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Apple QuickTake 150

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Apple QuickTake 150
QuickTake 150 with the lens cover open (photo: Picto, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Manufacturer Apple Computer, Inc.; designed by Kodak, built by Chinon
Type Digital still camera
Release date 1995
Interface Serial, 8-pin mini-DIN socket on the camera
Compatible Macintosh with a 68020 or later processor and System 7.1 or later; PCs running Windows 3.1 or NT 3.5 (Windows edition)
Dimensions 155 × 135 × 55 mm
Weight 0.5 kg
Predecessor Apple QuickTake 100
Successor Apple QuickTake 200
Model M3790LL/A (Macintosh), M3791LL/A (Windows)
Power Three AA lithium or NiCad cells, or 4.5 V DC/1.75 A to 8.0 V DC/1.0 A external
Resolution 640 × 480 pixels, 24-bit colour
Storage 1 MB flash EPROM, not removable

The Apple QuickTake 150 is the second QuickTake digital camera, sold by Apple Computer from 1995. It uses the same hardware as the Apple QuickTake 100 with new firmware, a close-up lens and new software. Both quality settings record 640 × 480 pictures, and the 1 MB memory holds 16 high-quality or 32 standard-quality pictures.[1][2] Kodak designed the 100 and 150 and Chinon built them.[3]

History

Apple released the QuickTake 150 in April 1995 to replace the QuickTake 100.[3] Its data sheet is dated March 1995 and gives order number M3790 for the Macintosh camera; Apple's support notes give the full numbers as M3790LL/A for Macintosh and M3791LL/A for Windows.[4][5] QuickTake 100 owners could have their cameras brought up to the 150's specification in 1995 (see Apple QuickTake 100#History).[2] The Apple QuickTake 200 followed in 1997.[3]

Differences from the QuickTake 100

The case, lens, flash, controls, memory and power arrangements are the same as on the 100.[1][2] The changes are in the firmware, the bundle and the software.

  • The 100 records standard pictures at 320 × 240. The 150 records both settings at 640 × 480 and varies the compression instead: Apple gives 1.5 bits per pixel for high quality and 0.75 bits per pixel for standard.[6] Colin Leroy-Mira, who decodes both formats on the Apple II, identifies the 100's pictures as ADPCM-compressed and the 150's as RADC-compressed.[7]
  • A clip-on close-up lens focuses at 10 to 14 inches. It shifts the viewfinder's view to correct parallax, diffuses the flash, and carries rangefinder triangles: when an object about 9 cm across just fills the space between them, the camera is 30 cm away.[1]
  • The 150 comes with three AA lithium cells and no charger. Apple says NiCads may be used but alkaline cells should not.[1]
  • The Macintosh camera comes with PhotoFlash 2.0 and the QuickTake Image Access control panel, which mounts the camera on the desktop like a disk. The Windows camera comes with QuickTake 1.5 and the PhotoNow! TWAIN driver.[1][8] QuickTake 150 software also works with a QuickTake 100.[9]

Specifications

QuickTake 150 specifications
Item Value
Type CCD still frame camera
Image size 640 × 480 at both settings; up to 16 high-quality or 32 standard-quality pictures
Colour 24-bit
Memory 1 MB flash EPROM; storage for up to one year, with or without batteries[4]
Lens Fixed focus, 8 mm (Apple's equivalent: 50 mm on 35 mm film); 4 ft to infinity, or 10 to 14 in with the close-up lens
Aperture f/2.8 to f/16
Shutter speed 1/30 to 1/175 second
Sensitivity About ISO 85
Flash Automatic, fill or off; 4 to 9 ft, or 10 to 14 in with the close-up lens; 7-second cycle time[4]
Viewfinder Optical, 92 per cent coverage[4]
Interface RS-422 (Macintosh), RS-232C (Windows)
Internal power Three AA cells, 3.6 to 5.4 V DC
External power 4.5 V DC at 1.75 A to 8.0 V DC at 1.0 A
Power consumption Under 500 mW standby, under 4.5 W operating
Operating environment 0 to 40 °C, 20 to 95 per cent humidity, non-condensing
Dimensions 155 × 135 × 55 mm (6.1 × 5.3 × 2.2 in), 0.5 kg (1 lb)

