Ayesha' s blog page: History of camera

History of camera

A camera is a device that captures and records images, either still or moving, and stores them on a physical medium like film or in a digital format. It typically consists of a lens to focus light, a camera body to house the components, and a light-sensitive surface (like film or an electronic sensor) to capture the image.

1. Early Concepts – Camera Obscura (5th Century BCE – 11th Century CE)

The idea of the camera began with the Camera Obscura, a dark room or box with a tiny hole on one side.
Light passes through the hole and projects an upside-down image of the outside scene onto the opposite wall.
It was used by scientists and artists to study optics and perspective, but it didn’t record images.

2. First Photograph – 1826

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took the first photograph using a process called heliography.
He used a metal plate coated with bitumen and exposed it for 8 hours or more to sunlight.
This was the birth of photography as a recording medium.

3. Daguerreotype – 1839

Invented by Louis Daguerre, this was the first practical photographic process.
It produced sharp, one-of-a-kind images on silver-plated copper sheets.
Popular for portraits in the mid-1800s.

4. Wet Plate Collodion – 1851

Invented by Frederick Scott Archer, it used glass plates coated with a chemical solution.
The image had to be developed while still wet.
Provided clearer images and shorter exposure times.

5. Dry Plate and Roll Film – 1870s–1888

Dry plates replaced wet plates, allowing for more flexible and faster photography.
George Eastman revolutionized photography with roll film and the Kodak camera in 1888.
His slogan: “You press the button, we do the rest.”
Photography became accessible to ordinary people.

6. Rise of 35mm Film – 1920s–1930s

The Leica camera popularized the use of 35mm film, which became the standard.
Small, portable, and great for street and documentary photography.

7. Instant Cameras – 1948

Polaroid introduced instant photography, where pictures developed in minutes.
Hugely popular for decades.

8. Digital Revolution – 1990s–2000s

Transition from film to digital sensors (CCD/CMOS).
Images could now be stored electronically and viewed instantly.
Major players: Canon, Nikon, Sony, Kodak.

9. Smartphone Cameras – 2007–Present

The iPhone (2007) and Android phones brought powerful cameras into everyone’s pocket.
Rapid improvements led to multiple lenses, AI, and high-quality video.

10. Mirrorless & AI-Powered Cameras – 2010s–2020s

Mirrorless cameras are lighter, faster, and increasingly professional-grade.
AI and computational photography (e.g., night mode, portrait mode) have dramatically improved image quality.