Minolta RD-175

An early DSLR camera that used three CCD sensors
Minolta RD-175
Image of the Minolta RD-175
Overview
TypeDigital SLR camera
Lens
Lens mountA-mount
Focusing
FocusAutomatic

The Minolta RD-175 was an early digital SLR, introduced in 1995. Minolta combined an existing SLR with a three way splitter and three separate CCD image sensors, giving 1.2 megapixels (MP) of resolution.[1][page needed] The base of the DSLR was the Minolta Maxxum 500si Super (the Dynax 500si Super in Europe and as Alpha 303si Super in Asia). Agfa produced a version of the RD-175 retailed as the Agfa ActionCam.

The RD-175 was also notable as the first consumer digital camera to be used in a professional stop motion production, being used to create the full-motion claymation adventure video game The Neverhood.[2]

Technology

Since state of the art CCD resolution at the time was sufficient for Minolta, the light entering the central 12 mm × 16 mm area of the RD-175's focal plane was compressed by 0.56x relay optics behind the focal plane, similar to the optical reduction system used in the Nikon E series. The light bundled on the smaller sensor area increased the effective sensitivity (ISO) by 2+23 stops. Then the light was split and sent to three separate 4.8 × 6.4 mm sized 1200 × 800 pixel (3 × 0.3 MP) image sensors, two used for green and one for the red and blue color, reducing the sensitivity increase to about 2 stops. The only usable ISO was 800.[1][page needed]

The three images were combined digitally and interpolated to the final size of 12 MP (4243× 2828 pixels). Images were stored on an internal 128MB PCMCIA hard drive. The camera used Minolta AF A-mount lenses with a crop factor of 2.

See also

  • Telecompressor

References

  1. ^ a b Minolta RD-175 Manual.
  2. ^ Schofield, Edward (3 May 2013). "Pencil Test Studios". Facebook. Retrieved 2023-03-28. On The Neverhood, we used beta versions of the Minolta RD-175, one of the first digital SLR cameras. For you trivia buffs, The Neverhood was the first professional stop motion production to use consumer digital SLR's--something that is common for most productions today. --Ed

External links

  • Minolta RD-175 on The Digital Camera Museum
  • RD-175/Agfa ActionCam review by John Henshall
  • Agfa ActionCam on Jarle Aasland's NikonWeb.com site
  • Example images at Pbase.com
  • Retrospective Review video on YouTube by V Nemeth
  • v
  • t
  • e
Level Sensor 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Professional Full frame α900 α99 α99 II
α850
High-end APS-C DG-7D α700 α77 α77 II
Midrange α65 α68
Upper-entry α55 α57
α100 α550 F α580 α58
DG-5D α500 α560
α450
Entry-level α33 α35 α37
α350 F α380 α390
α300 α330
α200 α230 α290
Early models Minolta 7000 with SB-70/SB-70S (1986) · Minolta 9000 with SB-90/SB-90S (1986) (Still video SLRs)
Minolta MS-C1100 (1992) · Minolta RD-175 (1995)
Level Sensor
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

SCREEN: Flip F, Front Flip F+, Articulating A

  • v
  • t
  • e
General
SR-mount cameras
A-mount cameras
A-mount lenses
16mm film cameras
110 film cameras
APS film and digital cameras
Digital viewfinder cameras
35mm rangefinder and viewfinder cameras
Other products
Related


Stub icon

This camera-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e