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history of digital photography, history of digital cameras, digicam history,  digital camera history, history of photography, photographic history, digital photography history, historic cameras, historic digital cameras, collectibledigital cameras, collectible digicams, vintage digital cameras, vintage digicams, early model digital cameras, early model digicams, old digital cameras, old digicams, digital camera story, story of digicams, history of digicams, collectible cameras.

(DIGICAMHISTORY.COM IS A REGISTERED U.S. TRADEMARK)

1800s
1900 - 1920
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980-83
1984-85
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995 A-C
1995 D-Z
1996 A-C
1996 D-N
1996 O-R
1996 S-Z
 1997 A-D
1997 E-H
1997 I-O
 1997 P-Q
 1997 R-S
1997 T-Z
1998 A-D
1998 E-F
1998 G-K
1998 L-N
1998 O-P
  FAIR USE
None Such
Look Alikes
Useful Info
History Sites
FINDER


Established 5 Sep 2001
 

The first ever, and still by far the most complete virtual

history museum of film cameras to digital photography

and space exploration imagers on the web

  To check out our current stats at any time go to:  http://digicamhistory.com/usage/


(To go to space exploration images and information provided by astronomical imaging engineer James R. Janesick click here)

Hubble space telescope

WELCOME!

      DigiCam History Dot Com is a non-profit, educational site provided for the free use of all digital camera enthusiasts.  Material on this site is provided for the free use of interested persons and we do not require that you obtain our permission to use any part of this site.  On the contrary, site operators in non-English speaking countries are encouraged to copy and translate site contents into their native language.   Unlike some similar sites, we provide reference URL links so that researchers can easily obtain additional information or photos of each of the items shown on our site.  Visitors, including manufacturers, are encouraged to submit topics or photos concerning the historical development of consumer digicams for inclusion on this site as well as  corrections, and/or additional information (please provide sources such as URLs that can be easily verified, or arrange to mail hard copies of articles, photocopies of book pages, etc...)

R

Rodger L. Carter







Mr. Winkelmann with photo of his artwork in background .   On the right is the warehouse being converted into a museum.  See video at: https://decrypt.co/111923/beeple-building-physical-studio-to-bring-nfts-into-the-real-world

FINALLY - A digital photography museum is going to be built!  A recent issue of the Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Winkelmann, a well-known digital artist, graphic designer, and animator, is constructing a 50,000-square-foot digital photography exhibition building in Charleston South Carolina.  The purpose of the building is to showcase the works of digital artists that he believes are not getting appropriate exposure in the art market.  Mr. Winkelmann is an accomplished digital photographer in his own right and will display some of his artwork there also.  He plans to rotate the contents of the museum on a frequent basis, more so than most traditional art museums do. Winkelmann, who goes by the professional name Beeple, is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in computer science.

NOTE:  To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Winklemann does not intend to include a collection of early-model digtial cameras in his museum.  If you are aware of any information to the contrary please let us know.  We have written to Mr. Winkellman suggesting that an actual historical digital camera exhibit within his museum would enhance visitor experience as well as increase attendance, however, he has not replied, thus we assume that he is not considering such a possibility at this time.


Further information about Mr. Winkelmann can be found at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Winkelmann

https://www.beeple-crap.com/about 

https://www.beeple-crap.com/

https://www.youtube.com/beeple




Our 20th Anniversary - 5 Sep 2001 - 5 Sep 2021



Now averaging more than a quarter million hits each month.


DigiCamHistory.Com Stats as of February 2022:

        (Updated from  February 2018)

Photos on Site - 2379
   (Up 252 from 2018)

Digicams Shown / Reported on - 566
    (new item since 2018)

Links to Other Sites - 1573
   (Up 377 from 2018)

Cameras in Collection - 568
    (Up 83 from 2018)

Technological Firsts in Collection - 264
    (Up 161 from 2018)

Spacecraft / Astronomical Imagers - 42
    (Courtesy of James Janesick)

Above figures do not include other equipment such as recorders/players,
projectors, etc., nor historical books, magazines and other collectible items.


