The Origin of the Camera and its Components

by Mark Handel

Cameras have been in existence since the sixth century. Mathematicians of that time are known
to have used the camera obscuras in their experiments. Fourth and fifth century documents reveal the
use of the pinhole camera by Chinese philosopher Mo Ti and Greek mathematicians Euclid and
Aristotle. But not until the early 1800s were people able to record the images captured by cameras. The
camera obscura is a box that employs similar optic functionality as the eye to reflect an image in a
projection against a screen. On one side of the box is a hole, called an aperture, that allows outside light
in, where it will hit a reflective surface that displays an inverted version of the image. Pinhole cameras
utilize tiny holes to sharpen the reflection of the image. A smaller hole produces a sharper image but
also results in a dimmer reflection because less light enters the box. Early cameras merely reflected
images onto tracing paper and could not automatically record the pictures it captured. As inventors
sought to improve photographic technologies, preliminary recording techniques were discovered
through manipulation of chemicals that change when exposed to light. Johann Heinrich Schultz found
that a mixture of silver and chalk will darken when exposed to light, and Joseph Nicéphore Niépce
learned that bitumen will harden in light. Subsequent years saw the advent of copper, glass, wet, and
dry plates used in photography until eventually images were recorded on plastic films coated in light
sensitive chemicals and, more recently, recorded by light-sensitive digital sensors. Today’s cameras
exercise the same optical tactics of the camera obscura in conjunction with mechanized and battery-
powered processes. Lenses are used to direct light from a subject to the film or sensor. Design and
quality of lenses are crucial to creating clean, sharp images. Focal lengths for lenses range from
telephoto to medium telephoto to standard to wide angle and finally to extreme wide angle. Wide
angles capture maximum views of large subjects, telephoto works well for capturing subjects from afar,
and standard is appropriate for needs that fall in between. A camera’s focus feature helps readjust light
intake to account for a subject’s distance from the photographer, making the image clearer when
necessary. Shutters are used to increase or decrease exposure time to light, which generates variable
effects on film or digital recording mechanisms. Faster speeds decrease light exposure and reduce
blurring, while slower shutter speeds produce the opposite effect. A number of additional camera
features and settings affect the final image, such as ISO speed, metering, and white balance.
Photographers make adjustments as necessary to capture the desired image and mood.