Sony Buyer

While the history of the camera is well documented and can be traced back over one hundred years its digital cousin has had less focus if you will excuse the pun. The history of the digital camera begins with a man called Eugene F. Lally who worked in jet propulsion and the development of artificial gravitational systems. Outside of work however Lally spent a great deal of time studying how to use mosaic photosensors to record images digitally. The use of this technology was not initially intended for the public sphere but was instead to be used by astronauts in order for them to photograph the planets and hence find their position in space.

At this point however the technology was not yet there to realise these concepts. This work went onto the backburner until 1975 when Steven Sasson an engineer working for Eastman Kodak managed to put together some old Motorola components with existing Kodak camera parts and Fairchild CCD sensors. The result was a camera the size of a toaster that weighed almost four kilograms. The images were recorded digitally onto a cassette tape and were viewed with the use of a special screen. This early model had serious limitations however, with the provision to only record in black and white as well as a 23 second shutter lag. However even though the 0.1 mega pixel resolution is poor by today’s standards, at the time it was truly revolutionary. Kodak however did not realise the potential for the device and instead focussed on the development of the film camera.

While a few digital camera models came into existence during the seventies it was not until Sony released the Mavica (Magnetic Video Camera) in 1981 that the digital ball was set rolling. Although the Mavica was not a stills camera in the strictest sense the technology it used was a predecessor of modern variants. At this stage however the device stored images on floppy disks, each being able to hold fifty photographs, the shutter speed had been improved however to a sixtieth of a second and the device was portable.

The eighties saw the true beginning of the digital age, the camera was purely a manifestation of this advancement in technology. Fairchild was once again instrumental in creating the first truly digital camera, named the All Sky; it was used to photograph auroras. What made the device truly digital was that unlike previous devices it also recorded the images digitally. These early cameras however did not go on sale to the mass public, the first device to do so was the Dycam Model 1 released in 1990, it had a CCD sensor, stored the pictures in a digital format and could be connected directly into a PC for image uploads.

None of these devices were affordable however. It was not until Apple released the Quick Take 100 in 1994 that a camera was available to consumers for under the thousand dollar mark. Two years later with the widespread use of media cards that digital technology truly took off. In 1995 however an archetypal device was produced by Casio and bore all of the features and design layout that can be seen on modern cameras, such as an in-built screen on the rear of the device.

Since this time the digital camera has become smaller and more affordable. Its development has not been rapid, but over time it has become a device that is present in nearly every home in developed countries. They are now a convenient and usable way to record imagery and take snapshots of the unforgettable moments in life.

Thomas Pretty

The era of Digital Photography commenced when two scientists ( George Smith and Willard Boyle) invented the device called ‘Charged Coupled Device’ (CCD) in 1969. Since then the CCD has been widely used in the production of modern digital cameras. It is the heart of all digital cameras and now called the image sensor. These two scientist, never thought that CCD will be extensively used in digital cameras, that time they invented the CCD to develop the first solid-state video camera (in 1970) which could give sharp images which was enough to be used in television broadcast (1975).the two scientists didn’t plan it this way.

1.Introduction of First Digital Camera – Mavica

Since the above invention world had to wait around five years to see breakthrough in digital photography. In year 1981, world renown Sony Corporation introduced the first prototype digital camera which was called Mavica (Magnetic Video Camera). This new camera called Mavica was an electronically operated still camera with two CCD chips, It recorded images using magnetic impulses on to a compact two-inch diameter still-video floppy disk. However the first digital cameras for mass market were available in mid nineties.

It could be hooked to a computer through a serial port cable. For example, the cameras which came out with such facilities were Apple Quick Take 100 camera (February 17, 1994) worked with a home computer via a serial cable. The other similar digital models were introduced to the market by Kodak (DC40 camera in March 28, 1995), Casio ( Casio QV-11with LCD monitor in late 1995), and Sony ( Cyber-Shot Digicam in 1996).

2. Digital Image Software and Printers

Although there were several manufacturers came out with different types of digital cameras, none was so popular as Kodaks DC40 digital camera which produced for mass markets. Later Microsoft and Kinkos both collaborated with Kodak to introduce the digital image-producing software workstations and corner shops. The consumers were able to use these software and corner outlets to develop photo CDs and photographs as well as adding digital images to the documents. Similarly, IBM worked with Kodak introducing the internet-based network image exchange. At the same time, Hewlett-Packard was the pioneering company to make the first color inkjet printers that helped consumers to print good quality images which was an impetus to the popularizing the digital photography.

3.True Digital Camera

In 1988, Fuji developed the true digital camera, DS-1P which could record images in the form of computerized file. Other unique feature of this camera was its internal memory chip with a capacity of 16 MB while using a battering to store. However, it was noted that this Fuji camera never marketed in the United States or not even in Japan. As such, we can reasonably assume that the first commercially produced digital camera was Logitech Fotoman (in 1990) which was also called as Dycam Model-1. This camera used a CCD sensor which stored images digitally and later cold be transferred to Personal Computer (PC).

The background or evolvement of digital photography stress that that the future is the digital photography. This is already proven as the recent market surveys indicate that in year 2006, approximately 35 billion images were printed or stored in Western Europe.

Alex Don
http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/development-of-digital-photography-726687.html

The DSCWX1 W series Cyber-shot camera delivers superior image quality thanks to an “Exmor R” CMOS sensor and “BIONZ” imaging processor. The “Exmor R” CMOS sensor is high-speed and approximately twice as sensitive as conventional CMOS sensors and boasts 50% less noise than previous versions. The WX1 also features Sony’s super wide-angle 24 mm (35 mm equivalent) fast f/2.4 “G Lens” for superior image quality. In addition, the integrated sweep panorama mode allows you to capture the full picture every time!

To achieve its delightfully compact form, Sony slimmed the WX1 way down, sparing no effort to reduce dimensions to a bare minimum. But don’t let its small size fool you. This lithe little Cyber-shot boasts outstanding operability thanks to controls logically positioned and easily identifiable for maximum ease-of-use.

All Sony Cyber-shot cameras feature a high-speed “BIONZ” imaging processor that delivers brilliant, lifelike images. High resolution, natural color, smooth tonal gradation, minimal noise and fast processing – a potent combination for photos as rich and vivid as your imagination.

Read the rest of this entry »