This Changes Everything Award for 2009

The Biggest Introductions in Digital SLR History

• 1991 – Kodak introduces the 1 Megapixel DCS for $25,000
  Why? The first digital SLR, it proved the concept was possible and got the attention of other manufacturers.
  The initial response: None. Nobody noticed. Less than 1,000 were sold.

• 1994 – The Apple Computer Quick Take Camera
  Why? You could make a 640 X 480 blurry image with the brick-shaped (and sized) camera. But at $749 people could actually afford one, and some did.
  The initial response: mostly laughed at and considered a toy. (Full disclosure: I had one and it got me started in digital photography, so I may be hugely prejudiced here. At the time I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen.)

• 1999/2000 – The Nikon D1 and Canon D30 SLRs
  Why? At 2.75 and 3.25 Megapixels, you could actually make reasonable prints, nearly as good as film at 5 X 7. For the first time, digital SLRs were practical and useable.
  The initial response: “Why would you spend that much when film is so much better?”

• 2003 – The Canon Digital Rebel (300D)
  Why? A 6 megapixel camera for under $1,000. For millions, their first SLR.
  The initial response: overwhelmingly positive, really.

• 2003 – The Canon 1Ds
  Why? At 11 megapixels it produced images arguably as good as film, perhaps better. Digital SLR became competitive with top-end film SLRs.
  The initial response: Generally positive except for legions of film shooters doing comparisons trying to show film resolved more detail and everyone who was rather shocked at the price.

• 2005 – The Canon 5D
  Why? The first affordable full-frame camera, when digital seemed headed for a 1.5 crop standard size.
  The initial response: Largely “not a professional camera” and discussions of its shortcomings, with a strong smattering of “full-frame isn’t needed anymore.”

• 2007 — Nikon D3
  Why? The first time a manufacturer did not increase megapixels, but rather increased ISO performance and dynamic range.
  The initial response: Generally positive except for some defensive comments from fanboys of other brands.

Honorable Mention:
Some really great technology that, while wonderful, doesn’t really change the landscape overall would include image stabilization (in body and lens), the Micro 4/3 format, and the digital rangefinder camera. Autofocus was pre-digital, so I don’t consider it eligible.

Author: Roger Cicala

I’m Roger and I am the founder of Lensrentals.com. Hailed as one of the optic nerds here, I enjoy shooting collimated light through 30X microscope objectives in my spare time. When I do take real pictures I like using something different: a Medium format, or Pentax K1, or a Sony RX1R.