Casio commemorates first consumer LCD digital camera with limited edition model

Twenty years ago, Casio’s QV-10 was the world’s first consumer digital camera to include a liquid crystal display. This gave consumers a way to preview their shots on the go. The 1.8-inch color LCD would be unbearable for most of us today, but back then, it was downright revolutionary. In 2012, Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science bestowed the honor of “Essential Historical Material for Science and Technology” upon the QV-10, and for its 20th anniversary, Casio is launching a celebration of its own.

The company has announced it will release a limited run of its EX-FR10 action camera with a paint job that matches the QV-10’s original look. The commemorative 20th anniversary edition is limited to 2,000 units and will include a multi-angle monopod along with the camera. It’ll be released on May 22nd. The FR10’s round lens and LCD can be separated from one another, giving users the ability to take action shots (or selfies) from unique perspectives and use the LCD to frame shots.

The camera module (with its 16.7-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor) connects with the rest of the FR-10 over Bluetooth and also supports HD movie recording and sharing over Wi-Fi. So yes, it’s radically different compared to the QV-10 that Casio released 20 years ago. Apart from the “luxurious matte silver coating” they share, these two have little else in common. But if you’re one for nostalgia, this commemorative model will launch in Japan in just over a week. Unfortunately, we’re a bit clueless on price; Casio only describes it as “open.” That translates to us as “not cheap.”