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This content has been automatically translated from Ukrainian.
Today, digital photography seems like something ordinary to us – we shoot with smartphones, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, edit photos in seconds, and immediately share them on social media. But just a few decades ago, photography was still purely analog, and the first digital camera looked more like a scientific experiment than a device that would change the industry forever.
Who invented the first digital camera?
The world's first digital camera was invented in 1975 by Kodak engineer Steven Sasson. He created a device that did not use film but stored images in electronic form. The invention was so groundbreaking that even Kodak's management did not immediately realize its significance.
What did the first digital camera look like?
This camera looked very clumsy and resembled an experimental setup more than a portable device. Its main specifications:
- Resolution: 0.01 megapixels (176×176 pixels).
- Sensor: black-and-white CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) matrix developed by Fairchild Semiconductor.
- Lens: taken from a regular Kodak film camera.
- Data recording: images were stored on a magnetic tape cassette (recording took 23 seconds).
- Size: a large and heavy device, similar to a portable cassette player.
To view the taken photo, the camera had to be connected to a special device that displayed the image on a television.
Why didn't Kodak use the invention?
Despite owning the technology, Kodak did not see a future in it. They were making billions from selling photographic film and did not want to risk that business. As a result, Kodak lost the chance to become a leader in digital photography – and decades later, the company could not withstand competition and declared bankruptcy.
When did digital cameras become available?
The first commercial digital camera appeared only in 1981 – it was the Sony Mavica (Magnetic Video Camera). However, this device was not fully digital and recorded images on floppy disks in analog video format.
The first true digital camera for the mass market – Dycam Model 1 (also known as Logitech Fotoman) – was released in 1990. It had a resolution of 376×240 pixels and cost $1000.
The first digital camera was invented back in 1975, but the world was not ready for such a breakthrough. The technology took a decade to completely change the way we take photographs. Today, digital photography dominates, and analog cameras have become more of a hallmark for enthusiasts and artists. And it all started with an engineer's experiment that changed the course of history.
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