A digital camera is a type of camera that takes photographs or videos with the use of an electronic image sensor. This device has the capacity to display photographs on the screen several seconds after the image has been recorded. Other brands of the cameras can edit the layout, color as well as the entire appearance of the picture. Because of the popularity and wide use of the device, it is incorporated in other devices like mobile phones and PDAs. To learn about the history of the device, it is best to start with the person behind the development of the digital camera.
Who invented the digital camera? This device was first created by Eastman Kodak engineer Steven Sasson in 1975. The camera used a solid state CCD image sensor chips manufactured by Fairchild Semiconductor. The device weighed 3.6 kilograms and it took above 20 seconds to capture an image. This camera was developed as a prototype and it is not intended for mass production. However, this device has the capacity to record black and white pictures. Additionally, the first digital camera has a resolution of 10,000 pixels or 0.01 megapixels.
The first digital camera that was introduced to the public is the Fuji DS-1P, which was launched in 1988. The device has a 16 MB internal memory card and it has a battery. The device was not launched in Japan as well as in the United States. The next digital camera that was commercially available is the 1990 Dycam Model 1. It has a CCD image sensor and it can be connected to a computer or a laptop to transfer and store data.
Eastman Kodak launched the first professional digital camera named as the Kodak DCS-100 in 1991. In order for the product to be used in special events, it featured a 1.3 megapixel sensor. The device was offered at $13,000. After the release of this model, many companies featured different models of digital cameras. In 1996, Kodak launched the first digital camera that has CompactFlash.
Additional Information and Other Important Details
Digital cameras have different types. These include the compact cameras, bridge cameras, digital single lens reflex cameras as well as the electronic viewfinder. Aside from these, consumers can also purchase digital rangefinders and line scan camera systems. The image resolutions of cameras available in the market today range from 0.01 to 60.5. Image data storage devices used are compact flash, memory stick, microdrive, secure digital card and floppy disks.