Space Technology Donations

A total of 42 items have been donated by James R. Janesick from his personal collection of  astronomical and spacecraft vidicon tubes and CCD/CMOS imagers.    You can go directly to the Janesick extension page by clicking on the link above the Hubble Space Telescope shown near the top of this page.

  Jim was awarded the 2019  International Image Sensor Society Exceptional Lifetime Achievement Award for work done in field of solid-state image sensors, especially development of the Photon Transfer Curve which is recognized world-wide as "THE STANDARD" for characterizing image sensors.  He also has an asteroid named after him, 4558 Janesick, in honor of his contributions  to the development of CCDs for astronomy and  the education of astoromers  in use of  CCDs  for their work.

 
Thirty-seven of the items  sent by Jim have been placed in a shadow box and wall mounted - click on  photos to see large images.

Check this site out - www.digicammuseum.de - A must-visit site for those interested in digital camera collecting, camera repair and many other subjects.  Covers many topics not available on our own site.   Operated by Boris Jakubaschk with input by noted photographer Ralf Jannke and others .  It is a German site, but  available in various languages including English.  We give it a 10 out of 10 rating.  Once you visit there you will go back again and again.


The best technical site for digital camera historical information is the Digital Kamera Museum at: https://www.digitalkameramuseum.de


Newest Site Additions: To see the newest additions to DigiCamHistory.Com click here



Click on images below to see attached photo albums

Ohio River swim      Manon the moon photosw 1969     MX underground missile test project     ICBM Minuteman II Launch control Facility               

 Ohio Swim                   Man on the Moon                                  MX Underground Missile Test Project              ICBM Minuteman II Launch Control Facility

Minjuteman II transporeter erector for missile pull     Pirate ship construction

         Not quite like pulling a tooth                                         Click here if you dare  


From China with Love

From China with love page 1

3 Pages


2013 inflation adjusted values of original MSRPs of cameras in the DigiCamHistory.Com collection at that time.

HELP WANTED!  Click here to assist in identifying unknown digicams.

Article:
F-Stops Defined (F-stops simplified). This article appeared in the April / May 2000 issue of MAV! online magazine.  It provides an explanation of f-stops, how they were derived and why they are used.

Cameras: If you are looking for a particular camera click on the "FINDER" page in the below table.  It will take you to the page of any camera listed.

THE AMERICAN CONNECTION: U.S. technology and research was the driving force behind the development of today's digital photography. Click on the blue lettering to see a list of more than fifty major American contributions leading to the digital cameras now used throughout the world.


Know Someone Who Wants to Become Immortral?  Click Here Now!


The blue ribbon next to an item indicates a technological first.

The above yellow rectangle indicates that an item is included in the DigiCamHistory.Com museum collection.

(If you have a camera that does not have the yellow rectangle beside it, feel free to donate!)

The  above icon is used to indicate items that have been used in our spy sattelite program

Please visit www.cyclomobile.com to read about my grandfather, Earl M. Morley, a 20th Century inventor.



1800s
1900 - 1920
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980-83
1984-85
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995 A-C
1995 D-Z
1996 A-C
1996 D-N
1996 O-R
1996 S-Z
 1997 A-D
1997 E-H
1997 I-O
 1997 P-Q
 1997 R-S
1997 T-Z
1998 A-D
1998 E-F
1998 G-K
1998 L-N
1998 O-P
1998 Q-R
1998 S
1998 T-Z
1999+
  FAIR USE
Kind Words
None Such
Look Alikes
Useful Info
History Sites
FINDER

Why stop at 1998?  Except for a few  cameras we purchased after 1998,  this site  is dedicated to those digicams that came before 1999.  There are several reasons for this.  The first is that current popular photography sites such as DP Review are not historical sites, thus do not have a section devoted to the very early digicams, nor to the film cameras that came before them.  The second reason is that, beginning about 1998, there was an explosion in the popularity of digital photography and sites such as DP Review have covered all new digicams of significance since that time.  Of course, they do not cover minor brands or very inexpensive models that are of no interest to serious historians as some sites do.   


