This 1999 Digital Camera Uses Tiny Clik Disks! Agfa CL30
LGR・12 minutes read
The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik was an affordable digital camera using 40MB Clik disks, introduced in 1999 but discontinued in 2003 due to competition and limited functionality, offering a vintage aesthetic and unique storage solution in a challenging digital camera market of the late 90s.
Insights
- The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik, introduced in 1999, offered affordability with its $549 price tag and utilized Clik disks for storage, a cost-effective alternative to CompactFlash, but faced discontinuation by 2003 as competing cameras surpassed its performance and affordability.
- Despite its unique vintage aesthetic and improved image quality compared to other Agfa cameras, the CL30 Clik suffered from slow operation times, unreliable focusing mechanisms in challenging lighting conditions, and poor scaling quality in lower resolution photos, limiting its functionality and success in the digital camera market of the late 90s.
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Recent questions
What are the key features of the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik?
The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik is a digital camera that boasts a 1 megapixel CCD, an autofocusing 6.7mil lens, and a 1.8” color TFT LCD for photo viewing. It uses Clik disks for storage, which are 40MB disks from Iomega. The camera comes with accessories like Getting Started guides, a USB cable, a composite video cable, and a 40MB Clik disk.
How did the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik perform in the digital camera market?
The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik was introduced in late 1999 at a price of $549, making it relatively affordable compared to other digital cameras at the time. However, by 2001, competing digital cameras surpassed the CL30 Clik in performance and affordability, leading to the discontinuation of the Clik line in 2003. The camera faced challenges due to its slow operation time, typical early digital camera photo characteristics, unreliable focusing mechanism, and poor scaling quality in lower resolution photos.
What sets the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik apart from other digital cameras?
The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik offers improved image quality with straight lines appearing better due to the absence of downscaling. It provides a vintage aesthetic with sensor noise and artifacting, reminiscent of old-school photography. The camera also features a "Photo Genie" option for upscaled images through interpolation, reaching a resolution of 1440x1080. Despite its unique appeal with tiny disks for storage, the CL30 Clik faced challenges in the digital camera market due to its thick plastic build, unconventional media, and limited success.
What were the major selling points of the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik?
One of the major selling points of the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik was the Clik disks used for storage, which were cost-effective compared to alternatives like CompactFlash. The camera was also relatively affordable at its introduction in late 1999, priced at $549. Additionally, the camera's vintage aesthetic and improved image quality with straight lines set it apart from other digital cameras of its time.
How did Agfa's consumer digital cameras contribute to the company's product lineup?
Agfa, known for analog film and professional imaging equipment, produced several consumer digital cameras from 1995 to 2001, including the CL30 Clik. These consumer digital cameras diversified Agfa's product lineup, catering to the growing demand for digital photography. Despite facing challenges in the digital camera market, Agfa's consumer digital cameras showcased the company's ability to adapt to changing technology trends and offer innovative imaging solutions to consumers.
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Summary
00:00
Agfa CL30 Clik: Affordable Digital Camera History
- The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik is a digital camera that uses Clik disks for storage, which are 40MB disks from Iomega.
- The camera was introduced in late 1999 at a price of $549, making it relatively affordable compared to other digital cameras at the time.
- The Clik disks were a major selling point due to their cost-effectiveness compared to alternatives like CompactFlash.
- By 2001, competing digital cameras surpassed the CL30 Clik in performance and affordability, leading to the discontinuation of the Clik line in 2003.
- Agfa, known for analog film and professional imaging equipment, produced several consumer digital cameras from 1995 to 2001, including the CL30 Clik.
- The CL30 Clik comes with various accessories, including Getting Started guides, USB cable, composite video cable, and a 40MB Clik disk.
- The camera features a 1 megapixel CCD, autofocusing 6.7mil lens, and a 1.8” color TFT LCD for viewing photos.
- The CL30 Clik has a slow operation time, taking about 40 to 50 seconds to turn on and capture a single photo.
- The camera's photos exhibit typical characteristics of early digital cameras, such as under- and overexposure, limited dynamic range, and color inaccuracies.
- The CL30 Clik's focusing mechanism can be unreliable in challenging lighting conditions, and lower resolution photos suffer from poor scaling quality.
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Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik: Vintage Camera Review
- The Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik, utilizing the same sensor and lens as the Agfas, offers improved image quality with straight lines appearing better due to the absence of downscaling. The camera provides a vintage aesthetic with sensor noise and artifacting, reminiscent of old-school photography, and offers a "Photo Genie" option for upscaled images through interpolation, reaching a resolution of 1440x1080.
- The camera's software, while basic with limited editing capabilities like rotation and color adjustments, includes features for album-making and online sharing. Despite its unique appeal with tiny disks for storage, the Agfa ePhoto CL30 Clik faced challenges in the late 90s digital camera market due to its thick plastic build, unconventional media, and limited success, making it a niche product with limited functionality unless fully operational.
