

>
>Canon was first in 1984 with its still video system RC-701.
>Price for a package $13500.

Makes your Agfa look like a bargain. Crazy early-adopters

>
>But there is lots of info here: http://www.digicamhistory.com

"ThermosBoy (TM)" <.@.> wrote in message
news:...
> Just wondering about digital camera history.
>
> I have since Googled it and seeing it again makes me smile. It's model
> number was RC-250 and it stored 50 pics on Video Floppies (VF-50) that
> you could view on TV, apparently.
>

technically that's not a digital camera, it was a one frame analog video
image, you had to convert to a digital file via a targa board or amiga
toaster. If that camera was like the Magvica I was going to buy till I
found out those dang 2.5 inch floppies cost $15 each (later down to about
10) and I'd need about 100.