(Pocket-lint) – Digital camera era has come a ways because the early days of the camera obscura.
Producers and inventors have attempted and examined a large number of various digicam designs some quirky, some bonkers, some extremely a hit. Over time, there were a number of strange cameras in all sizes and styles.
From combat able gadget gun cameras to sci-fi designs and ordinary garage mediums, we spherical up a collection of the strangest, rarest and maximum standard cameras to be created.
Apple Quicktake 100
The Apple QuickTake was once probably the most first and remaining virtual cameras evolved by way of Apple.
This digicam regarded extra like a projector than the vintage digicam design and may take 32 footage at a staggering 0.08 MP or 8 snaps at 640×480. Firstly launched in 1994, it was once advertised by way of Apple till 1997 however did not catch on and was once deserted in that 12 months.
Sony Virtual Mavica
In 1981, Sony introduced the Mavica as the arena’s first digital nonetheless digicam. It wasn’t a virtual digicam within the present figuring out as its sensor produced an analogue video sign captured on Video Floppy discs. The captured photographs may then be considered on a TV.
Issues have come a ways since then.
Leica DMR
The Lecia DMR was once the arena’s first hybrid 35mm SLR digicam with the choice for both virtual or analogue images.
In standard Lecia style, it was once priced at $6,000 and did not make a lot monetary sense however was once observed by way of many because the holy grail of the transition between movie and virtual images.
Leica S1
This Lecia digicam was once fascinating now not just for its form and design, but in addition for the proven fact that it presented lens mounts for Nikon, Contax, Canon FD, and Minolta lenses.
The peculiar design intended it captured sq. photographs the use of 35mm lenses.
Rollei 35
The Rollei 35 was once a miniature viewfinder digicam that was once at first presented to the arena in 1966 and was once the smallest digicam of the time.
Over time that adopted round two million of those cameras had been manufactured and the design even endured on till 2015.
Lytro
Lytro is a light-field camera that was once at first evolved in pocket-sized layout and was once fascinating now not just for its peculiar form however as it was once able to refocusing photographs after being taken.
Later fashions would even be intriguing, with a set aperture it measured decision in mega rays as an alternative of megapixels and was once able to focussing from 0 mm to infinity.
George Lawrence’s Mammoth Digital camera
In 1900, George Lawrence constructed the arena’s biggest digicam to be able to take a photograph of a educate and seize the entire carriages in a single unmarried shot – a ground-breaking panoramic for the time.
George Lawrence made a reputation for himself with stunts like this and likewise took steps in aerial images innovation that incorporated taking pictures from hot-air balloons and with camera-carrying kites. Any other of his famed panoramic photographs confirmed the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake with the ruins of San Francisco.
Mild L16
The Light L16 was once a quirkily designed digicam that used 16 digicam modules to seize a couple of high-resolution snaps at various focal lengths, abruptly. The speculation right here was once to create a digicam that labored as a pleasant heart floor between a big DSLR for high quality and compact digicam for portability.
The captured photographs had been fused in combination right into a 52-megapixel photograph which may have its center of attention edited afterwards and presented “remarkable low-light efficiency”. This one unquestionably appears find it irresistible was once impressed by way of a fly and sticks out on our checklist of peculiar cameras.
Konishoruko (Konica) Rokuoh-Sha Kind 89 System Gun Eastern WWII Digital camera
Right through WWII quite a lot of combat cameras had been constructed by way of army forces world wide for coaching functions.
The sort of cameras was once manufactured for the Eastern airforce by way of Konishoruko, a digicam producer who would later move by way of the identify Konica.
Those kinds of cameras had been fastened to planes instead of actual gadget weapons and helped with checking out and coaching of pilots by way of confirming kills and comparing their accuracy. When the pilot pulled the cause on his guns, pictures was once taken of what he was once aiming at and the captured movie may then be analysed after the airplane landed.
For those who just like the glance of 1, it is lately to be had to purchase from eBay.
HARMAN TiTAN
This pinhole digicam was once produced from injection moulded ABS, chrome steel and completed with a non-slip coating that made it extraordinarily sturdy and able to withstanding each herbal parts and tough dealing with.
Within the technology of the virtual digicam, the HARMAN TITAN pinhole digicam is conserving probably the most oldest varieties of images alive with conventional movie seize via a pin-hole software.
Not possible I-1 Quick Movie Digital camera
This peculiar searching digicam is pitched as probably the most “maximum complicated immediate cameras ever made”. In an technology of straightforward smartphone images and virtual cameras, this digicam is designed to permit customers to experiment with their pictures and provides analogue fans the facility to snap immediate footage with virtual precision.
