How Has the Camera Changed Over Time?

As photographers, we can’t deny that we love our gear—so what would we have done back in the day when there was no gear? The world of cameras has experienced a lot of innovation over the years—so, exactly how has the camera changed over time? Continue reading to find out.

The first known camera

Early cameras began showing up in the early 1800s. Just do a quick Google search of the daguerreotype camera from 1839—it looks quite a bit different than the Sony A9, doesn’t it? In 1900, the Reise camera—with its accordion-like body—became the sought-after technology. However, within a couple decades came the first camera that most closely resembles the cameras we use today: the Leica I was released in 1925. In fact, the Leica I looks a lot like the popular Fujifilm X-T30. All of these developments led to what became the modern digital camera.

The shift to digital

Chances are you primarily shoot digital photos––unless you're a hipster, of course. However, digital cameras really didn’t become popular until the 70s, when Kodak began gaining traction in the market. Naturally, as technology improved and computers got better, so did cameras. Fast-forward a few decades, and now we have some pretty solid cameras in our pockets. Of course, our cell phone cameras can’t compete with DSLRs, but Apple and Samsung have gotten pretty good at designing cameras for our phones. All these technology improvements also led to the creation of some amazing software on which many photographers rely to edit digital images.

Camera gear

We’ve never met a photographer who doesn’t love trying out new camera gear such as lenses, tripods, gimbals, sliders, and stabilizers. Back when the only camera options were the Reise or Leica I, photographers had little to no accessories to choose from. Today, it’s very easy to collect several different lenses and other accessories. Luckily, all this innovation wasn’t in vain—we have some unbelievable photographers today. Each photographer shows their own unique style through their images. Without the innovations in gear and the changing of the camera over time, we wouldn’t have amazing photos such as William Anders’ Earthrise, Joe Rosenthal’s Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, or NASA’s images of Neil Armstrong on the moon. The camera gives us a sense of inclusion in some of the world's biggest events. Photography has brought us together by allowing us to vicariously live through other people’s images. Some photos trigger emotions—whether they’re happy, sad, or funny, they tell a story nonetheless. At Gear Focus, we’re grateful for all this innovation in camera technology. We wanted to create a unique community run by photographers for photographers. There’s no question that we love gear just like you do, and we’re always learning and practicing to improve our skills. So, whether you need new or used camera gear, we created a marketplace for photographers to buy and sell used camera lenses and other gear. Check out our shop, or post your gear for sale today.