Camera

The camera

Originating from the pinhole camera, also known as the camera obscura which means 'dark room' from which the word camera continued on. The pinhole camera used a natural optical phenomenon. A scene when projected through a small pinhole onto a wall on the other side showed it inverted and reversed, the surroundings of the projected image had to be dark in order for it to be more visible, which is why many of these experiments occurred in dark rooms. The camera today is an optical instrument that captures images from real life onto light-sensitive material or onto a digital sensor straight into a digital format in the new age.

Evolution of the camera

Over the years many cameras have evolved the first major step being an addition of the lens to the pinhole camera for more clarity. The first process for an actual image capture was figured out by Nicéphore Niépce, only one image survives today that was shot by him. Further along time daguerreotypes, calotypes and collodion dry plates were used in cameras. With the camera itself becoming a wooden box with metal moving parts. The first film camera was called the Kodak, developed by George Eastman and released in 1888. This changed many things and also created a new form of image capture in the subsequent years, video. Mass photography took another step when George Eastman introduced the 'Brownie' from Kodak, introducing the idea of a snapshot with it. Oskar Barnack, in 1913, worked on 35mm film and also developed the prototype of the Ur-Leica. Due to WWI production was slowed and eventually, the Leica-I came out in 1925. The camera was a success and it made solid the position of the 35mm format. Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) and Single Lens Reflex (SLR) technologies were not too far apart, TLRs have separate lenses for view finding and shooting, while the SLR has one lens for both. Between this time and electronic cameras, there was the instant camera created by Polaroid. Today it is more commonly known as a Polaroid camera, giving the user an image within minutes of it being shot directly from the camera. During this period electronic analog cameras kept catching up pace from the 60s to the 70s. By the late 1980s the first digital and Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras were out. The DSLRs changed how photography worked, in combination with the internet and better transfer speeds. This reduced the timing to a fraction of what it meant before. The latest step has been the Digital Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILCs), these are also called mirrorless cameras which is a comparison to the DSLR range that uses a reflex mirror. The ILCs are a lot faster as there is no moving part, they do however generally lack a viewfinder and the LCD on the back shows what the sensor sees. This lack of a mirror also means a more compact camera body. ILCs can also autofocus faster than other camera types. One of the major brands focusing on just these is Sony, they have stopped producing DSLRs. Today the most common cameras are digital versions be it the DSLR or ILC, very high-end photographers use film for more of a purist feel to their work.

Known camera brands

There are many brands that are producing cameras of various kinds today with a few leaders in each segment but overall the most well-known brands are Canon, Nikon and Sony. Aside from them, the market consists of Olympus, Lumix, Ricoh, Casio and Panasonic. One of the most expensive and quality brands today, that is also one of the first cameras in space, is Hasselblad. With some of the most exclusive photographers using their cameras for shooting magazine covers or portraits of the most influential people in the world.

The prices with cameras vary majorly, mostly depending on what features the camera has and the brand. Aside from that the year of release also factors in. What camera you decide to buy depends on the kind of work you expect it to be doing for you and, of course, your budget.