A word about dates.
  When known, the earliest applicable date is shown.  This is usually the date of introduction, announcement, or when the camera first appeared at one of the various technical shows.  Since any particular digicam took some time to engineer and prepare even in prototype form, a date of one year prior to an announcement date is also appropriate in many cases.   Dates shown on other web sites are usually the market introduction date in a particular country and sometimes fall into a calendar year following the date shown on our site.


camera obscura drawing by gemma frisus' de radio 1490 camera obscura in use CAMERA OBSCURA - 1490. Leonardo da Vinci wrote the first detailed description of camera obscura in his Atlantic Codex, a 1,286 page collection of drawings and writings. The principle of camera obscura involves punching a hole in a dark box and putting a piece of light-sensitive material on the other side thereby providing a photo-like image, but upside down. The first picture of a pinhole camera obscura is a drawing by Gemma Frisus' De Radio, an astronomer (above left). He used the pinhole in his darkened room to study the solar eclipse of 1544. Viist the web site of Stewart Lewis Woodruff at users.rcn.com/ stewoody/quote.htm and learn how to build and use pinhole cameras (camera obscuras).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura#/media/File:Camera_Obscura_box18thCentury.jpg

https://www.britannica.com/technology/camera-obscura-photography


1800s

joseph nicephore niepce painting
FIRST PERMANENT CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHS - 1825-26.  Photographic history has recently been rewritten following the discovery of what is now considered to be the world's oldest photograph.  The image, a reproduction of a 17th century Dutch print, predates by one year Frenchman Niepce's previous heliogravure of the view from his window at Le Gras, regarded until now as the earliest surviving photographic image.

In the early 1800s, Joseph Nicephore Niepce experimented with lithography at his home near Chalon, France.  Nicephore explored light-sensitive varnishes, trying to find a coating that would record drawings after exposure to light.  In 1816, he took photos using a camera and paper sensitized with silver chloride.  He had some success, but was dissatisfied because the images were reversed (negatives) and could not be made permanent.  He had tried to produce a positive print, but was unable to do so.  He did find that nitric acid helped to preserve images for a while, but would not prevent eventual fading.  Niepce's breakthrough came in 1822 when he made a permanent image using a camera obscura.  After exposing coated pewter plates to a camera image, he used the vapors from heated iodine crystals to darken the silver and heighten contrast.  The method would later inspire Louis Daguerre's successful mercury vapor development process.  Within a few years the two inventors would become partners.  Niepce was able to produce a copy of an engraving by passing light through the original photo onto a piece of glass coated with bitumen of Judea, a type of asphalt.  Light hardens bitumen of Judea, so when Niepce washed the plate with solvent only the unexposed portions were removed, leaving a permanent image on the plate.  He named this process heliography or sun-writing.  He made numerous heliographs during the next several years and continued his attempts to produce a permanent camera image.  In 1825, he was successful.

oldest know photos manand a horse, joseph niepce 1825oldest know photographs, joseph niepce window view 1826oldes know photographs joseph niepce  table setting 1826
Oldest known photos, 1825 and 1826.  Click on images for enlarged views.

The first image is a reproduction of a 17th century Dutch engraving showing a man leading a horse.  The photograph was sold at Sotheby's in Paris on March 21, 2002, to the French National Library for  $443,000.  The Niepce correspondence that accompanied the print gave a step-by-step account of how Niepce made his discovery. The print is the only surviving testament to Niepce's achievement in the summer of 1825 using light alone to make a plate from which an image could be printed.

The world's second oldest known permanent camera image, bitumen on pewter, is a view taken from Niepce's second floor window.  The exposure took approximately eight hours.  The third image was reportedly also made in 1826.

