Kodak DC200 (1997–1998)

The DC200 was Kodak's early attempt to sell digital photography to ordinary consumers instead of professionals. It was a peculiar little machine. It was a fixed-focus 1-megapixel digital camera built around a 1/3-inch CCD, with a 35mm f/4 lens and a built-in ND filter. It shot to a CompactFlash card (an 8MB one came in the box) and ran on four AA batteries. A 1.8-inch color LCD on the back handled playback and menus, and a real-image optical viewfinder sat above it. A four-way controller and a mode dial with Macro, Distant, Action, and Night programs rounded out the controls.

The reception was split. Classic Camera Magazine noted the DC200 was a huge commercial success for Kodak, and ePhotoZine found it easy to use with a solid feature set for its price. But using it could be brutal. The four AAs were reportedly good for only about ten shots, the boot time ran to fifteen seconds, and shot-to-shot lag was long enough to lose the moment. One reviewer called it "one of the worst cameras I've ever used," complaining that it felt like a toy and that the viewfinder was inaccurate. The fixed-focus lens means everything is captured at a set distance. There is no autofocus to worry about, but no sharpness control either.

Production dates are a little fuzzy. Some sources say 1997, others 1998. The original price is uncertain too, listed at $449 in one source and $799 in another. Take both with a grain of salt. These now sell second-hand for a few dollars on eBay or around £20 in the UK. If you find one, budget for batteries.

Known specs:

- 1/3-inch CCD, 1,276 x 960 pixels (1.0 megapixel effective; interpolated to 1,792 x 1,200)

- 35mm fixed focal length lens, f/4, fixed focus

- Built-in ND filter; automatic exposure and white balance only; ISO 140

- 1.8-inch color LCD; real-image optical viewfinder

- CompactFlash Type I/II storage; 8MB card supplied

- 4 AA batteries; NTSC video output

- Flash modes: Auto, Fill Flash, Red-Eye, Off