Figures are from Appendix A of the user's guide except where marked.[1]

Apple's documents disagree on two points. The QuickTake 150 Service Source lists a 320 × 240 standard size and a GeoPort interface, as the QuickTake 100's does; the user's guide, the data sheet and Apple's support note give 640 × 480 for both settings, and the user's guide gives RS-422 for the Macintosh.[10][6] The data sheet's metric sizes are printed in centimetres where millimetres are meant (for example "2.2 in. (55 cm)").[4]

Package and service parts

The Macintosh package holds the camera, the close-up lens, the serial cable, the software, a neck strap and three batteries.[1] Apple's service list for the 150 includes separate accessory kits for Macintosh (601-1030) and Windows (601-1031), the close-up lens (922-1371), the battery cover (922-0673), the serial cables and the power adapters; the whole camera was replaced as one unit, 661-0909.[10] Accessories sold separately were the battery booster pack, the AC adapter, the travel case and the Connection Kit for Windows (M3793LL/A).[1] They are described on Apple QuickTake accessories.

Connecting the camera

The camera connects to the Macintosh modem or printer port, or to any working serial port on a Windows PC, with the serial cable from the package.[1][11] On a Power Macintosh G3 use the modem port: Apple's G3 Read Me says the printer port does not communicate reliably with the 150.[12] The 150 uses the same serial protocol as the 100.[7]

Known problems

  • A QuickTake 150 repaired by Colin Leroy-Mira sent its greeting to the computer but would not respond. The receive line and pin 2 were open at the serial connector on the camera's small I/O board.[13] The checks and his pin map are on Apple QuickTake 100 Troubleshooting Guide#Serial connector repair.
  • Under Mac OS 8.5 the QuickTake 150 installer replaces the system's QuickTime PowerPlug with an older version.[14]
  • Some QuickTake scripts in PhotoFlash 2.0.1 do not work on the Power Macintosh G3.[12]

Maintenance and fault-finding for the 150 are covered with the 100 on Apple QuickTake 100 General Maintenance and Apple QuickTake 100 Troubleshooting Guide, including the flash capacitor hazard.

A QuickTake 150 with a travel case and grip, serial cable and battery booster pack (photo: moparx, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Documentation

