Vivitar eCam (1999)

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The Vivitar eCam was announced on may 18th, 1999 in a press release by Vivitar. The specialty here was that the camera was a simple point-and-shoot digital camera especially designed for children. It had an internal memory that could store up to 24 pictures. An optical viewfinder, automatic exposure, self-timer with LED and a focus-free lens where cramped, together with a 9V block battery, in a translucent blue case.

To achieve the low sales price of "under $80", engineers deleted well, basically everything! No screen of any kind, no flash strobe, no external storage slot and a tiny CMOS instead of a CCD sensor. The camera could be connected to a computer through a serial cable and was shipped with award winning Looney Tunes software. Images were stored as BMP files in the astounding resolution of 160 x 120 pixel.