Canon RC-250 (1988)
A still video camera from Canon that recorded analog images to video floppy disks.
Overview
The Canon RC-250, also marketed as the XapShot and known as Ion in Europe and Q-PIC in Japan, is a still video camera released by Canon in 1988. It belongs to a niche category of late-1980s analog imaging devices that captured still frames using video technology rather than film. Described by users as a radical design for its time, the RC-250 used a ½-inch CCD sensor and stored images on video floppy disks, aligning with the "Hi-band" still video standard of the era.
Specifications
| Sensor | ½-inch, 200,000 pixel CCD |
| Sensor resolution | 786-pixel horizontal CCD sensor |
| Lens | 11 mm f/2.8 lens |
| Video specification | 300 TV-line |
| System | Hi-band still video camera |
| Product type | still video camera |
Market
The Canon RC-250 remains a rare find, with recent collector activity indicating some units still surface in pairs on the secondhand market. One owner confirmed the camera operates in analog mode, not digital, reflecting its transitional technology between film and digital imaging.
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