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Apple Computer, Apple QuickTake 150 User's Guide for Macintosh, 1995, hosted as File:Apple QuickTake 150 Users Guide for Macintosh 1995.pdf. Package contents and system requirements p. 2; camera and close-up lens at a glance p. 3-4; installing software p. 5; batteries p. 7; reinstalling after a system upgrade p. 8; storage time p. 11; close-up lens and rangefinder p. 12-13; flash settings p. 14; image quality settings p. 15; battery icon p. 16; sleep p. 18; power adapter p. 19; travel case p. 20; QuickTake Image Access and PhotoFlash p. 26-41; care p. 43-44; solving problems p. 44-47; specifications and accessories (Appendix A) p. 49-50; battery information (Appendix B) p. 51-52; Windows (Appendix C) p. 53-55.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Apple Computer, "QuickTake 100: Upgrade to QuickTake 100 Plus (Discontinued)", Tech Info Library article 18091 (TA34002), in the archive.org collection Apple's Technical Information Library Articles, https://archive.org/details/APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES, file TA30000-TA39999. Source for: the QuickTake 100 upgrade to 150 capability being firmware only, with the close-up lens, 32 standard or 16 high-quality images at 640 × 480, and the QuickTake 150 manual.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Apple QuickTake", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_QuickTake (retrieved 2026-10-02). Source for: Kodak design and Chinon manufacture; release of the 150 in April 1995 as the 100's replacement. Used for history and dates only.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Apple Computer, Apple QuickTake 150: 24-Bit Color Digital Camera for Macintosh, data sheet, March 1995, L00578B, hosted as File:Apple QuickTake 150 Data Sheet 1995.pdf. Source for: order number M3790; package contents (camera, close-up lens, software with PhotoFlash 2.0 and QuickTake Image Access, serial cable, three AA lithium batteries, neck strap, manuals); storage of up to one year without batteries; close-up lens range 10 to 14 inches with parallax correction, flash diffusion and rangefinder; flash modes and 7-second cycle time; battery life over 200 images; supported cell types; viewfinder coverage 92 per cent; system requirements; accessory order numbers (booster pack M2655, travel case M2848, AC adapter M2851, Connection Kit for Windows M3793).
  5. ↑ Apple Computer, "QuickTake 150 Close-Up Lens Works With QuickTake 100 (6/95)", Tech Info Library article 17939 (TA33896), APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES collection, file TA30000-TA39999. Source for: model numbers M3790LL/A (Macintosh) and M3791LL/A (Windows); the close-up lens features; the lens fitting the QuickTake 100; the lens sold only as service part 922-1371.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Apple Computer, "QuickTake 150: Image Quality Differences (8/96)", Tech Info Library article 20291 (TA35897), APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES collection, file TA30000-TA39999. Source for: the same 640 × 480 resolution for both settings on the 150 and compression of 1.5 bits per pixel (high) and 0.75 bits per pixel (standard).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Colin Leroy-Mira, "The Apple Quicktake 100 and 150 serial communication protocol", colino.net, 29 October 2023, https://www.colino.net/wordpress/archives/2023/10/29/the-apple-quicktake-100-150-serial-communication-protocol/ (retrieved 2026-10-02). Community reverse-engineering notes. Source for: the shared protocol of the 100 and 150; ADPCM data from the 100 (qtkt files) and RADC data from the 150 (qtkn files); variable picture sizes from the 150.
  8. ↑ Apple Computer, Apple Facts, October 1995, QuickTake 150 entry, https://vintageapple.org/applefacts/pdf/Apple_Facts_9510_10.95_October_1995.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-02). Source for: the close-up lens in both packages; PhotoFlash 2.0 for Macintosh and QuickTake 1.5 with the PhotoNow! TWAIN driver for Windows; the accessory list.
  9. ↑ Apple Computer, "QuickTake 100: Compatible With QuickTake 150 Software? (1/96)", Tech Info Library article 19300 (TA35046), APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES collection, file TA30000-TA39999.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Apple Computer, QuickTake 150 Service Source, from the Apple Service Source 2.0 CD (1996), hosted as File:Apple QuickTake 150 Service Source.pdf. Specifications pp. 1-4 (including the 320 × 240 standard image size and GeoPort interface); Parts 1-20: accessory kits 601-1030 (Macintosh) and 601-1031 (Windows), booster pack 922-0751, battery rechargers 922-0661 and regional variants, DIN-8 to DB-9 cable 922-0676, Macintosh DIN-8 to DIN-8 cable 922-0671, PC adaptor DB-9/DB-25 922-0675, battery cover 922-0673, close-up lens 922-1371, power adapters 922-0043, X922-0043, B922-0043, Z922-0043 and 922-0376, whole unit 661-0909.
  11. ↑ Apple Computer, Apple QuickTake 150 User's Guide for Windows, 1995, hosted as File:Apple QuickTake 150 Users Guide for Windows 1995.pdf. System requirements p. 2 (80386 or later; Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or Windows NT 3.5; MS-DOS 3.3 or later; 2 MB of free RAM); battery booster pack p. 20; connecting, port settings and the 9-to-25-pin adapter p. 22-23; specifications p. 55-56.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Apple Computer, "Power Macintosh G3 Read Me", Tech Info Library article TA21807, APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES collection, file TA20315-TA29994.
  13. ↑ Colin Leroy-Mira, "Fixing a Quicktake 150 serial connector", colino.net, 21 June 2026, https://www.colino.net/wordpress/archives/2026/06/21/fixing-a-quicktake-150-serial-connector/ (retrieved 2026-10-02). Community repair report.
  14. ↑ Apple Computer, "Mac OS 8.5: QuickTime PowerPlug Version", Tech Info Library article TA38741, APPLE_TIL_ARTICLES collection, file TA30000-TA39999.


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