HISTORY OF CAMERAS

Invention of cameras goes back to around 1600AD on the opposite wall. This was called 'camera obscura'meaning a “dark chamber.”

Camera Obscura

But the image formed through this dark chamber was inverted and hence was a problematic affair. This system was then replaced by a box which used a lens. This lens helped in focusing the image and adjusting the amount of light entering the camera. This also used a mirror which helped in flipping the image right side up and hence obtaining an erect/straight picture became possible.

But recording the picture forever was still a challenge. The first picture was taken on a metal surface covered with chemical called bitumen. At the areas of the metal plate which were exposed to the sun, bitumen became hard. After washing, it sustained a permanent image. This faint picture, which took 8 hours to expose, was taken by a Frenchman, Joseph Niépce in 1827.

Since then, many people have successfully tried to improvise on the working of cameras. In 1890s George Eastman's Roll Film Camera made clicking of a series of pictures in one time, possible.

World's First Photograph