Film to Digital Technology

1. CHAPTER 3
THE EVOLUTION TO DIGITAL
by Mr. Berdinka
Technology Education Department
Northern Lebanon High School

2. CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
 Identify how photographic technology has
changed
 Identify important milestones that has
helped shape the photographic industry
 Identify the impacts Photography has had on
society over time

3. WHAT CAME BEFORE PICTURES?
Tapestries
Paintings/Murals
Statues
Mosaics
Engravings
Sculptures

4. THE ORIGIN OF “PHOTOGRAPHY”
 1500’s - where light was used as a tool for drawing
(Camera Obscura)

5. SECOND GENERATION – CAMERA OBSCURA 2.0
 What happens to devices as technology becomes more advanced?
 Smaller, less expensive, more efficient, enhanced capability

6. DAGUERREOTYPE
 Early format camera that used a silver plate
 Invented by Frenchman Louis Daguerre in 1830’s
 First practical photographic process
 Used a copper plate, thin silver coating, & mercury fumes

7. AN 1850’S PHOTOGRAPHER

8. WHAT WERE MOST EARLY
PICTURES?
 Portraits – for decoration (1860’s-1890’s)
 Equipment was large
 Images took 30-45 seconds to create
 Process was expensive for the time
 Generally only important people

9. THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA
 The first form of photographic entertainment came
about with the invention of the Stereoscope,
invented in the 1860’s. This device allowed a pair of
photographs to be viewed at the same time creating
the illusion of depth and realism. Picture were taken
using a camera with 2 lenses (spaced 2” apart) and
mounted on a card side-by-side. These “stereo cards”
were used for several purposes and by the late 1800’s
were sold by the travel industry displaying exotic
places, travel destinations, and natural wonders.

10. THE STEREOTYPE – 1860’S
All pictures were in black and white at this time.
Color could be added but had to be hand-painted
and was usually crude looking. The first photo
viewer.

11. ROLL FILM INVENTED
George Eastman announced
invention of Roll Film in 1883
 First roll film used a paper backing with sensitive
coating
 By 1889 paper backing was replaced by nitrocellulose
(plastic)
 Released “Safety Film” in 1908

12. KODAK
 Company created by George Eastman in 1888
 Released the Brownie camera early 1900’s
 First reusable camera (sold with film inside – 100 pics)
 “You press the button, we do the rest”

13. THE FILM INDUSTRY
 Who invented the motion picture camera?
 Thomas Edison, 1888
 Called the Kinetograph (motion picture camera)
 The development of flexible roll film allowed for
a continuous series of still images to be capture
in succession
 Edison’s device brought life to the still image
 His invention paved the way for the film industry

14. PLATE CAMERAS
 Cameras from the 1890’s
 Cost $10 - $50
 Typically could use Glass
plates or Film
 Collapsible
 Manual Shutter

15. EVOLUTION OF CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
 1920’s Camera  1940’s Camera
1930s-1940s-1950s Press Photographer

16. EVOLUTION OF CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
 1960’s Camera  1980’s Camera
1990’s Era Polaroid Instant Process Camera

17. EVOLUTION OF CAMERA TECHNOLOGY
 2000’s Camera  2010’s Camera
Early 2000’s also went small format

18. THE FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA
 Essentially used a film camera body with a special “Digital”
back portion fixed to it
 Attempts at creating an electronic camera began in the mid
1970’s
 First digital image was created in 1973 - sensor developed by
Fairchild Semiconductor
 Camera weighed 8 pounds
 took 23 seconds to create the image
 Had 10,000 pixels (.01 mp)
 First likely camera that recorded an
image to a digital file was in 1988
Fuji DS-1P
*1984 – first digital camera used at Olympics during opening
ceremony

19. EVOLUTION OF
PICTURE TAKING
 Pictures began to evolve into other areas
(1900’s-1920’s)
 Travel
 Marketing
 Entertainment
 Everyday life
 Advancements in technology

20.  Photography with a purpose (1930’s-1980’s)
 News/Journalism
 Document History
 Tell a story
 Communicate a message
 Art
FURTHER EVOLUTION

21. CURRENT DAY
PHOTOGRAPHY
 Photography becoming what it is today (1990’s –
Current)
 Memories
 Current Event
 Hobby
 Social Connection
 Here and now
 News (immediate)
 Digital Art

