Still have your old digital cameras?

NutSAK · **on:** May 20, 2011, 09:42:27 PM

Let's see 'em!

I just bought a new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS6 that I really love, and was pondering how far digital cameras have come in the last 10 years. The amount of intelligence and options crammed into some of today's point-and-shoots is really phenomenal.

Here's my first digital camera, purchased about 9-10 years ago. My tiny new Panasonic blows this camera away in all aspects, for about half the price. Actually, this old 4 megapixel Olympus does have a much wider aperture range, and I still use it frequently for photos of tools and toys to post on the 'net, especially macro shots:

Olympus C-4000Z, circa 2002 (specs listed here)

w/accessory lens barrel removed:

Pacu · **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:49:55 PM

when i first started at my current employer back in 2001 at that familiar blue electronics store i helped sell digital cameras. We sold the Sony Mavicas like hotcakes. 128 megs of memory! 2.1 megapixels. About 600 bucks ifin i remember correctly. SLRs were mainly film still and very pricey. Now they are digital and still very pricey

Remember the digital cameras that took a cd disc to copy on?

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:53:51 PM

Here's mine:

Well, a picture of what I have. I shot photomic's with this camera, focusing down the eyepiece. Also took it climbing many times. Tough as nails. But cellphones have better cameras than this now.

Specs:

CCD pixels
3.34 megapixels (3.24 effective)

CCD size**
1/1.8" (0.556")

ISO rating
Auto, 100, 200, 400

Lens
Olympus 6 elements in 8 groups, F2.8
Zoom wide (W)
32 mm
Zoom tele (T)
96 mm (3 x)

Min shutter
1 sec (auto), 16 sec (manual)

Max shutter
1/800 sec, 1/10,000 sec (movie mode)

Continuous / Burst
Yes (3.3fps full size), QuickTime (15 fps)

Self-timer
Yes, 12s delay

Uncompressed format
Yes, TIFF
Compressed format
JPEG (EXIF)
Quality Levels
Hi (TIFF), SHQ, HQ, SQ

Millhouse · **Reply #3 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:54:00 PM

Wow, brings back memories.

My first digicam was an Olympus C830L. 1.3 megapixel, no zoom and a 16mb smartmedia card, good for 36 shots.

My current camera is a Panasonic TZ5. 9 megapixels, 10x optical zoom and an 8gig card, good for over 1700 shots.

Quote from: Pacu on May 20, 2011, 09:49:55 PM

when i first started at my current employer back in 2001 at that familiar blue electronics store i helped sell digital cameras. We sold the Sony Mavicas like hotcakes.

I remember those Sony Mavica's. Had one in work. Huge thing using 3.5in disks for storage.

NutSAK · **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:55:03 PM

Quote from: Pacu on May 20, 2011, 09:49:55 PM

Remember the digital cameras that took a cd disc to copy on?

I sure do. I was an engineer for an electronics manufacturer in 1999-2001, and we had one that we took product photos with. Man, that was a clunky old thing but it sure was high tech for those days!

I'm still using a 128MB Smartmedia card in that Olympus--the largest Smartmedia card they ever made!!

NutSAK · **Reply #5 on:** May 20, 2011, 09:56:50 PM

I love that 3030 Nate. A good friend of mine had one, and you're right, that thing was built like a tank. My 4000Z was slightly more advanced in some aspects, but I envied the metal-bodied 3030 he had at the time.

Good stuff guys!

NutSAK · **Reply #6 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:02:20 PM

Quote from: Millhouse on May 20, 2011, 09:54:00 PM

My first digicam was an Olympus C830L. 1.3 megapixel, no zoom and a 16mb smartmedia card, good for 36 shots.

WOW. That one is so old they don't even have it in the Olympus Archived Products database!

Millhouse · **Reply #7 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:11:46 PM

Expensive as well. I think I bought it in 1998, cost me £350. My TZ5 was £170.

Pacu · **Reply #8 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:13:44 PM

I miss my old HP 2.1 megapixel from 2003-ish. That thing took some of the best pics too. Had no features..just auto. Point and shoot.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #9 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:27:23 PM

Quote from: Millhouse on May 20, 2011, 10:11:46 PM

Expensive as well. I think I bought it in 1998, cost me £350. My TZ5 was £170.

I can't believe what I paid for the 3030Z in 2000.

Good thing it was a business expense.

Currently, I'm rocking one of these:

It is one of the few PnS with wide angle. Since I use it climbing, hiking, I figured that would be an advantage. Nice and relatively tough too.

(Also discontinued

)

P35 · **Reply #10 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:33:28 PM

still use my Fuji , the low pixel count makes for fast uploads. the Nikon for the rest

NutSAK · **Reply #11 on:** May 20, 2011, 10:44:37 PM

Quote from: P35 on May 20, 2011, 10:33:28 PM

still use my Fuji , the low pixel count makes for fast uploads. the Nikon for the rest

That's another reason I still like using the Olympus above for posting on the 'net. I'll bet at least 90% of what I post here on MTO is taken with that camera.

Energie · **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2011, 08:46:22 AM

Olympus C4040 with wide angle lens.
I use it up til now to make architecture photos in dark buildings.

NutSAK · **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2011, 07:45:08 PM

Very nice Energie! I guess I had forgotten how popular the Olympus Zooms were 10 years ago. They're certainly represented well here.

Zed · **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2011, 07:48:54 PM

im still using my late auties olympus sp-700, it replaced my kodak that my oldest duaghter spillet wayer over a couple of years ago, i love this olympus and hold great value to me, plus takes great pics

NutSAK · **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2011, 08:29:49 PM

Olympus SP-700

Nice one Paul. It looks like that one arrived around 2005, about a year before I bought my second digital camera, a Canon S3 IS. I have to agree, that Olympus does still take great pics!

Zed · **Reply #16 on:** May 21, 2011, 08:33:28 PM

Quote from: NutSAK on May 21, 2011, 08:29:49 PM

Olympus SP-700

Nice one Paul. It looks like that one arrived around 2005, about a year before I bought my second digital camera, a Canon S3 IS. I have to agree, that Olympus does still take great pics!

cheers terry, it was my aunties secong digi as her first got dropped in her friends swimming pool , i did like my old kodak but this takes better pics and has more functions

Woz · **Reply #17 on:** May 21, 2011, 08:44:59 PM

I got my first digital camera in late 2004 or early 2005, a Dimage G600 by Konica Minolta. It had a Zeiss lens, 6 MP and a metal body. I still use it for some macro shots, but since I have my DSLR and my Pen PL1 it just sits on the shelve most time.

Vladimir · **Reply #18 on:** May 21, 2011, 09:25:03 PM

My first digital camera was Canon A85, I got it in 2005.
Now I'm using Canon A720, so far I'm satisfied with it.

Chako · **Reply #19 on:** May 21, 2011, 10:29:09 PM

My first digital camera was an Olympus D220L that I got back in 98/99. I believe I still have it somewhere buried deep in a storage box. My second camera was a Nikon 990, which was a world above the Olympus in both capability and price ($1600 dollars in 2000...ouch). I ended up giving this camera to my neighbour after it fell off the tech curve. Today, I do all of my current forum photos with a Canon S5 IS.