Worlds First Digital Camera: Worlds First Digital Camera (1975).. Created by Kodak's engineer Steve Sasson.

Jackrabbit Loc: Santa Maria, Ca.

Worlds First Digital Camera (1975).. Created by Kodak's engineer Steve Sasson.

JPL

Nice, thanks.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

We have come a long way.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

And it recorded data on a casette tape! Reminds me of my first Timex computer that used a tape dek for storage and a B&W portable TV for a display. Wonder what the specs on that camera was?

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Kodak should have patented the sensor and other new digital technologies. They considered digital photography to be a passing fancy, similar to stereo photography. Had they patented their discoveries, Kodak would still be in business today.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

According to Wikipedia:
Steven Sasson invented the first digital camera at Eastman Kodak in 1975.
It weighed 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and had only 0.01 megapixels.
The image was recorded onto a cassette tape and this process took 23 seconds.
His camera took images in black-and-white.
As he set out on this project of the electronic camera, what he envisioned for the future was a camera without mechanical moving parts.

hcmcdole

I remembered when I was searching our local camera store's online site for digital cameras around Xmas 1999 that Kodak had a digital back on a Nikon camera (6 MP I think) for around $25,000. I thought the price was off one place (more like $2,500?) but no, that was the going price. I ended up buying a Kodak for Xmas but it was a P&S 3 MP (which was heads above the competition as most were still at 2MP) and 2X optical zoom for $800. My how the times have changed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_DCS

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

So it seems that Kodak invented the nails that were used to nail it's coffin shut! How ironic!!!
I wonder if George Eastman would have taken digital so lightly?? I think not!
SS

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

In 2003, Kodak started selling the 14MP DCS Pro, which came in a canon and a nikon mount versions. The Nikon f-mount version was called the DCS Pro 14n.
It was a full frame dslr with a 14MP CMOS sensor and an lcd screen to review pictures taken, but no live view. It was marketed as a professional digital version of the Nikon 35mm F80. It was announced with a $5,000 price tag. Canon's 11MP EOS 1D, released before the Kodak DCS Pro camera had an $8,000 price tag. They were the 2nd and 3rd FF dslrs to reach the market, after the Contax N Digital which was withdrawn from market within a year of its 2002 release.

I bought my Kodak DCS Pro 14N on ebay a little more than two years ago for $425, when I had a yen for a full frame dslr for wide angle landscapes. Kodak still sells a number of P&S and Bridge digital cameras. I believe the DSC Pro series got them out of the dslr market.

SharpShooter wrote:

So it seems that Kodak invented the nails that were used to nail it's coffin shut! How ironic!!!
I wonder if George Eastman would have taken digital so lightly?? I think not!
SS

n3eg Loc: West coast USA

GoofyNewfie wrote:

According to Wikipedia:
Steven Sasson invented the first digital camera at Eastman Kodak in 1975.
It weighed 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and had only 0.01 megapixels.
The image was recorded onto a cassette tape and this process took 23 seconds.
His camera took images in black-and-white.
As he set out on this project of the electronic camera, what he envisioned for the future was a camera without mechanical moving parts.

In other words, MIRRORLESS.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

n3eg wrote:

In other words, MIRRORLESS.

HA!

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

The KH 11 "Keyhole" spy satellite launched in 1976 used digital technology. I do believe that a bit of digging in the CIA's closets will show that Kodak developed digital at the behest of the gov't and with considerable gov't funding. Might explain why Kodak didn't take it seriously as a consumer product. Still a dumb decision on Kodak's part. Before KH 11 the only way to get usable intelligence photos back from the orbiting satellites was for the film canister to do a re-entry burn and then, while under parachute, be plucked from the sky by a specially equipped plane. Plus, the satellite carried a limited number of canisters. Not a very reliable system.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Jackrabbit wrote:

Worlds First Digital Camera (1975).. Created by Kodak's engineer Steve Sasson.

Great looking wedding camera. Can you showing up at the wedding with a old stobe-a-flex attached to it, "on fleek man, on fleek".

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Jackrabbit wrote:

Worlds First Digital Camera (1975).. Created by Kodak's engineer Steve Sasson.

If only they hadn't been afraid to get away from film.

kb6kgx Loc: Simi Valley, CA

Nikonian72 wrote:

Kodak should have patented the sensor and other new digital technologies. They considered digital photography to be a passing fancy, similar to stereo photography. Had they patented their discoveries, Kodak would still be in business today.

No doubt about that. Kodak controlled the market back in the film days. Sure, there was competition, but Kodak was at the top of the mountain. Definitely dropped the ball on that one.