The original digital camera

[Arg]

Thought I would share this interesting photo from a recent New Scientist.

87626

The year is 1975.

The maker is Kodak, New York, USA.

It is the first portable digital camera. Laboratory prototype, not for sale.

Resolution 0.01MP (100x100 pixels).

Black and white only.

Chief engineer was Steve Sasson. Comment from colleagues: "Why would you want to look at photos on a TV?"

I love the writing on the cassette tape: "Digital Equipment Corporation". Anyone remember DEC computers?

[livio]

Hi Arg,

Thanks for sharing this, it is truly amazing how quickly time flies and how quickly we forget. If is's alright with you I'd like to use this image in my notes. I's just fascinating the camera obscura and the electronics of the day used to record the image. With a resolution of 0.1MP I can imagine how the creators would view 64GB SD cards, full frame sensors capable of over 30MP and small enough to fit the palm of your hand, let alone the ability to take moving pictures in HD.

[Kym]

Thanks! Maybe repost here: http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?19220-History-of-Photography-%28A-Timeline-of-significant-events%29&p=1001869#post1001869

[Holstein]

That is cool thanks for sharing

[Arg]

Any thoughts what the blue box on top (the small blue box) is doing?

[Bennymiata]

The small blue box is probably the viewfinder.

My company bought its first digital camera around 1992, which was a Poloroid camera with about 1 mpx, and it took very poor, grainy photos with washed-out colours, but was bought so that it would be easier to put up photos on the website.
It was bought in New York, and cost over US$3,500!!!

[Wazza999]

Yep I remember DEC/PDP fondly as would anyone who did any scientific or engineering computing. You lived and died by your DEC-PDP 8/11 or later VAX. Did my first computer course on a DEC System 10 which was one of the first time sharing mainframes in Australia. In the end it was a bit like the woman who swallowed a fly, Compaq ate DEC, HP ate Compaq!

[Arg]

....like the woman who swallowed a fly, Compaq ate DEC, HP ate Compaq!

And Kodak, the mother of dcams, starved all alone.... :(