Additional information concerning Joseph Niepce can be found at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/europe/1885093.stm

http://www.artsjournal.com/archives/zvisual%20arts%2003-02.htm
http://www.photogallery.it/storia/icrono.html
http://www.olinda.com/Art/art_lectures.htm
http://www.olinda.com/Art/Beginnings/early_photography.htm
http://www.chez.com/photoimage/niepceet.htm

william hjenry fox talbot calotype inventor first print from a negative,  william henry  fox talbot 1835  

WILLIAM HENRY FOX TALBOT FIRST NEGATIVE - 1835.   The inventor of calotype process, the precursor to most photographic processes of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was also a noted photographer who made major contributions to the development of photography as an artistic medium. His work in the 1850s on photo-mechanical reproduction led to the creation of the photoglyphic engraving process, the precursor to photogravure. Talbot is also remembered as the holder of a patent which, some say, affected the early development of commercial photography in Britain.

Talbot's original contributions included the concept of a negative from which many positive prints can be made (although the terms negative and positive were coined by Herschel).   Talbot's negative/positive process eventually succeeded as the basis for almost all 19th and 20th century photography. The daguerreotype, although stunningly beautiful, was rarely used by photographers after 1860, and had died as a commercial process by 1865.

The photograph on the left is of Talbot in 1864 by John Moffat. The photo on the right is a print from a Talbot negative, the oldest known negative in existence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Fox_Talbot

 


firstproduction camera daguerrotype, giroux of paris  1839
FIRST PRODUCTION CAMERA - 1839.  Daguerrotype cameras of 1839 produced by Giroux in Paris.  They weighed 120 pounds each and cost 400 Francs (about $50).  See the George Eastman Photography Collections Online for much additional information concerning this camera as well as excellent photos and detailed information regarding many other early cameras. 

https://www.eastman.org/collection-highlights-technology

https://www.eastman.org/search-collections

   

FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE MOON, FEMALE FACE, PEOPLE - 1839-40.  Daguerre himself is believed to be the first person to take a photograph of the moon, using his daguerreotype process, on January 2, 1839. Unfortunately, in March of that same year, his entire laboratory burnt to the ground, destroying all his written records and much of his early experimental work and that historical image of the moon. A year later, John William Draper, an American doctor and chemist, took his own daguerreotype of the moon.  John William Draper (1811-1882) was an American scientist, philosopher, physician, chemist, historian and photographer. He is also credited with producing the first clear photograph of a female face when he took a photo of his  sister and assistant, dorothy.  Daguerre is credited with the first photograph of people as seen in the lower left of the photo above.

http://time.com/3805947/the-first-photograph-of-the-moon/

https://ragingfluff.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/the-first-photo-of-the-moon-march-23rd-1840/


 

alexander bains,fikrst facsimile, fax 1843facsimile machine, fax machine, alexander bains 1843
BAIN'S TELEGRAPH - FIRST FACSIMILE (FAX) - 1843.  In 1843, Scotsman Alexander Bain patented a design for a mechanical device which used a stylus attached to an electromagnetic pendulum to send typed words over a telegraph line.  The first commercial fax service was opened between Paris and Lyon, France, in 1865.  Popularity of facsimile machines increased significantly in 1906 and thereafter when they were employed for transmitting newspaper photos.  For many interesting photographs and a complete history of facsimile machines see
http://www.hffax.de/html/hauptteil_faxhistory.htm 

 

first facsimile transmission first fax transmission, frederick bakewell 1847

SHELLAC CONDUCTING ROLLER - 1847. Frederick Bakewell, England, improved upon Bain's design by using a clock mechanism and was the first to demonstrate a facsimile transmission.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Bakewell

