An overview on how cameras evolved in a detailed timeline, from camera obscura to camera phone.

1500

Camera Obscura, the first pinhole camera was invented by Ibn Al-Haytham. It is a box with a small hole in it, through which light travels and strikes a reflective surface to project an image in color, upside down. The camera obscura was originally used to observe solar events and in drawing architecture.

Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura

1839

The Daguerreotype Camera by Louis Daguerre is one of the world’s most expensive cameras.

The Daguerreotype Camera

The Daguerreotype Camera

1840

The development of images on paper was made possible by the invention of the camera by Alexander. The earliest photography shop, daguerran parlour was opened in New York by Mr. Wolcott.

Camera by Alexander Wolcott

Camera by Alexander Wolcott

1859

The panoramic camera

The panoramic camera

The panoramic camera

1861

Stereoscope viewer was invented by Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Stereoscope viewer

Stereoscope viewer

1888

George Eastman, a pioneer in photographic films usage, patented Kodak roll-film camera.

Kodak roll-film camera

Kodak roll-film camera

1900

The Kodak Brownie Camera by Eastman.

 

The Brownie

The Brownie

The most desirable travel camera for landscape photographers, Raisecamera, was invented.

Travel Camera

Travel Camera

1913/1914

Candid camera, the first 35mm still camera by Oskar Barnack.

35mm still camera

35mm still camera

1948

Edwin Land invented the Polaroid camera which could take a picture and print it in about one minute was invented by Edwin Land.

Polaroid camera

Polaroid camera

1960

Underwater camera for U.S. Navy by EG&G.

1978

First autofocus camera Konica C35 AF by Konica.

Konica C35 AF by Konica

Konica C35 AF by Konica

1981

Sony Mavica – The world’s first digital electronic still camera.

Sony Mavica

Sony Mavica

1986

The disposable camera introduced by Fuji (also called single use cameras).

1991

Kodak released the first professional digital camera system (DCS) which was widely used by photojournalists.

Professional digital camera system

Professional digital camera system

1994-1996

The first digital cameras that worked with a home computer via a serial cable were the Apple QuickTake 100 camera (1994), the Kodak DC40 camera (1995), the Casio QV-11 with LCD screen (1995) and Sony’s Cyber-Shot Digital Still Camera (1996).

2000

The world’s first camera phone.

Camera Phone

Camera Phone

2005

The canon EOS 5D is launched.

Canon EOS 5D

Canon EOS 5D