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Camera Facts & Worksheets

In photography, a camera is a device for recording an image of an object on a light-sensitive surface.

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In photography, a camera is a device for recording an image of an object on a light-sensitive surface. It is essentially a light-tight box with an aperture to admit light focused onto a sensitized film or plate.

See the fact file below for more information on the camera or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Camera worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY OF CAMERAS

  • The basic concept of photography has been around since about the 5th century BCE. However, it was not until Alhazen, an Iraqi physicist, developed the first pinhole camera called camera obscura in the 11th century that photography became more popular.
  • The camera did not actually record images; it projected them onto another surface. They were also upside down.
  • In the 17th century, the camera obscura became small enough to be portable. Basic lenses to focus the light were introduced around this time.
  • Nicéphore Niepcé, a French inventor who developed heliograph in 1816, took the first photograph.
  • Using the camera, he made a silver chloride-coated piece of paper and was able to capture an image. As silver chloride darkens when exposed to light for about eight hours, it could effectively capture the scene.
  • Following his collaboration with Louis Daguerre and after doing more experiments, Louis Daguerre figured out the world’s first photographic process in 1833.
  • Using a sheet of copper plated with silver and treated with iodine vapor, he was able to permanently capture an image and called his invention the daguerreotype. It became commercially available in 1839.
  • Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype in 1840. Those cameras featured a simple design and process, making it possible to take multiple shots of the same picture.
  • Nineteen years later, Thomas Sutton received a patent for his first-ever panoramic camera. It was built using a wide-angle lens consisting of a water-filled glass sphere.
  • In 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes invented the stereoscope viewer.

MODERNIZATION

  • Photography took another leap in 1888 when George Eastman presented his first camera, the “Kodak”.
  • This camera was the first one that used a flexible roll film that did not require constant changing of solid plates.
  • This allowed him to develop a self-contained box camera holding 100 film exposures.
  • In 1900, he introduced the Brownie camera. This portable and very affordable camera allowed people to take “snapshots.” The Brownie remained for sale until the 1960s.
  • In the 1910s, Oskar Barnack developed the first 35mm film camera, which became the format for the next generation of cameras.
  • The first Single-Lens Reflex Camera (SLR): Franke & Heidecke Rolleiflex medium format TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) was introduced in 1929 by Rollei-Werke, a German company.
  • Developed and built by Jeno Dulovits in Hungary, he introduced the first SLR with an instant return mirror and the automatic diaphragm. It was called the Gamma Duflex.
  • SLRs became known around the world, and its use was seen during World War II. Other countries, such as Japan, also produced SLR cameras in the 1950s, including Canon and Nikon.
  • In 1948, Edwin Land introduced his Polaroid camera. The Model 95 produced only sepia-toned images. After the film emerged from the camera, photographers had to wait 60 seconds before peeling off the negative backing of the image.
  • In 2008, Polaroid stopped producing their famous instant film and took their secrets with them.
  • In the 1950s, Asahi (later Pentax) introduced the Asahiflex and Nikon introduced its Nikon F camera. These were both SLR-type cameras. The Nikon F allowed for interchangeable lenses and other accessories.
  • “Point and shoot” cameras that calculated shutter speed, aperture, and focus became popular to casual photographers since they were free to concentrate on composition.
  • In 1975, Kodak engineer Steven Sasson developed the first camera that used an image sensor instead of film.
  • It was the first self-contained digital camera. However, it was only fully introduced to the public in 1991 through the Kodak DCS, which stands for Digital Camera System.
  • Over time, manufacturers worked on cameras that stored images electronically. Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and other manufacturers then offered advanced digital SLR (DSLR) cameras.
  • In 2003, DSLR cameras began outselling film cameras.
  • Canon launched their EOS 5D in 2005. This was the first full-frame, consumer-priced DSLR.
  • Around that time, a handier camera was introduced. Japan presented the first camera phones: Kyocera’s VP-210, Samsung’s SCH-V200, and Sharp’s J-SH04
  • With the introduction of the iPhone by Apple in 2007, more camera features evolved with better technological advances.

BASIC ELEMENTS OF A CAMERA

  • The Camera Body – The ‘body’ of a camera is the light-tight box that allows light to be captured on film, paper, or a digital sensor. They come in a variety of styles and shapes to fit any photographer’s needs.
  • Lens – The function of the lens is to capture light from external scenes and direct it into the camera’s sensor, where it interacts with all of the internal parts of the camera.
  • The ‘Film’ Plane and Shutter – In digital cameras, the ‘film’ plane has become the digital sensor, which is the place where the photographic image is captured.
  • Today’s cameras use shutters to control the light from reaching the film or sensor with the touch of a button.

Camera Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the camera across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Camera worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the camera which is a device for recording an image of an object on a light-sensitive surface. It is essentially a light-tight box with an aperture to admit light focused onto a sensitized film or plate.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Camera Facts
  • Parts of a Camera I
  • Parts of a Camera II
  • Parts of a Camera III
  • What It Captured…
  • The Pick
  • Camera Then and Now
  • Photography Gear
  • Hi-Tech Camera
  • Picture Acrostic
  • Caught on Camera!

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Link will appear as Camera Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 29, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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