To begin with I started with a a general overview of the development of modern cameras, in order to provide context to the rest of the research while also awarding me the opportunity to extrapolate identified trends into the future to consider how cameras may continue to develop.
Early cameras
The early development of cameras involved lots of experimentation using chemicals applied to the image plane which could make accurate recordings of the light. Dry and wet plate photography were the precursors to film, and involved coating plates in chemical solutions which would react to light and leave an impression of the image, which could then be cleaned and viewed when processed with additional chemicals. Using plates involved making large clunky cameras which were fairly inconvenient to use, so development continued and resulted in chemical roll film. Pioneered by Eastman Kodak, roll film was continuously improved helping to increase light sensitivity and reduce exposure times so cameras could be operated hand held. This was a key period of innovation for the overall form of the camera as manufacturers created many new formats over the period, with different shapes, sizes and lenses being trialled on the market.
Eventually designs became standardised with SLR cameras becoming the most popular, making use of the 135 film format (24x36mm frames). These cameras used a reflex mirror placed in front of the film to divert the light away from the image plane and into an eye piece, allowing for the image to be seen before the photo was taken. When pressing a dedicated shutter button, the mirror would move out of the path of the light allowing it to expose the film. This mechanism made cameras much easier and faster to use, helping them to gain popularity, and eventually become the icon of modern photography. The design was so well accepted that cameras are still being designed like this today, even though much of the technology has now changed.
Examples of different forms put on the market during early camera development.
Cross section of a modern SLR style camera.
While SLR film cameras were popular among professional photographers for their speed and usability compared to older formats, it wasn’t until the introduction of automatic film cameras that photography became popular with the wider general public. It was the use of simple electronics that gave birth to the first range of ‘point and shoot’ cameras, which had electronic light meters, shutters, and film winders. This greatly simplified the operation of the cameras, allowing the user to simply take a photo with a single button press, removing the need to deal with exposure calculations or tricky film mechanisms when taking a photo.
The Advanced Photo System introduced in the mid 1990’s was a notable new roll film format, taking on the same mechanical properties as the popular professional 135 film format but miniaturising the image frames so that the roll it could fit into smaller cartridges and therefore smaller cameras. The new size meant cheaper equipment and film processing, allowing the public to take high quality photos without experience for a fairly low cost. With the industries focus on making everything easier for the photographer, automatic cameras became a huge success and were arguably the product format which brought photography to the masses before the introduction of affordable digital cameras. Resultantly the format is still continued today, albeit with new digital sensor technologies replacing the film.
Typical APS automatic point and shoot camera. Note the extensive use of plastic,
helping to make this style of camera cheap and high accessible.
helping to make this style of camera cheap and high accessible.
Digital cameras
Scientists and engineers development the first image sensors known as CCDs in the 90’s and transplanted them into pro film cameras, eventually leading to the commercialisation of the world’s first dedicated digital cameras. While extremely expensive at first, digital cameras are experiencing an extended period of rapid development as a direct result of being aligned with the same development cycle as computer technology. This has caused technical camera specifications to improve along an extrapolated path known as Moore’s Law; an observation that compute power doubles every 2 years.
The continuous development of digital technology has become the main driving force behind the progress of the camera industry, with the actual product design of cameras only experiencing subtle changes in areas such as colour, materials and control layouts. The format of a rectangular shell with buttons for play back, settings adjustment, and shutter release has gone unchanged. The market has however witnessed a divergence in sensor sizes. Bigger sensors have been developed and transplanted into SLR bodies to create the digital SLR (DSLR) market aimed at prosumers and professionals, while smaller sensors have been developed and transplanted into APS style automatic cameras to make the compact digital camera market aimed at the mass market. Either way, all these cameras inherit the benefits of digital, including instant feedback and image review, ease of use through automation, mass storage, low manufacturing costs, and high versatility due to heightened sensitivity and resolution increasing year on year.
Trio of modern interchangeable lens cameras with their lenses
removed to show the differences in their image sensor sizes.
Example of low end compact cameras, with basic feature sets and
sold in different colours to appeal to the mass market.
sold in different colours to appeal to the mass market.
The direction of the market has continued on from the film era by trying to make cameras easier and more convenient to use. The ultimate example of this is the integration of micro sized cameras into mobile phones. This is the ultimate in convenience, ensuring that everyone with a modern mobile phone has instant access to a camera; helping to reach the mass market on a scale previously unimaginable.
Current innovations within the market suggest that consumers are starting to desire bigger high quality sensors seen in DSLRs put into smaller compact automatic bodies. This has led to the creation of the EVIL mirrorless market, pioneered by Sony. These cameras feature APS-C or full frame sensors in slim versatile bodies.
An example of two cameras with the same sized sensor. The Sony RX1 (left) is much
smaller and represents a push towards smaller large sensor cameras.
