Hasselblads are highly sought after by camera collectors.
While rudimentary versions of camera obscura date to the 10th century, it was not until Louis Daguerre and William Fox Talbot created the later models that took the first true photographs in 1839 that photography gained public recognition as an art form. However, it wasn't until 1885, when George Eastman created the first camera for consumers, that photography became popular. He also went on to develop the first Kodak camera, which furthered the industry and its popularity among the masses.
Kodak
Although Kodak had been making cameras in the late 1800s, Eastman’s creation of the Brownie, in 1901, transformed photography. This camera was small enough to be conveniently carried around and was simple to operate. Moreover, it was affordable. The Brownie was so popular that Kodak produced it until the 1960s.
Hasselblad
The name Hasselblad is synonymous with professional photography. Swedish inventor Victor Hasselblad had been associated with George Eastman for some years, before opening his own corporation in 1908. Hasselblad is best known for the medium-format cameras it has produced since World War II. Popularity increased further when the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, used Hasselblad cameras during the Apollo space program. The still images of the first moon landing were captured with Hasselblads. The longevity of their products and the quality of their lenses makes Hasselblad popular with professional photographers and collectors.
Leica
It was Oskar Barnack's creation of the small-format 35mm camera in 1925 that revolutionized professional photography and gave rise to the Leica company. Favored by journalists to present day, Leica cameras have been used by some of the world's most renowned photographers to produce some of the world’s most famous journalistic images. For example, Alberto Korda's iconic image of Che Guevara, which is still a popular image for modern-day merchandising, and Robert Doisneau's World War II images, including "The Kiss."
Collecting
From the 1800s to the early 1900s, cameras were made of fine woods, brass and leather. Their aesthetic value is as important as their historic value. Over the decades, many cameras have been left to deteriorate to a point that they're inoperable. Repairs can often cost more than a camera’s value, and, therefore, many cameras are cleaned and displayed, but have no functional use.
Valuations
An antique is only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay for it. That concept applies to cameras, too. The makers and models, and fast-moving popularity trends, can make cameras significantly vary in value from one year to the next. Serious collectors can get the most accurate current values by buying price guides and studying recent auction sale prices.
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