Fujifilm Finepix PR21 (1999)

< Prev Next >

Announced 1999-11-20. Based on the 1998 prototype digital camera with built-in printer that could be seen at the Photokina '98. It was the world's first digital camera with built-in color printer in the megapixel class. The printer uses in-Stax mini film, an ISO800 high sensitivity mono-sheet type (automatic release and self-developing) instant color film originally developed by Fujifilm.

With it's 2.3MP sensor you could have a lot of fun with this one. I never quite understood the marketing strategy behind digital cameras with built-in printers. The PR21 for instance was sold in 1999 in Japan only. A year later, in 2000,  Olympus sold the C-211 but only in the US! What about Europe folks? The european market was left behind. Consumers had to import the cameras from abroad at horrendous prices. Since Canon failed to market their BubbleJet camera, Europe had to wait quite a few years before they could buy such a nifty gadget.