Source: http://www.photoblog.hk/wordpress/24662/
It was modified from a real gun by the Japanese traffic police back to 1954, the purpose of it was to shoot with one hand and steadily! Clever design, I have to say.
But then there was a real gun which looked like a camera by the CIA in 1966. Well, it was modified from an Asahi Pentax Reflex! Oh yes, it was the big glorious days of Pentax which Canon and Nikon only knew to follow!!
Source: http://www.aohc.it/oddse1.htm
Don't press the shutter release button of this "camera" too causally, it would really make a *killer* shot! :-o
Now, in 2012, what does the meaning of the first gun camera? Back to the 90s and early 2000s, there were such cannon/gun looking film and digital cameras:-
Above: Sony F717, 2002, Picture Source Here.
Above: Ricoh Mirai, 1988, Picture Source Here.
Above: Olympus AZ-4, 1989, Ricoh Mirai Twin, Picture Source Here.
And finally here is the Pentax Optio MX/MX4, of which I purchased my "MX" back to 2004. I must say its ergonomics is excellent and is very suitable for prolonged time video shooting. Whilst the user can hold very steadily for both video and still picture shooting, the camera can also be operated with one hand basically. Well, the Optio MXs had a flipped LCD with great freedom for its movement, which is really great!
Above: Pentax Optio MX, 2004, Pictures' Source Here
Now, it is heard that Pentax Ricoh is going to abort the K-01 line and is not developing it further. That is sad as they should make the K-01 in such form factor and design, which they should be able to do. That will surely hide the long flange distance of the K-mount and adding an EVF and include back a flipped monitor with a similar design of the MX', that will be a clear winner, I am almost certain!
We all know that the K-01 is by now the "best" video shooting Pentax body in the line. However, I do think that it is just not good enough. Change the form and shape of it, add also a stereo microphone! Then it could rival the Sony NEX VG900, even it is a Full Frame, just because this proposed Pentax mirrorless can be sold far cheaper for its much lower cost. Also, if there will be such a cannon K-02, all the R&D efforts paid by Hoya will not be wasted, and possibly it will form a new line of Pentax K-mount APS-C mirrorless that could finally succeed, as it is being unique in the market but yet have a great usability and being very practical to use!
Furthermore, they should buy the new NEX-5R 16M sensor from Sony, which will do PMAF on sensor to further enhance the AF performance, especially during video recording. The last time I tried, the CDAF of the K-01 was not that bad indeed. In fact, I am much impressed with the CDAF performance of the latest Pentax cameras which is better than any Canon DSLR and close to my NEX IMHO. And who says the K-01 CDAF is meaningless? I am sure that it is more accurate with all different K-mount lenses than all those Pentax DSLRs after all, the K-5II/s inclusive! The CDAF is WYSIWYG, what thing else can be more accurate?
Don't you guys agree with me this time?!
Read Also:-
Canon EOS-M is Around the Corner, How Pentax Could Compete with the K-0x?
A Not-so-common K-30/K-5/K-01 Comparison of Mine
Pack a Gun to Protect Camera Gear from Airline Theft or Loss!? (in USA Only)
A (Pentax) Camera Catalogue Collector