Kodak DCS 315 (1998)
The DCS 315 was Kodak Professional's entry-level digital SLR, announced July 13, 1998. It's a hybrid. Kodak took the Nikon Pronea 6i, an APS film body, and bolted a digital back onto it. The DCS 315 and its sibling, the DCS 330, were the only two cameras ever to use the Pronea body. It also has a legitimate claim to a first: the world's first DSLR with a rear LCD and inbuilt JPEG processing.
The APS mount meant Nikon made five special IX-Nikkor lenses for it, though the body would also take most F-mount Nikkors. The sensor was a 1″ CCD built with Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) instead of the more common polysilicon process. The 2-megapixel resolution was modest even for 1998, and the burst rate was a patient 2 frames per second for three images every eleven seconds. It ran on six AA batteries and stored images on a PCMCIA card.
Amateur Photographer-era coverage via epi-centre.com noted the DCS 315 was pitched at less than half the price of Kodak's DCS 520, launched just months earlier. At £4,990 including lens, card, and accessories, it was still firmly professional territory — one contemporary commenter quipped that "the Nintendo Gameboy camera didn't cost $6,000 US." The same review praised its image depth and dimension over fixed-lens digitals, while acknowledging it would challenge and test your skills "far, far beyond any other digital on the consumer market today."
The record on this camera is thin in places. No weight or dimensions are documented, and no ISO or shutter speed ranges. Sources also disagree on whether the sensor was 2 megapixels or 1.5MP. The 2MP figure from DPReview is the more commonly cited. A used example that surfaced in Australia, reportedly an ex-NASA work camera, showed the one physical flaw collectors have come to expect: the classic "sticky grip" deterioration.
- Announced July 13, 1998
- 2-megapixel 1″ CCD sensor (ITO type)
- Based on Nikon Pronea 6i APS film body
- APS mount, compatible with IX-Nikkor and most F-mount Nikkor lenses
- Rear LCD with inbuilt JPEG processing
- Burst: 2 fps, 3 images per 11 seconds
- 6× AA batteries, PCMCIA storage
- Launch price: £4,990 with lens and accessories
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