Photographiccameras’rootsgodeep.Everythingstartedwiththecameraobscura,and
continuedwithDaguerreotypes,35mmcameras,digitalcamerasandcameraphones.
1500
Thefirstpinholecamera(alsocalledtheCameraObscura)wasinventedbyAlhazen(IbnAlHaytham).
1839
TheDaguerreotypeCamerawasannouncedbytheFrenchAcademyofSciences.Oneof
theseinventionsisnowtheworld’smostexpensivecameras.
1840
ThefirstAmericanpatentissuedinphotographytoAlexanderWolcottforhiscamera.
1859
ThepanoramiccamerapatentedbyThomasSutton.
1861
OliverWendellHolmesinventsstereoscopeviewer.
1888
GeorgeEastmanpatentsKodakroll-filmcamera.Eastmanwasapioneerinphotographic
filmsusage.Healsostartedmanufacturingpaperfilmsin1885.HisfirstKodakboxcamera
wasverysimpleandverycheap.
1900
Firstmass-marketedcamera–theBrowniewaspresentedbyEastman.Itwasonsaleuntil
1960s.
1900
TheRaisecamera(travelcamera)wasinvented.Extremelightweightandsmalldimensions
whenitisfoldedmadethisphotocamerathemostdesirablethingforlandscape
photographers.
1913/1914
Thefirst35mmstillcamera(alsocalledcandidcamera)developedbyOskarBarnackof
GermanLeicaCamera.Lateritbecamethestandardforallfilmcameras.
1948
EdwinLandinventedthePolaroidcamerawhichcouldtakeapictureandprintitinabout
oneminute.
1978
Konicaintroducesthefirstpoint-and-shoot,autofocuscameraKonicaC35AF.Itwasnamed
“Jasupin”.
1981
SonydemonstratestheSonyMavica–theworld’sfirstdigitalelectronicstillcamera.Digital
photographyandtelevisionimagesarerelatedtothesametechnology,sothiscamera
recordedimagesintoaminidiskandthenputthemintoavideoreader.Imagescouldbe
displayedtoatelevisionmonitororcolorprinter.
1986
Fujiintroducedthedisposablecamera.Theinventorsalsocallthisdevice“single-use
cameras”.
1991
Kodakreleasedthefirstprofessionaldigitalcamerasystem(DCS)whichwasofagreatuse
forphotojournalists.ItwasamodifiedNikonF-3camerawitha1.3megapixelsensor.
1994-1996
Thefirstdigitalcamerasfortheconsumer-levelmarketthatworkedwithahomecomputer
viaaserialcableweretheAppleQuickTake100camera(February17,1994),theKodak
DC40camera(March28,1995),theCasioQV-11(withLCDmonitor,late1995),andSony’s
Cyber-ShotDigitalStillCamera(1996).
2000
InJapaneSharp’sJ-SH04introducedtheworld’sfirstcameraphone.
2005
TheCanonEOS5Dislaunched.Thisisfirstconsumer-pricedfull-framedigitalSLRwitha
24x36mmCMOSsensor.
CellPhoneCameras
Forsomeweirdreason,someoneatJapan’sSharpCorporationdecidedtomakeacell
phonewithacamerabuiltin.Despiteitsseemingrandomness,thiscombinationworked
well.Thesedays,it’shardtoimagineacellphonewithoutacamera.They’reeverywhere.
Sowhatadvanceshavethesetinycamerasmadeduringtheirshorthistory?
SonyEricssonS750
photobyAndrewButko,WikimediaCommons
By2005,consumersprovedtolovehavingcamerasbuiltintotheirphones,so
manufacturersstartingracingagainstoneanothertoproducethebest,smallestcameras
theycould.EntertheSonyEricssonS750.
TheS750wasthefirstcameraphonetofeatureautofocus(notcountingSamsung’s
ridiculousSCH-V770)anda2MPsensor.Thisphonehelpedfuelaraceofsortsbetween
SonyEricssonandNokia,andprobablyeveryothercellphonemanufactureratthetime.
