QuickTake

The QuickTake was one of the first lines of consumer digital cameras, designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Launched in 1994, the product line had a relatively short lifespan, with only three models: the QuickTake 100, 150, and the redesigned 200. Each had a modest resolution: just 640 x 480 pixels maximum, but they featured the simple usability that Apple is known for, and were a glimpse into the future of.

History
In 1992, Apple Computer began developing its first digital camera - codenamed "Venus". At that time, over 12 billion were spent annually in the US for photography. Therefore, there was a huge potential market for digital photography. The QuickTake 100 digital camera was an easy-to use digital camera with a 1 MB CompactFlash card. By releasing a connection-kit for Microsoft Windows for the QuickTake 150 Apple tried to sell its digital camera to Windows users as well as Macintosh users. Unfortunately, the QuickTake digital camera did not sell very well due to other companies such as Kodak, Fujifilm, Canon, Sony and coming onto the digital market with more established names than Apple did for photography hardware. The QuickTake was discontinued in 1997 and all development was stopped.

Models

 * QuickTake 100 (released June 20, 1994), manufactured by Kodak with.
 * QuickTake 150 (released April 17, 1995), manufactured by Kodak with.
 * QuickTake 200 (released March 1, 1997), manufactured by Fujifilm.

Usage
The QuickTake 200 introduced the use of removable flash cards. This provided the ability to share the photos with PCs, or a newer Mac computer running Mac OS X with iPhoto. Using a card reader is more flexible than using a serial cable to connect the QuickTake to an older Macintosh running classic Mac OS with Apple's QuickTake camera software.

Collecting
The Apple QuickTake camera is a rare piece of Apple hardware which was only developed for a small amount of time and discontinued in 1997. Specimens can be found on auction sites or online marketplaces. Prices can range between $50 to $300 for a used QuickTake camera, depending on the condition and whether the original packaging, CDs, cables, memory cards and other accessories are included.

Reuse of the name
Since iOS 13 on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max and later, the QuickTake name has been used to refer to a feature that allows the user to record video while taking photos.

Articles

 * Apple’s Love of Cameras: Remembering the QuickTake and iSight by Stephen Hackett at 512 Pixels (2016-02-23)


 * QuickTake was Apple’s first doomed foray into digital photography by David Pierini at Cult of Mac (2015-07-16)
 * Throwback Thursday: Apple QuickTake cameras, pioneers of consumer digital photography by Jeff Keller at Digital Photography Review (2016-12-29)