photographer's studio, 1850 

PHOTOGRAPHY - 1850.  Above, early photographer's portrait studio. The complete photographist kit as found in an 1850 catalog:  (Kit in this case would mean a horse-drawn wagon!)  Estimate for a complete Daguerreotype Apparatus, suitable for the professional photographist, consisting of a large-sized camera and compound lens for large views, portraits, and groups; small size camera, with large aperture and short focus combination of lenses, for taking portraits up to 4 inches by 3 inches in dull weather; polishing lathe, with series of circular buffs; three hand buffs; set of metal plate holders and supports; heating stand; large bromine and iodine apparatus and set of frames; set of plate boxes to hold two dozen each; table stand for camera and rollers; adjusting chair, with head rest; adjusting head rest, with heavy iron foot for full-length portraits, &c.; large mercury box for the different sized plates; lantern, with yellow glass shade; metal still and worm tub for obtaining distilled water; a large and small gilding stand; stoneware barrel and cock for holding distilled water; porcelain dishes; filtering stand; funnels and filtering paper; spirit lamps; set of daguerreotype colours and brushes, and flexible India-rubber bottle; glass measures; two painted back grounds, &c., with a full supply of all the necessary chemicals, polishing materials, &c., complete, Wills, Camfield and Deirdre.  History of Photography: Techniques and Equipment.  Exeter Books.  New York.  1980.   Pages 13, 24.

 

ponti megaletoscopio, color photoviewer, carlo ponti 1859

PONTI MEGALETOSCOPIO - 1859.  The interesting device, built by Carlo Ponti, allowed the owner to view his photographs in black and white in the daytime and in color at night. This was accomplished by coloring the back of photographs and then viewing them when lit from behind during darkness (one wonders why they didn't just color the front of the photographs rather than build such and elaborate device). The model shown is unique in that almost all other similar models made by Ponti were of plain design while the above model was inlaid with ivory as was the photo storage stand. This model was in the Thurman Naylor Collection and on 19 October 2007 was auctioned off for $42,500. http://shutterbug.com/features/0906treasure/

pantelegraph, first commercial fax machine, first commercial facsimile machine, giovanni caselli 1861giovannicaselli, first commercialfacsimile machine 1861

PANTELEGRAPH - 1861. Giovanni Caselli, Italy, developed the first commercial fax machine, sending meassages between Paris and Lyon France.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Caselli

     vintage photographer's business card, front side 1880s   vintage photographer's business card, back side 1880s

BUSINESS CARD - 1880s. Photographer's business card, 1800s style. Advertisement on the front, sample print on the back. Some business cards at that time were a little larger than today's credit-card sized models. This one is 4 x 6.5 inches.
 

alexander graham bell inventor of the telephone
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL - 1880s.   Bell proposed an optical system for transmitting telephone signals without wires.  Additional information concerning Alexander Graham Bell can be found at: http://www.iath.virginia.edu/albell/homepage.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bellhtml/bellhome.html

 

paul nipkowpatented world's first electromechanical television system 1884diagram of nipkow's electromelchanical television system
PAUL NIPKOW - 1884.  Nipkow, a German inventor, developed and patented the world's first electromechanical television system, however, he had no method of amplifying the very weak signals (produced by a selenium cell) needed to build a workable receiver.  Nipkow used a rotating disk to send pictures over a wire in 1884.  This early idea of "cable television" was abandoned as impractical since the receiving screen couldn't be any bigger than one square inch!  Additional information concerning Paul Nipkow can be found at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gotlieb_Nipkow

 


First Kodak patent 

 

FIRST KODAK PATENT - KODAK NUMBER 1 - 1888.  Copy of the first page of George Eastman's first patented camera design. Eastman coined the slogan, 'You press the button, we do the rest,' when he introduced the Kodak camera in 1888 and within a year it became a well-known phrase.  He designed and patented it in 1886. It was a box-box with a roller cassette designed for 48 (100 when it went on sale) negatives of 4 x 5 inches format, with a focusing optics.  After several improvements, in 1888 George Eastman released the revolutionary amateur camera Kodak number 1. The camera lens transmitted a circular image of 2.25 inches in diameter onto the film (1888 photo, girl on a couch).  At $25 it was much cheaper than other cameras of the time. After the film was removed, the buyer mailed the device along with the roller to Eastman Company in Rochester, New York, where the film was taken out, developed, printed, and the device was recharged, for which the client paid $ 10.