SamsungM8910
Somewherealongthewayduringthecompetitionforcameraphone,companiesstarted
reallyuppingtheirgames.Samsunglaunchedamajorsalvointhiswarwiththereleaseof
theM8910.Itmarkedphonecameramegapixelcountsmovingintodouble-digitswithits
12MPsensor.TheM8910wasalsothefirstphonetointroducemanyfeaturesfoundonproleveldigitalcameras.
NokiaLumia1020
In2013,Nokiareleasedthecameraphoneequivalentofamicdrop,theLumia1020.This
phonefeaturesa41MPsensor,whichwaslargerthananyprosumer-levelDSLRavailable.
The1020alsofeaturedaCarlZeisslens,imagestabilization,andPurViewProtechnology,
whichenableslosslessdigitalzoom.
Thesecamerasdidn’trepresenttheaveragequalityofcamerasbuiltintophonesduringthis
time,buttheyhaveservedtomotivatemanufacturerstoimproveoverallcameraquality
acrosstheboard.
MirrorlessCameras
Ifyou’renotfamiliarwithmirrorlesscameras,youcancheckoutmyarticleonthem.They’re
typicallysmallerthanaconsumer-levelDSLRandproduceimagesthatcompetewithDSLRs
inquality.Andthey’regainingpopularity,especiallyamongtravelingphotographers,street
photographersandphotographyenthusiastswhowantgreatpictureswithoutlugginga
giantDSLRaround.
photobyRama,WikimediaCommons
Technically,thefirstmirrorlesscamera,theEpsonRD1,madeitsdebutin2004.Butit
provedtobeaheadofitstime,asitwouldbeafewmoreyearsbeforemirrorlesscameras
gainedafootholdinthecameramarket.
FujifilmFinePixX100
photobyDarrenStone,WikimediaCommons
Fujifilmcertainlydidn’tmakethefirstmirrorlesscamera,oreventhefirstreallypopular
mirrorless.ButFuji’sFinePixX100displayedawillingnesstocatertonicheusers:advanced
photographerswhowantedtheaestheticsandcontrolsofvintagefilmcameras.TheX100
featuredawide-angleprimelensandtheoptiontoshootwithanin-bodyrangefinder-like
viewfinder.
SonyAlpha7Series
In2013,SonymadeabigjumpinitsmirrorlesscameraofferingswiththeAlpha7andthe
Alpha7R.Thesewerethefirstmirrorlesscamerastofeatureafull-framesensor.Atthis
point,mirrorlesscamerasbecamefull-fledgedcontenderswithprosumer-levelDSLRs.
ActionCameras
Whileactioncamerasandquad-rotorhelicoptersaremostlygearedtowardshootingvideo,
thesetwoadvancementsbearmentioning,simplybecauseofhowmuchthey’ve
advancedpeople’sabilitytocaptureamazingimages.
GoProHDHero
AsurfernamedNickWoodmanwantedawaytocapturephotoswhilehewassurfing,sohe
begantinkeringwith35mmcameras.Woodmancontinuedtoimproveonhisdesign,andin
2010,hiscompany,GoPro,releasedtheGoProHDHero.
TheHDHeromarkedthefirstrugged,waterproofcameraabletocapturevideoin1080p.
Sincethen,theHerolineofcamerashasbecomethestandardinthenow-widespread
marketofactioncameras.
PolaroidInstantFilm
In2008,legendaryandground-breakingcompanyPolaroidstoppedproducingallofits
instantfilmsandcameras.WhilePolaroidpioneeredinstantphotography,andphotography
ingeneral,thecompanycouldn’tmaintainthepublic’sinterestininstantfilmphotography
inanever-increasingdigitalage.
Othercompanies,however,havesteppedintofillthegap.Fujifilmproducestwoinstant
cameras:theInstaxMiniandtheInstaxWide,aswellasfilmtogowiththem.Fujialsostill
producesinstantsheetfilmthatcanbeusedinolderPolaroidcameras.
Source:photodoto.com/camera-history-timeline/byann-davlin