Fairchild MV-100 (1973)

I include this one because it was the first commercial CCD camera ever. Fairchild launched the first commercial CCD in 1973 and used it for this model. The result was a pocket-sized solid state camera intended for all kinds of industrial, medical or military applications. The camera was only sold through personal inquiry and could neither be store bought nor per mailorder. Heck, you can't order a medical x-ray machine through Amazon now can you? It was built and anncounced in 1973. I know, people are going to jump at me and claim that the “1976 – Fairchild MV-101” was the first commercial CCD camera. Well, go to the Fairchild MV-101 entry in this category and I’ll explain in great detail why 99.9% of all Google seach results are wrong. Back to the MV-100, as you may know, everything I write here is rock solid so of course I can proof that the MV-100 was the first commercial CCD camera. Take a look at the picture above, it’s a snippet from Behavior, Research, Methods & Instruments Journal and Electrical Design News, both from 1973 and I'd rather trust an article in a professional magazine of that time than any Wikipedia or Google entry today! At least back then they knew what they were talking about...

Specifications

  • Brand: Fairchild
  • Model: MV-100
  • First mentioned: 1973
  • Marketed: unsure
  • MSRP: -
  • Imager Type: Fairchild 0.01MP CCD
  • Resolution: 100x100
  • Internal Storage: -
  • External Storage: Probably magnetic tape
  • Lens: c-mount 25mm TV lens
  • Shutter: -
  • Aperture Range: -
  • LCD screen size: -
  • Size: 89 x 57 x 38mm
  • Weight: 170 gr.
  • Remarks: -

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