According to The NPD Group, three out of every four households in the United States have a camera. Photography has become an important technology, allowing people to record and share images. There are many different types of cameras available, with many different features.
History
In 1558, the pinhole camera was invented, but it wasn't until the 1800s that Joseph Niepce made the first photograph with a camera. Up until that time, the camera was used to produce images for viewing or for drawing. That first photograph didn't last long--it faded within hours--but it gave birth to the cameras of today.
Film Cameras
Film cameras enjoyed wide popularity until the advent of the digital camera. Film cameras consist of a body, lens and the film. The image is recorded on the film, which must be developed to be seen. There are two types of film--negative and slides. Negatives record an opposite of the image. Slides record a positive image and are usually mounted on cardboard frames. There are different types of film cameras. One is the Single Lens Reflex (SLR) which uses an internal mirror to reflect the image as you see it and has removable lenses. Cameras called point-and-shoots are compact, with lenses that cannot be removed.
Digital Cameras
Digital cameras capture images electronically instead of on film. One of the advantages of digital cameras is that once the initial investment of equipment is made, processing costs are lower than with film cameras. There is no film to buy or process, and images can be viewed and deleted right from the camera. Photos can be easily uploaded and edited on computers, and emailed to friends and family. Photos can also be printed out on home printers. There are also SLR and point-and-shoot digital cameras. Another type of digital camera is the camera phone. According to the market research firm Strategy Analytics, mobile camera phones are one of the fastest growing sectors of the cell phone market.
Polaroid Camera
The Polaroid camera is distinctive in that the image is printed right on the film and appears within seconds. Inventor and physicist Dr. Edwin Land invented the Polaroid Camera in the 1940s. It was initially known as the Land Camera, named after its inventor. Polaroid now makes digital cameras as well.
Significance
The lowly pinhole camera has evolved to cell phone cameras that accompany us everywhere. It is hard to imagine life without photography and cameras.
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