It is a surprisingly peculiar searching digicam within the virtual technology, however unquestionably has a number of fascinating quirks too with Bluetooth connectivity, a smartphone app and extra permitting double exposures, gentle artwork and a large number of alternative particular options.
Lomography LomoKino 35mm Movie Digital camera
A contemporary tackle a unfashionable digicam, the Lomography LomoKino 35mm movie digicam is a classically styled, hand-cranked 35mm motion-picture digicam that permits customers to seize 144 film frames on a 36-exposure roll of movie.
Without a doubt a digicam with an overly area of interest marketplace enchantment, but in addition a unusual and fantastically peculiar addition to our checklist.
Minox DCC 14.0 Virtual Digital camera
It is a miniaturised model of the vintage MINOX digicam and is pitched as a true instance of firstclass German engineering.
With precision mechanics and a excessive consideration to element, this tiny digicam is able to 14-megapixel snaps with a high quality that belies its measurement.
DxO ONE Virtual Digital camera with Wi-Fi
The DxO ONE digital camera is a peculiar one because it does not paintings as a digicam in its personal proper, it must plug into an Apple iPhone to be able to paintings.
This smartphone add-on captures 20.2MP photographs via a 32mm an identical f/1.8 lens. With shutter speeds as much as 1/20,000 of a 2d, a max ISO sensitivity point of 51,200 and a mass of alternative settings it delivers improbable pictures directly out of your telephone.
Avangard Optics Smiling Face Brooch Secret agent Digital camera
A pinhole digicam constructed right into a smiley face brooch that works as a secret agent digicam and will also be pinned to clothes to seize 480p video at 30fps.
It is also able to shooting nonetheless photographs and recording photographs on a microSD card. Indubitably a peculiar digicam, we doubt many secret agent cameras are this unsubtle.
Konica AiBORG
This peculiar searching digicam by way of Konica was once at first launched in 1991 and briefly become known as the Darth Vader digicam because of its peculiar styling options.
The Konica AiBORG is a 35mm point-and-shoot viewfinder digicam with a big and extremely unique design. It is particularly probably the most first cameras able to autofocus superzoom.
Lomography Konstruktor F Do-it-Your self 35mm Movie SLR Digital camera Equipment
The very best present for the images fanatic who already has all of it is a field with a DIY digicam inside of. The Konstruktor F lets in folks to construct their very own 35mm from the bottom up with the entire important portions.
The speculation here’s to offer the consumer a brand new discovered appreciation for the intricate mechanics in the back of the analogue cameras and the way they paintings. Plus there is not any doubt one thing particular about the use of a running DSLR digicam you constructed your self.
Contax AX
This podgy cumbersome searching 35mm movie digicam was once launched by way of Kyocera in 1996 and boasted a singular autofocus machine that labored with handbook center of attention lenses.
This was once peculiar for the time and made it stand out as a strange digicam design.
Olympus Ecru
This strangely designed Olympus digicam was once phase restricted run of simply 20,000 devices.
The Ecru was once a restricted version digicam which took its identify from the French phrase for “unbleached” and was once supposed to be a logo for “residing an intellectually enhanced lifestyles as herbal as unbleached material.”
Zenit Photosniper
Any other digicam that appears just like the combat cameras we featured previous on this checklist, the Zenit Photosniper considered one of a number of rifle-styled cameras that was once at first supposed for army use or use for battlefield images.
Those kinds of digicam had been maximum famously utilized by Nikita Kruschev who was once the chief of the Soviet Union from 1955 till 1964.
Fisher-Worth PXL-2000
This Fisher-Worth digicam was once referred to as the KiddieCorder and was once a black-and-white camcorder which was once launched within the Nineteen Eighties and used audio cassette tapes for its recordings.
Even supposing rarely bleeding-edge digicam tech, this little video digicam was once nonetheless extremely wanted on the time for being an unbelievable toy but in addition afterwards by way of choice film-makers who love the low-fi aesthetic glance.
Stylophot
Within the mid-Nineteen Fifties, SECAM evolved this pen-shaped digicam which gave the impression of a superbly sized secret agent digicam. The Stylophot digicam used double perforated 16mm movie and captured 10x10mm photographs that had been rarely astounding high quality.
Nevertheless, it was once unquestionably a strange digicam and a super addition to our checklist.
Sakura Petal
In 1947, the Petal Optical Corporate of Japan create the PETAL, the smallest subminiature photographic digicam on this planet.
The Guinness E-book of Global Information holds this digicam as “the smallest digicam ever made” measuring at simply an inch in diameter. This tiny digicam was once able to taking six footage on a work of minimize movie which may be changed in sunlight however was once tough to make use of.
