HISTORY OF CAMERA

The history of the camera is a very long one, from Joseph Niepce taking the first photograph to the Kodak roll film camera to the c.d. being used as a digital image storing device.

Below is a detailed table which will take you through the development of the camera.

Date	Event
1814	A Frenchman called Joseph Nicéphore Niépceobtained the first ever photographic image with his “Camera Obscura”. This image was taken by having the shutter left open for eight hours ad faded shortly after.
1837	The French artist Louis Jacques MandéDaguerre took the first fixed image on his Daguerreotype. This image did not fade and took less than thirty minutes of exposure.
1841	William Henry Talbot patented the process of Calotype- which involves the first negative-positive printing process making it possible to make multiple copies of a picture.
1843	The first advertisement using a photograph is made in Philadelphia
1851	The Collodion process is invented by Frederick Scott Archer. This requires only two or three seconds of sunlight exposure for the image to be captured.
1859	The panoramic camera is patented In Sutton.
1871	A man called Richard Leach Maddox invents a gelatin dry plate silver bromide process-negatives are no longer needed to be developed immediately.
1880	Eastman dry plate company is founded.
1884	Flexible, paper based photographic film is invented by company “Eastman”.
1888	Eastman has another invention, the Kodak roll film camera.
1900	The turn of the century brought around the first mass marketed camera “the Browning”.
1913-1914	The first 35mm still camera is developed
1927	Electricity company General Electric invents the modern flash bulb which enables the photograph to be brighter or taken in dark areas and seen clearly in the finished picture.
1935	Eastman Kodak starts selling Kodachromefilm on the market
1941	Eastman Kodak introduces Kodacolournegative film
1948	Edwin Land markets his invention, the Polaroid camera.
1954	Eastman Kodak develops hi-speed tri-x film.
1960	EG&G produces a camera that can withstand extreme underwater depths for the U.S.navy.
1963	Polaroid releases instant colour film.
1968	The first ever literally “out of this world” photograph is taken. And we receive an image of our planet taken from the moon.
1973	Polaroid develops one step instant colourfilm, shoot and print with one click.
1978	Konica invents the point and shoot auto focus camera
1980	Sony publicly gives a demonstration of their newest addition to the original camera, the camcorder.
1984	Four years later canon demonstrates their next big thing for many years, an electronic still camera.
1985	Pixar releases a digital imaging processor.
1990	Eastman Kodak develops the photo cd as a digital image storing device.

This was the first picture ever taken by a camera:

This is the first Camera it was called a "Camera Obscura":

Camera Basics


A film camera is full of mechanical, optical and some electronic circuitry for automatic systems aimed at producing an image on film. A digital camera replaces the film with chip circuitry, otherwise usually the remaining features of lens, shutter and aperture, remain the same. Despite these differences in image capture and storage, all other processes, principles, techniques and accessories are identical in photography.


A camera can be thought of as nothing more than a light-tight box with a hole on each side - one side has a lens attached, the other side has a holder that accomadates a strip of light sensitive film or a sensor. To enable an image to be formed, a series of optically ground lenses transform objects in front of the lens into a sharp image on the film or sensor.




The Focus


The focus is often managed automatically in the camera. Focus depends on the distance between the lens and the film or sensor. When you change the focus, you are moving the lens towards or away from the film/sensor.









The Exposure


The exposure is the amount of light passing to the film or sensor and this is modified in two ways; the diaphragm which controls the qualityof light by opening or closing the aperture; and the shutter which regulates the amount of time the light is allowed to pass through to the film or sensor.






This is a diagram of a film camera it is an SLR which stands for Single Lens Reflex:

How a Digital Camera Works!








Cameras Today


Today there are many different types of cameras on the market. Cameras have developed a lot since the first camera was invented. Film cameras now compete with digital cameras which are now very popular especially for beginners and amateur photographers. Good quality digital cameras are very expensive.


Computers have changed the way cameras are used. By using a digital camera the advantage is that many shots can be taken and then deleted with only the best to be kept. They can be stored on disc or printed.

The Main Types of Cameras


Following are the main types of cameras available today.


1. Advanced Photo System (APS) (1x240) camera- Light-weight "point and shoot" rangefinder compact camera or SLR camera with interchangeable lenses. Formats can be changed mid-roll. Produce excellent results and ideal for beginners.


2. 35mm compact (point and shoot) camera. Simple all-in-one camera with the minium of accessories. Automatic focus and exposure control. Excellent first camera for young and beginner photographers.


3. 35mm rangefinder camera. Subject is viewed through a seperate viewfinder. Variety of models available. They are high quality ones and are easy to operate.


4. Digital viewfinder camera. Looks like a 35mm rangefinder camera, but records images digitally.


5. 35mm SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. Very popular camera with many attachment available. The subject is viewed through the lens. Some brands and models are highly sophisticated.


6. Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. Has the appearance and features of a 35mm SLR camera, yet records images digitally. These cameras are improving very rapidly. Digital cameras are now available up to 17 megapixels which is close to a film camera image which is 18 megapixels.


7. Range-finder medium Format camera. Takes pictures 6x7, 6x9, 6x4.5 cm formats. They use ISO 120 or ISO 220 film.They are portable and good for big enlargements.


8. Panoramic Cameras. Available with rangefinder systems and have either fixed formats or interchangeable backs.


9. SLR Medium Format cameras. Takes pictures with many formats and are good for big enlargements.


10. Large Format Cameras. Thes are used by commercial and specialist photographers.They use 5x4 or 10x8 inch sheet film and produce amazingly clear enlargements.


11. Instant and Polaroid cameras. Photograph develops instantly due to chemicals in the film. Can be adapted to take ISO 120 or ISO 220 film. Some models accept either 5x4 or 10x8 inch sheet film.


12. Stereo Camera (for 3D photography). Available in rangefinder only. Produces 3-dimensional image by taking two pictures, one 63.5 mm from the other.
Cameras have changed an developed in many ways since the first camera and in the years to come will continue to develop. Cameras are noe also available in mobile phones and many are very small.