a hardware mini review: teh SEGA DIGIO SJ-1 :lol:

[Tatsujin]

sure not an uber rare item, but a funny and obscure device made by SEGA. the DIGIO SJ-1 digital camera intoduced in '95 (extended with the optional lens in '96). so i thought it would be funny to show one here.

some key specs:
it's a 320*240 pixel QVGA (or in memo mode 160*120 pixel) cam and can be attached directliy to a TV via V-cable or to an other cam or a PC via an optional digital cable. it uses smart media cards (512kByte card included) and has a 0.7inch built in color TFT LCD screen.

it also has a manually macro mode focusing lens as well 10 sec. timer function. etc etc.

even it's by far NOT a state of the art product of its time (sony released its first commercial still electronic camera already in '81, followed by kodak and casio cams and again other sony products like the cyber shot line-up, and all before the DIGIO was even released), it's still a funny product and was more intended for the toys and low-cost market, than to be a major player in the 1.3MP "professional"-competition of that time.

here some pics:




boxed set and content


front close up


a view through the 0.7inch TFT LCD finder.


same from bit more far.


attached to a TV with showing an actual picture shot before.


the start up screen


again a view trough the finder with the optional finder lens put on.


cam with the optional lens put on.

[Arkhan]

those images look like poo.

Did they use it to do the FMVs on sega CD?

[Necromancer]

Thanks for sharing.  I've never heard of it before, but it looks like the bastard offspring of a Pico and projector.  Did Sega make any games for the Saturn or MD that used this thing, or was it solely for stand alone use?

[guyjin]

Did Sega make any games for the Saturn or MD that used this thing?

I'm guessing not. The Saturn does have a serial interface, but as far as I know, there's only one device that uses it: a disk drive.

[Tatsujin]

according a user on assembler.com the camera could found extra use in the following environment:

The MD/32X hybird system, Picture Magic is fully compatable with this camera. The Koei word processor kit for the Sega Saturn has an upgrade package (T-7642G) so you can add images via the camera (directly) or via any normal Composite video signal.

There was meant to be a Digio II camera for the Sega Saturn but it never got released, and it's a good thing it didn't as it looked horrible.