Pentax Auto 110
The Pentax-110 digicam machine claims to be the smallest interchangeable-lens SLR machine ever created. It was once so small that the digicam itself would are compatible smartly into the palm of the hand.
This digicam machine was once able to running with plenty of other interchangeable lenses and briefly become highly regarded amongst 110 movie cartridge fans.
Doryu 2-16
The Doryu 2-16 is but every other instance of cameras created within the form of handguns and guns. Those pistol cameras had been evolved within the Nineteen Fifties for police and surveillance job forces however best round 600 had been produced.
Minolta 110 Zoom SLR
This oddly formed digicam was once the primary SLR within the 110 movie layout to be launched. This peculiar form took place when Minolta took the flat form of the standard 110 pocket digicam and added a bigger lens and prism hump to it.
It boasted a number of other features including aperture-priority autoexposure, exposure compensation and allowed the use of film speeds other than the ISO 100 and 400 too.
Olympus AZ-4/Ricoh Mirai
In 1988 Ricoh released this curious-looking bridge camera to market. It was co-created with Olympus and was one of the only autofocus SLR cameras made by Ricoh.
This camera featured a design that made it look something like a cross between a video camera and a projector and was intended to offer a futuristic feel backed by impressive specifications. With a fixed 35 – 135mm zoom lens, an aperture of f/4.2 (wide) to f/5.6 (telephoto), shutter speeds of 32 sec – 1/2000 sec, TTL autofocus it was certainly an interesting camera for the time.
Casio Exilim TRYX / TR100
This weird and wonderful camera from Casio featured a swivelling and rotatable body with a touch-screen show that allowed customers to seize photographs from quite a few perspective.
It was once additionally a super-slim and compact digicam that was once simple to make use of or even more uncomplicated to take with you at the move.
Canon Photura
The Canon Photura was once an oddly formed Canon digicam that went by way of a number of other names together with the “Epoca” in Europe and “Autoboy Jet” in Japan.
This digicam was once a part of Canon’s Positive Shot digicam vary and had a 35-105mm zoom lens with an impressive integrated flash. This odd-looking digicam appears extra like a torch than a digicam, however is so funky it was once decided on for show by way of the New York Museum of Fashionable Artwork.
Barbie Videogirl
Video Lady Barbie was once a point-of-view video digicam aimed toward youngsters. This little digicam was once constructed right into a Barbie Lady type with the lens being a part of her necklace.
An LCD viewfinder on her again allowed youngsters to look what they had been recording and Video Lady Barbie was once able to recording upto 25 mins of pictures that might then be transferred to a PC. Indubitably quirky, if not anything else.
Ricoh GXR Device
The Ricoh GXR is an peculiar addition to this checklist as, the place usual cameras have both a set lens and sensor or interchangeable lenses, this digicam takes interchangeable devices, every protecting a lens, sensor and symbol processing engine. This allowed for a number of advantages, together with every unit with the ability to be optimised for explicit photographic duties the place different cameras would all depend at the similar sensor even with other lenses.
The sealed devices produced for the program additionally secure the sensor from mud, injury and contaminates. There’s an added price in fact, which may put many off the acquisition.
Seitz 6×17 Virtual
This digicam is a digicam that is not a digicam. It is in truth a scanner that scans photographs very slowly and must be fastened on a gradual floor because of the gradual scan occasions.
It additionally calls for using accompanying laptop apparatus and batteries to make it paintings which make it beautiful specialist. Nevertheless, the Seitz 6×17 Virtual were given folks excited back in 2006 when it promised 160MP pictures for simply $40,000.
Petri Fotochrome
The Petri Fotochrome was once an peculiar digicam with a unusual design. This digicam mirrored the captured symbol onto the movie airplane that ran parallel to the bottom, therefore the cameras peculiar design.
This design was once a failure because it required using proprietary movie which made it tough and dear to make use of. The end result was once a outstanding digicam that was once a whole dud and will nonetheless be purchased as of late in its authentic packaging as a result of such a lot of had been by no means used.
Pentax ‘Korejanai’ Okay-x
This Pentax digicam noticed a particularly restricted run with simply 100 devices being created and offered. The Pentax ‘Korejanai’ Okay-x was once colourfully crafted to check the Korejanai Robotic Style.
The colors had been the one factor that made it stand excluding the usual fashions with each digicam frame and lens being another way just like usual Pentax DA-L cameras.
Ricoh LX-22 XOBBOX
This see-through digicam is sometimes called the XOBBOX, to not be at a loss for words with Microsoft’s recreation console. It boasted a clear shell which allowed customers to look the interior workings of the digicam.
After all, the movie chamber itself wasn’t see-through because it wanted coverage from herbal gentle. Nonetheless a brilliantly peculiar digicam with a vibrant and quirky design.
