sure not an uber rare item, but a funny and obscure device made by SEGA. the DIGIO SJ-1 digital camera intoduced in '95 (extended with the optional lens in '96). so i thought it would be funny to show one here. some key specs: it's a 320*240 pixel QVGA (or in memo mode 160*120 pixel) cam and can be attached directliy to a TV via V-cable or to an other cam or a PC via an optional digital cable. it uses smart media cards (512kByte card included) and has a 0.7inch built in color TFT LCD screen. it also has a manually macro mode focusing lens as well 10 sec. timer function. etc etc. even it's by far NOT a state of the art product of its time (sony released its first commercial still electronic camera already in '81, followed by kodak and casio cams and again other sony products like the cyber shot line-up, and all before the DIGIO was even released), it's still a funny product and was more intended for the toys and low-cost market, than to be a major player in the 1.3MP "professional"-competition of that time. here some pics: boxed set and content front close up a view through the 0.7inch TFT LCD finder. same from bit more far. attached to a TV with showing an actual picture shot before. the start up screen again a view trough the finder with the optional finder lens put on. cam with the optional lens put on.
5V Smart media cards have the corner cut off at the top left (as you look at it with the gold contacts at the top), 3.3V have the corner cut off at the top right. You can get cards up to 128MB but they cost much much more then a typical Sandisk 4GB card does... The MD/32X hybird system, Picture Magic (look it up, at least two threads on Assembler about it) is fully compatable with this camera. The Koei word processor kit for the Sega Saturn has an upgrade package (T-7642G) so you can add images via the camera (directly) or via any normal Composite video signal. There was meant to be a Digio II camera for the Sega Saturn but it never got released, and it's a good thing it didn't as it looked horrible.
Heh, what a coincidence. I had not heard of this until last night when I happened upon one on YAJ. Before your post, the info I found on it was HERE. -ud
I always crack up at the design of the camera. It's like a cross between a Polaroid camera and a projector.
I think Fonzie has info about this device on his website. He goes into some detail about it. I'll edit this with a URL if I can find it. Ahhh here is it: http://www.genny4ever.net/index.php?page=stuff#digio
Friend of mine recently gave me a circa 2000/2001 Kodak digital camera that (IIRC) is 0.9-1.3mp. Craptacular pictures that make me wonder why anyone would find the price tag of one of these acceptable back then. Very few occupations I could think of that would fine a $2,000+ digital camera acceptable today (beyond photography and related fields in conservation/preservation) let alone two grand on a digital camera that looks like SHIT. Would the convenience of having instant orgasms be worth $2k to anyone if it required you to drink something that tasted like vanilla extract, smelled like durian and looked like a diarrhea smoothie? Because that is how I feel about early digital cameras....
