Off topic: Nikon Coolpix 100 (link to NikonWeb article)

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Off topic: Nikon Coolpix 100 (link to NikonWeb article)

Post by NikonWeb »

I recently bought a Nikon Coolpix 100 on eBay. $44, including shipping. The Coolpix 100 was Nikon's first digital consumer camera, released in 1997, and featuring a 330.000 pixel sensor (512 x 480 pixels).

The camera is built around a PCMCIA card that you can insert directly into a laptop. No need for a card reader or cable.

Fully functional (unlike some of the other things we play with, the Coolpix 100 only needs 4 standard AA batteries).

I've only taken a few test shots so far. I guess they're good enough for small web use (at least in 1997), but needless to say they're not great..

Here are the features listed on Nikon's own website:

PC Card-type Digital Camera

- 1/3-in. 330,000-pixel CCD (image size: 512 x 480 pixels)
- Nikon 6.2mm f/4 lens (35mm [135] format equiv. to 52mm)
- Internal 1MB memory; Type II PC card ATA interface
- Four LR6 (AA-size alkaline [L40]), Ni-MH or NiCd batteries

Text and photos at http://www.nikonweb.com/coolpix100/

Jarle
Stan Disbrow
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Post by Stan Disbrow »

Hi,

Oh, yes. I've had one of these for years. At the time, it was really cool since it slipped into the PC Card slot on a laptop and made for a useful portable photographic setup. :)

It was this camera that started me into the digital side of the photo-force. After playing with it for a while, I began to hanker for a digital body to go with my Nikon SLR system. As in, a *real* camera to go along with the digital darkroom that the CP100 taught me to love so much more than the analog counterpart. ;)

Of course, it was at that point (late 1999) when I bought myself a Christmas present of a Nikon E2. Now, we all know that the image capability of the E2 is limited as well, it was much, much better than what the CP100 output. The E2 isn't nearly as cute, though! :)

I still have the CP100. It's still cool, the way the battery pack pulls off to reveal a PC card that one can stick into the laptop. I still show it off to folks from time-to-time and most wonder why that approach was ever dropped. It *is* a neat way to offload photos, after all.

In fact, I used to use the CP100 at work, and in a small way it led to us making the first digital camera module for cell phones. That one was a add-on unit that plugged into the system connector and was an option for our first phone with a color screen. The intent was to me able to send small photos from phone to phone via the cell system, but we all know where the concept led. Heck, one of our current models sports 3 MP and even a xenon strobe flash which makes it quite useful as a P&S pocket cam. :)

So, the poor little CP100 was actually a pretty important product in the scheme of things digital, even though it might not look like it. :)

Later!

Stan
Amateur Photographer
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NikonWeb
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Transfer photos from camera to cell phone

Post by NikonWeb »

Stan Disbrow wrote:In fact, I used to use the CP100 at work, and in a small way it led to us making the first digital camera module for cell phones.
Hi Stan,

Very interesting. I'll keep this in mind the next time I use my cell phone camera.. Here's another challenge for you:

A small bluetooth (?) device that can be plugged into the camera instead of a USB cable, allowing the photographer to transmit photos directly from the camera to a cell phone (or other bluetooth device).

A wi-fi solution (like the WT-1/2 transmitters available for the Nikon D2 cameras) is very neat - I've used it myself - but you still need a third device (like a PDA or laptop) in addition to the camera and the phone. Shouldn't be necessary.

Alternatively - since we already have the camera wi-fi transmitters: I guess a wi-fi enabled cell phone would do the trick (I believe future generations will include TCP/IP capabilities?)

I'd by happy to beta test such a thing if someone could just send me one.. ;-)

Thanks,
Jarle
Paps
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Coolpix 100 and 300

Post by Paps »

I also got a Coolpix 100 in a fair 2 years ago for about 25€, and when I came back home and discovered this PC Card I found it very clever and innovative and I was surprised that it had been abandonned so quickly. I also had this strange feeling that it was really looking like a cell phone that was just missing the communication part !

Another example of Nikon's engineers innovation capacity is the Coolpix 300. It looks like a PDA which would just miss the organizer part !. That's very funny to write notes on the screen and in some extend this function and the little stylus make me think of the old Kodak Vestpocket with its little pen to write on the film.

The history of photography and technology is repeating and revolving.

Paps
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Post by Ross_Alford »

I bought a Coolpix 100 a while ago for $A 7; it was advertised as not working, but it turned out that the only problem was that someone had used a computer to delete images, leaving the memory card needing to be reformatted. It is certainly fun to play with, but the image quality leaves a lot to be desired. I looked at one of these when they were selling new, and the bad impression I got then of image quality kept me away from digital for several years. It appears that the general layout of the CP100 was not original to Nikon; have a look at the Dycam/Logitech Fotoman camera from 1990 at http://www.digicamhistory.com/1990.html

I agree that having the camera connect direct to the computer is a great feature, though. I wonder why nobody (as far as I know) makes a current camera with a fold-out USB connector? It would be much handier than having to keep track of cables or card readers.

I just bought a Coolpix 300 the other day on eBay, haven't had it delivered yet but I look forward to fiddling with it. A very unusual combination of features.

I agree that what we really "need" now is a cell phone with a reasonable (3+ MP) built in camera, PDA features and WiFi (and maybe a fold-out USB connector to talk directly to a computer).
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A few comments and thoughts

Post by NikonWeb »

I can think of a few reasons why the PCMCIA design never caught on:

First, the PCMCIA adds unnecessary bulk and weight to the camera. Second, you still need a laptop or PCMCIA card reader. With a USB or serial cable you only need the cable. Practically any computer will do the job. (When Nikon released the Coolpix 600 in 1998, it became the first Nikon consumer model to use Compact Flash cards.)

As for a built-in USB connector, it's just not very feasible, in my opinion. I can't imagine having any camera dangling from a USB port.

The next logical step is to include built in wi-fi (as first seen in Nikon's Coolpix P1 and P2 models) or bluetooth capabilities. Nikon USA recently posted an interesting press release, perhaps indicating what the future will look like:

http://press.nikonusa.com/2006/08/nikon ... latest.php

My guess: In the not too distant future, when wi-fi "hotspots" are available everywhere (like today's mobile networks), we'll all be sending photos directly from our cameras (via mail, FTP, etc.). No need for cell phones or other transmission devices.

Wouldn't it be nice if all your travel photos were automatically transferred to your computer at home (or a server somewhere), waiting for you when you get back? No need to empty your cards while travelling, having to worry about backups, laptop being stolen, etc. I can hardly wait.

Jarle
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