DP10

Microphotographic devices used 5 mm film or instant film. The emphasis was on color reproducibility. To achieve photographs that were just right, the user needed to take numerous photographs while adjusting the settings and then select the most appropriate image after they had finished developing. Photography of fluorescent images, in particular, required a high level of expertise. Researchers, generating microphotographs that would remain in the annals of science, needed to have excellent craftsmanship and the right touch.

Still, cameras gradually evolved to include more electronic features in line with the times. The industry pioneer was the CAMEDIA C-800L digital camera, launched in 1996. Olympus began working to incorporate digital camera technology into microphotography devices, because of the ease of use and simple image data manipulation.
Olympus launched its long-awaited DP10 digital microscope camera in 1998. The camera produced 1.41- megapixel images, used 8 MB SmartMedia, and featured a 1.8-inch LC monitor. Photographs could immediately be printed on the CAMEDIA P-300 digital color printer. Olympus has achieved an easy-to-use and convenient system that allowed researchers to obtain a printout of their observations very quickly.