1. Successful Camera Inventions
The evolution of the camera has been quite amazing. In the sixties, the Polaroid Instamatic was one of
the most successful camera inventions. You would take a picture and a blank piece of paper would come
out of the base of the camera. Then, in a matter of seconds, right before your eyes, the picture you took
would magically appear.
Pocket Cameras
People wanted smaller cameras that were easy to use - now enters the 35MM age. This opened the
door for inventors to come up with a camera that was light weight, easy to use, and would take decent
pictures...the pocket camera was born. The inventors went one step further, they made it so you didn't
even have to load the film, and it was all self-contained.
These pocket cameras went for under $10.00, and when you were finished all you needed to do was
take the camera to your local developer and they would do the rest. We forgot to mention these little
pocket cameras were small enough to fit in your pocket and they also had a built in flash - quite an
invention.
Single Lenses Reflex Camera
For the serious photographer inventors went to work on the SLR camera. This particular camera had a
whole host of adjustments one could fool with. You could manually adjust shutter speed, you could
adjust the aperture setting (lens opening), the flash lighting was a separate unit that had its own settings
- this phase in the evolution of cameras was quite interesting.
35MM Film - these cameras also used 35MM film, but the film itself had a variety of speeds. They
composition of the film was what made it different. The higher the speed rating of the film the less light
it needed to take a picture.
Lenses - a photographer had choices when it came to lenses. There were telephoto lenses, zoom lenses,
wide angle lenses - you could change your lens in a matter of seconds, it was a great invention.
Filters - filters were another accessory camera fanatics loved to use. There were red, blue, green filters
that would screw on easily to the end of the lens. The photographer could change the mood of the
picture by just changing filters...another cool invention.
Digital Cameras
Now we're at a time where technology and computer chips have taken over. The digital camera has
changed everything compared to the old Polaroid days. There are good and bad points to this invention.
As you might expect the film manufacturers have lost a lot of business, the computer chip has replaced
the need for film. Photo printing has taken a dive, not as bad as film manufacturers, but sending a digital
photo via email has reduced the need for prints.
On the bright side consumers don't have to buy film - save money. These computer chip driven cameras
save you a lot of money because you're not paying for bad prints. In the old days you had to pay for
prints even when the pictures were bad - this is not the case with a digital camera. You can eliminate
bad pictures right away, you can pick and choose which pictures you want printed, and you can do all

2. this online.
The digital camera has brought us a device that is compact, takes better pictures, anyone can edit their
pictures on their home computer, and you can still get prints if you want them.
We've come a long way since the Polaroid days, if history is any indication of the future, then it's
anybody's guess at what's next...maybe you have an idea that will be the next successful camera
invention.
Do you have an idea for an invention?