Just How Far Have Sony Cameras Come?

Sony cameras are well known for standing at the forefront of technological innovation, offering top-notch image quality and class-leading features. What were their cameras like when they first started, though? This fun video review takes a look at the company's first digital camera, the DSC-F1, and what it is like 25 years later. 

Coming to you from Dino Bytes by Gordon Laing, this neat video review takes a look at the Sony DSC-F1, the company's first digital camera. First released in 1996, the DSC-F1 was priced at $849 (about $1,436 today). The DSC-F1 came with a 1/3″ CCD sensor with a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels (0.3 megapixels for those keeping track). Paired with that was a lens that rotated 180 degrees and offered a maximum aperture of f/2.0. The electronic shutter offered speeds between 1/30 and 1/1,000 of a second, 4 MB of internal memory, and an infrared transceiver that could send images directly to the DPP-M55 color printer. While the DSC-F1 was quite impressive in 1996, it is amazing to think what $1,400 can get you in a camera nowadays, and it really highlights just how quickly technology advances. Still, it's a fun trip down nostalgia lane for any of us who remember using early digital cameras. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Laing. 

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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