22. EVOLUTION
 Artistic expression/creativity – photography has become a
major part of the art world where photographers pursue
things that are new and different tapping never before seen
images
 “For the record” – photography used as a means of
documenting what is happening at any point in time
 Science and technology used photography as a means of
discovery, proof, and seeing the impossible
 Fun – photography is a hobby for many enthusiasts and
available at virtually everyone’s fingertips with the advent of
the cell phone camera

23. HISTORICAL TIMELINE – MAJOR
BREAKTHROUGHS AND INVENTIONS
 1500’s Camera obscura
 1826 Niepce records first permanent photographic image
 1835 Daguerre discovered sensitized silver plate captures a latent image visible once developed
 1851 Archer develops wet-plate collodion process
 1861 Maxwell describes and demonstrates the additive color process
 1871 Maddox devises the gelatin-based dry plate process
 1888 Eastman introduces the trade name Kodak; markets the first roll film camera
 1891 Edison invents the motion picture camera
 Eastman Kodak introduces the “Brownie” camera to mass-market
 1907 Lumiere Brothers invent Autochrome process – first practical color photographic method
 1914 Barnack develops prototype for 35mm still camera
 1931 Edgerton invents electronic flash
 1942 Kodacolor first subtractive-process color print film introduced
 1947 Land invents the Polaroid instant photography system
 1976 Canon markets first 35mm camera with a built-in microprocessor
 1978 Konica produces first autofocus point-and-shoot camera
 1984 First digital camera used at the Olympic opening ceremony
 1987 Single use cameras introduced by both Fuji and Kodak
 1990 Kodak develops the Photo CD system
 1999 First consumer-level 3mp camera to market
 2000 Nikon and Canon introduce professional-level digital SLR cameras

24. TIME LINE EXAMPLES

25. TIME LINE EXAMPLES

26. TIME LINE EXAMPLES

27. TIME LINE EXAMPLES

28.  Pictures using film
1. Load film into camera
2. Capture exposures (24/36)
3. Rewind film into canister – still light sensitive
4. Transfer film to processing tank – complete darkness
5. Process film with chemicals (10 minutes)
6. Take film out of processing tank and rinse
7. Hang film in drying cabinet (2-3 hours)
8. Cut film into 5 image lengths
9. Place film into clear protective holder (prevents scratches and
dust)
10. Create a contact sheet in dark room using an enlarger and photo
paper
THE FILM PROCESS

29. 11. Use contact sheet to select which
image to enlarge
12. Create test strips to determine
proper exposure of the image
13. Create full size exposure based on
the test strip settings
14. Process full size print in chemicals
to create a permanent photo
15. Allow 10-15 minutes drying time
THE FILM PROCESS CONT’D
Total time: 4-5 hours for 1
enlarged permanent photo

30. “OLD” VERSUS “NEW”
 Canon EOS D2000
 Released in 1998
 2mp canon body with Kodak processor
 Capable of 3.5 frames-per-second
 Cost around $18,000 in 1998
 ISO range from 200-1600
 1.8” LCD screen
 Canon 1Dx
 Released in 2011
 18.1mp with 3 processors
 Capable of 14 frames per second
 Cost around $6,500 in 2012
 ISO range 50-204,800
 3.2” color LCD screen

31.  Film
 Advantages:
 Cameras fairly simple to use and operate
 Long lasting
 Less expensive
 Disadvantages
 No image until processed – didn’t know quality of pictures
 Lengthy process time (if doing yourself)
 Images stored as film negative (dust, scratches)
 Digital
 Advantages
 Instant Preview – see image right away and can check for quality
 Digital Darkroom – Photoshop (much greater possibilities)
 Ease of: sending, editing, sharing, using with other programs
 Disadvantages
 Camera fairly complex, impossible to fix
 Must be technologically literate to operate
 Equipment is more expensive
WHY DIGITAL REPLACED FILM?

32. PHOTOGRAPHY AIDS SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
 Photographs can see things in a way humans are not
able to:
 Things that happen too quickly
 Studying movement
 Looking at things very far away/very small
 Recording change for study
 Recognize things normally invisible or undetectable

33. FAST ACTION

34. THINGS FAR AWAY
ANDROMEDA GALAXY

35. NOT ABLE TO BE SEEN -
CREATIVITY

36. THE FUTURE
 Recent trends in the photography world
 The role of photography:
 The technology (cameras)
 Where do you see photography/cameras in 10 years?