What was your first digital camera like?

*emr* · 10-09-2009, 07:57 AM

Just out of curiosity, what was your first ever digital camera of any kind? A stand-alone model, phone camera, something else? What kind of pictures did it take? And when was this?

My first digital camera was an analog VHS-C videocamera JVC GR-AX880EG that had a built-in digital camera too. It took JPG pictures with the resolution of 320 x 240 pixels! This was actually as late as around 1997-98, I believe. There were of course better digital (still and video) cameras already at the time, but at the moment they were beyond my reach money-wise.

My next camera after a few years was quite a bit better, a Canon S40.

THAN THE SWORD · 10-09-2009, 08:41 AM

Mine was an HP 945. It was a great little camera and a good introduction to digital. I had been a long time film camera user. I had 3 Minolta bodies and a couple of lenses. I really wanted a DLSR but the price was way outside of my range at the time.

The 945 had a very powerful zoom. It got grainy but it could pull in an ant from a mile away. It had video, 1 minute at a time. The sound wasn't great but I did get some good videos. It had the ability to attach a small sound file to a still shot. You just held the release down after a shot and spoke to the camera. I used it sometimes to attach tech details to a shot.

The 945 took about 4 seconds to boot up and made a lot of noise. There was also a lag time when taking a shot. It would only take 3-4 shots at a time before having to process. Sometimes after 2 shots.

It wasn't sealed well and eventually got dust on the sensor. The "GREAT" people at Circuit City were unable to clean it after 4 trips to the shop. It was right at the time they were going out of business. I finally got them to exchange it for a refurbished Canon Power Shot. I sold that immediately to a friend to help pay for my K10D. But I wish I still had the HP 945. It is the only camera I have ever gotten rid of.

*Wheatfield* · 10-09-2009, 09:25 AM

Canon G1. I bought it from a friend who upgraded to something else. That would have been in 2001 or so.

aleonx3 · 10-09-2009, 10:11 AM

My first one was a Olympus D-40 4Megapixel camera - small but bulky (thick) camera -got some decent pictures.

alohadave · 10-09-2009, 10:53 AM

Fuji DX-8. I got it in Japan on the naval base in Yokusuka.

Summer of '99.

It took 640x480 pictures. Decent for the time, but they look like cell phone pictures now.

johnmflores · 10-09-2009, 11:16 AM

Sony Mavica FD-7. About the size of 5 or 6 CD cases. Stored images on 3.5" floppy disks. Took the camera and a stack of blank disks to Southern Utah (Canyonlands) in 1997 (?).

IQ was awful but I was enamored with the technology. Looking back, I wish I had continued with film until digital matured. So many memories from those years are now low resolution!

*monochrome* · 10-09-2009, 11:40 AM

I bought an Olympus E-20n on eBay from a professional studio photographer in the fall of 2004. By that time it was about three years old, but the technology was still fairly fresh. Display output was specific to the camera - no options - the camera came either in NTSC or PAL output format.

As I recall:

Aluminum body
5 Mp CCD Sensor, Interlaced (Stills); 2.5 Mp Progrssive Scan (Action)
f/2.0 9-36mm aspherical Zuiko AF zoom fixed lens
Many One-Touch buttons - quite innovative at the time
Articulated LCD display, incl histogram
80/160/320 ISO
jpeg, TIFF, RAW
SmartMedia/CFII/MicroDrive removeable media (500Mb max SM card)

It didn't have a mark on it and came with the box, all original accessories and even the plastic baggies and twist ties - and a well-worn user manual. What a wonderful camera that was - I sold it last year on eBay to a buyer whose own copy had just given up the ghost.

Nesster · 10-09-2009, 11:52 AM

Minolta (pre Konica) DiMAGE X, ~2MP, non-protruding lens. Nice camera, but the battery doesn't last in both senses - not too many photos, and the battery itself wears out. Otherwise I'd still use mine.

The first digital cam in the family was our eldest's Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Elph, 2.1MP. Still have this one too, though even with this the batteries wear out. And this one got warm when in use!

Jester_rm · 10-09-2009, 12:44 PM

First digital was an Olympus Dsomethingorother, 2.1 mp if I remember rightly. Took decent pics, but just a point and shoot.

Second was a Sony, 3mp I think, wedding present. Then the K100D.

*scatron* · 10-09-2009, 01:08 PM

Olympus C-750 UZ in August 2003: 4 MP, 38-380 mm zoom. $500 for the camera, $90 for the 128 MB xD card.

Previous camera was a Pentax ZX-50.

Took pretty good photos:
(click for larger view)
1: ISO 50

2: ISO 50

3: ISO 200

lesmore49 · 10-09-2009, 01:13 PM

Panasonic Lumix DMC8...Leica lens...still have it...5.0 MPs

ryan s · 10-09-2009, 06:28 PM

2002-ish...Argus 2.1MP camera. Took 4 AA batteries at one time, and could only take about 3 pics on regular alkalines

Slow lens...bad high ISO...no really fond memories besides using it in high school.

Got a Sony P52 3.2MP cam for graduation just in time for my first trip to Germany, so that was my first camera that was really mine

ponyt27 · 10-09-2009, 08:57 PM

Started out with my Pentax DL in 2006............. great jpegs right from the box(well, maybe just a bit of tweaking)....for 6mp it`s a fun camera. I think the biggest fault was the kit 18-55 lens,when I switched to my FA 50 1.7 the images were a LOT better!!!!
Interesting to see from the posts all the different models used .....
Keep clickin` !!!!

mithrandir · 10-09-2009, 09:11 PM

Sony Mavica and a Canon 8mm camcorder.

*res3567* · 10-09-2009, 11:48 PM

Polaroid PDC-640