Sport Boy Digital camera
The Sport Boy Digital camera was once launched as pocket digicam within the overdue Nineties and was once suitable with the entire Sport Boy gadgets available on the market.
The digicam may seize black & white virtual photographs the use of the 4 color palette of the Sport Boy machine however was once a bit of quirky and now not one thing that was once in high-demand. The corporate ceased manufacturing 4 years later.
Pentax Optio NB1000
This weird-looking digicam labored with nanoblocks and allowed customers to create their very own digicam designs by way of attaching blocks to the entrance of the digicam.
This digicam was once avalable in quite a few colors and is able to shooting 14MP photographs with a 4x optical zoom and three” virtual show. Indubitably a peculiar digicam, brilliantly designed for the ingenious folks in the market.
SMaL Extremely-Pocket
The SMaL Extremely-Pocket is in all probability absolute best described by way of the blurb from the corporate’s web site:
“The Extremely-Pocket is the very best entry-level virtual digicam for people and households who need a true pocket digicam with out sacrificing affordability and high quality. “When folks see and use the Extremely-Pocket, it’s common for them to react with a ‘Wow!’ a minimum of two times,” stated Keith Fife, Vice President, Engineering, SMaL Digital camera Applied sciences. “The primary ‘wow’ is a response to the digicam’s ultra-thin measurement – actually the dimensions of a bank card and best 0.2″ (6 mm) skinny. The second one happens once they see how the Autobrite™ era obviously captures the darkish main points of a scene whilst making sure that the brilliant areas by no means saturate.”
The Extremely-Pocket boasts sturdiness and a swish silver contour. Its VGA decision (300,000+ pixels) is perfect for sending photographs by means of electronic mail or for posting on the net. The incorporated 8 MB MultiMediaCard detachable reminiscence can cling as much as roughly 40 photographs. USB connectivity guarantees rapid downloading and connectivity with Home windows. The digicam suits simply to your pocket, is going just about all over you move, and gives easy point-and-click use. With the Extremely-Pocket, it’s by no means been extra handy to seize and percentage lifestyles’s photographs.”
Indubitably some fascinating boasts and a unusual little digicam that is as skinny as it’s bonkers.
Kowa TD-1
This digicam in point of fact sticks out from the group. It is a super-telephoto zoom virtual digicam that provides a staggering focal duration from 450 to 1350mm.
It has an SLR-style and makes use of a far off keep an eye on shutter to minimise digicam shake which might another way be a major problem at such excessive zoom ranges.
Sanyo IDC-1000Z
The Sanyo IDC-1000Z was once a gorgeous fascinating software when it was once first launched in 2000.
This digicam was once unquestionably unconventional the use of Magneto Optical discs to retailer photographs. It best took 1.5MP snaps with a three x zoom however unquestionably incorporated a captivating design.
Panono
This round digicam comprises 36 separate lenses encased in a protecting plastic shell. Each and every lens makes use of a 1/4″ sensor which permits for the seize of a 108MP 360-degree symbol when the entire footage are blended. Indubitably staggering, undoubtedly bizarre.
YI Era HALO
This strange searching factor is referred to as the YI Era HALO. A digicam that sports activities 17 other digicam modules designed to seize 360-degree perspectives and the whole lot round it.
On the time of writing this type of beasts will set you again $17,000!
Present Trenz Woodsum Pinhole Digital camera
What you are looking at here’s a pinhole digicam. Which in itself is somewhat not unusual, however they are now not in most cases manufactured from wooden just like the Present Trenz Woodsum Pinhole Digital camera.
This digicam could also be a DIY, construct it your self 35mm digicam that unquestionably sticks out from the group. Quirky and peculiar.
Lytro Illum Mild Box Virtual Digital camera
Any other Lytro digicam makes it onto our checklist. This one is moderately fashionable searching, however once more stays quirky. This digicam has a set aperture and will center of attention from 0 mm to infinity.
As soon as once more the decision of its footage are measured in megarays, now not megapixels, which is somewhat ordinary by itself.
Asanuma Acmel License-4
This awesomely retro-styled digicam out of Japan and was once designed to permit the snapping of 4 passport pictures on the similar time.
It additionally had a Polaroid backing which made it ready to ship the pictures in very fast time.
Pigeon digicam
Homing pigeons have been used broadly throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. When guy started experimenting with aerial images the use of kites, it made sense that finally folks would flip to birds as every other manner of snapping footage.
In 1907, Julius Neubronner, strapped a miniature timed-delayed digicam to a pigeon with a harness and started generating unique aerial pictures. Far from the drone images of as of late, however the get started.
Writing by way of Adrian Willings. Modifying by way of Britta O’Boyle.