http://inventors.about.com/od/estartinventors/ss/George_Eastman.htm

https://www.brownie-camera.com/5.shtml

https://www.mikeeckman.com/2021/03/kepplers-vault-88-the-first-kodak/



boutN-CHauffolur flash bulb, world's first flash bulb, louis boutan, 1893boutan flashbulb in use underwaterremote control of boutan flashbulb under waterbouitan flashbulb in use underwater
BOUTAN-CHAUFFOUR FLASH BULB - 1893.  The first flash bulb was designed by Frenchman Chauffour for use by underwater photographer Louis Boutan.  It contained magnesium inside a glass bulb filled with oxygen under pressure.  A platinum wire heated by passing an electric current through it ignited the magnesium.  Additional information concerning Louis Boutan can be found at:

http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/1249/Twentieth-Century-Photographic-Lighting.html
 

amstutz electro-artrograph photo scanner transmitter 1895 amstutz eletro-artrograph photo scanner receiver 1895

AMSTUTZ ELECTRO-ARTROGRAPH - 1895.  The cover story of a Scientific American issue described the Amstutz Electro-Artrograph which could scan photographs and transmit them over wire.  Illustrations showed a photograph, drawings of the devices on route to the destination, and the photo as reproduced by a receiving device. Drawings of transmitter and receiver shown above.  Scientific American, April 1985, page 12. "Digital Deal: Anniversaries Everywhere for Everything," Don Sutherland, Photo Trade News, August 2000.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-amstutz-electro-artograph/ 
 

cathode ray  tube, crt william crookes 1897  
THE CATHODE RAY TUBE (CRT) - 1897.   Electronic television is based on the development of the cathode ray tube (the picture tube found in modern television sets).  Cathode rays were first identified in 1859 by Julius Plucker, a German mathematician and physicist, but it was not until 1878 before William Crookes, a British chemist, would confirm the existence of cathode rays by building a tube that displayed them.  English physicist Ambrose Flemming, working with Crookes' tube, would discover that cathode rays could be deflected and focused.  This was accomplished by wrapping the tube with wire and passing an electric current through it creating a magnetic field.  In 1897, German physicist Karl Braun developed the first cathode ray oscilloscope.  Braun illuminated the cathode rays by placing fluorescent materials at the end of the tube.  As time passed these developments would be applied to the scanning system for today's television.  Additional information concerning the cathode ray tube can be found at:
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blcathoderaytube.htm
 

valdemar poulsen inventor of the telegraphphone, manetic sound recording 1898poulsen telegraphphone magnetic sound recording 1898
POULSEN TELEGRAPHONE - 1898.  On December 1st 1898, Valdemar Poulsen filed a patent in Denmark for the Telegraphone, the first device in history to use magnetic sound recording.  An extract from his patent reads: "The invention based upon the fact that when a body made of magnetisable material is touched at different points and at different times by an electromagnet included in a telephonic or telegraphic circuit, its parts are subject to such varied magnetic influences that conversely by the action of the magnetisable body upon the electromagnet the same sounds or signals are subsequently given out in the telephone or recording instrument as those which previously caused the magnetic action upon the magnetisable body."  At the 1900 Paris Exposition Poulsen recorded the voice of Emperor Franz Joseph, creating what is believed to be the earliest surviving magnetic recording.  Additional information concerning Valdemar Poulsen can be found at:

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist/poulsen.html
http://toutelatsf.free.fr/poulsen.htm

1800s
 

1800s
1900 - 1920
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980-83
1984-85
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995 A-C
1995 D-Z
1996 A-C
1996 D-N
1996 O-R
1996 S-Z
 1997 A-D
1997 E-H
1997 I-O
 1997 P-Q
 1997 R-S
1997 T-Z
1998 A-D
1998 E-F
1998 G-K
1998 L-N
1998 O-P
1998 Q-R
1998 S
1998 T-Z
1999+
   

None Such
Look Alikes
Useful Info
History Sites
FINDER