In 1500, the camera obscura was invented as the first 'camera'. It allowed people to perceive a scene by using a dark room or a small portable box with a small hole, casting an upside-down image on the opposite wall.

The camera obscura, although not technically a camera as it does not capture a picture, served as the predecessor to the camera. It acted more like a projector, projecting mirrored images. The earliest example of the camera obscura dates back to 1550.

Johann Zahn invented the first portable camera designed for photography in 1685, contributing to the evolution of camera technology.

In 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze demonstrated through experiments that some substances, like silver salts, darkened due to light exposure alone, not influenced by heat or air exposure.

In 1777, Carl Wilhelm Scheele showed that silver chloride darkened from light exposure and became insoluble in an ammonia solution. This discovery was crucial for early photographic experiments.

Joseph Nicephore Niepce used a sliding wooden box camera to manipulate the camera obscura phenomenon to expose pewter coated with bitumen for 8 hours.

Henry Fox Talbot discovered how to fix images to paper using a combination of optics and chemistry, enabling the creation of multiple print negatives for the first time.

In 1839, the Daguerreotype Camera was introduced, marking a significant advancement in photography. It was the first camera accessible to the masses, revolutionizing the way images were captured and preserved.

The Calotype was an early photographic process introduced in 1840. It allowed for the creation of multiple positive prints from a single negative, revolutionizing the field of photography.

Around 1841, William Henry Fox Talbot developed the negative-positive process, a key advancement in photography that allowed for multiple reproductions of an image.

In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer introduced the collodion process, a technique that improved the quality and efficiency of photographic images.

The Dubroni camera, introduced in 1864, allowed the sensitizing and developing of plates to be done inside the camera itself, eliminating the need for a separate darkroom.

The introduction of Wet Plate Prints and Dry Plates in the 1870s marked a shift towards more convenient and stable photographic processes. These methods improved image quality and ease of use.

In 1888, George Eastman created the first camera that used a single roll of celluloid emulsion film, known as The Kodak. This camera revolutionized photography by capturing negatives quickly and easily, leading to the popularization of point-and-shoot options.

In 1889, George Eastman presented the film strip under the Kodak brand, revolutionizing photography by making it more accessible and convenient.

In 1898, Alta-Vista introduced the first mass-produced American panoramic camera, allowing amateurs to take small panoramas using roll film and no tripod.

In 1900, Eastman Kodak introduced the Kodak Brownie camera, which was affordable and accessible to middle-class families. This marked a significant milestone in the history of photography, as it allowed more people to document important moments in their lives.

Oskar Barnack created the first 35mm camera, known as the Candid Camera, which became the standard for film cameras for many years, revolutionizing the movie industry.

In 1925, the Leica I became the first practical and commercially successful 35 mm camera. This innovation revolutionized photography by making 35 mm format more accessible and popular.

The Franke & Heidecke Rolleiflex medium format twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera was released in 1928, revolutionizing the camera industry with its compact design. This camera became widely popular for both high- and low-end photography.

Around 1930, Henri-Cartier Bresson and other photographers started using small 35mm cameras to capture candid and spontaneous moments, shifting away from traditional staged portraits.

In 1933, the Ihagee Exakta compact single-lens reflex (SLR) camera was introduced, using 127 rollfilm. This marked the beginning of a revolution in SLR design.

The introduction of 35mm Film in 1934 standardized film format for photography. It became widely popular and remained a dominant format for decades.

The Japanese camera industry saw a turning point in 1936 with the introduction of the Canon 35 mm rangefinder, which contributed to the rise of Japanese cameras' popularity in the Western market.

Seiki Kogaku Kenkyusho was established as a precursor to Canon Camera Co.

The Super Kodak Six-20 pack of 1938 was the first camera to feature automatic exposure with a selenium light meter. However, its high price prevented it from achieving widespread success.

With the onset of World War II in 1939, many photojournalists embraced the candid photography style pioneered by Henri-Cartier Bresson and others, capturing real-life moments during the war.

In 1947, the Hungarian Duflex camera introduced the eye-level viewfinder, a significant innovation in SLR cameras. This feature was later refined in the Contax S in 1948 with the use of a pentaprism.

The Polaroid camera, launched in 1948, revolutionized instant photography by allowing users to see their photos immediately after taking them. It was a game-changer in the industry.

The Polaroid Model 95, the world's first viable instant-picture camera, was released in 1949. This camera, known as a Land Camera, was a huge success and remains one of the top-selling cameras of all time.

In 1952, the Asahi Optical Company introduced the Asahiflex, the first Japanese SLR using 135 film. This marked the entry of Japanese camera makers into the SLR market.

In 1956, the first aperture priority camera, the Agfa Automatic 66, was launched, offering photographers greater control over exposure settings.

In 1957, Asahi Optical of Japan introduced the first eye-level viewing single-lens reflex camera with an instant return mirror, known as the Pentax. This innovation revolutionized the camera industry.

The year 1959 marked the release of the Nikon F, a professional-caliber 35mm SLR camera that came with a complete system of lenses, motor drives, and accessories. It set a new standard in the world of photography.

In 1960, the German Mec 16 SB subminiature camera became the first to place the light meter behind the lens for more accurate metering. This technology later became more common in SLR cameras.

In 1963, Canon introduced its first camera prototype with autofocus, revolutionizing photography by making snapshots much easier for everyday photographers.

In 1965, Polaroid introduced the Model 20 Swinger, which quickly became a popular and successful camera in the market. It remained one of the top-selling cameras of all time.

Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith invented the first semiconductor image sensor, Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), at Bell Labs in 1969. They realized that an electric charge could be stored on a tiny MOS capacitor, leading to the development of CCD, which was later used in digital video cameras for television broadcasting.

The Polaroid SX-70 Original Instant Film Camera was a groundbreaking innovation in instant photography, allowing users to instantly capture and print photos.

About 10 years later in 1973, Rollei unveiled the first fully automatic camera, eliminating the need for photographers to manually set aperture, shutter speed, and focus to create usable images.

By 1975, Kodak engineer Steven Sasson created the first digital camera prototype. Although it had limitations such as low resolution and long exposure time, it marked a significant milestone in the evolution of photography.

The KH-11 electronic imaging satellite, launched by the NRO in late 1976, featured a charge-coupled device (CCD) array with a resolution of 800 x 800 pixels (0.64 megapixels). This marked a milestone in electronic imaging technology.

The Sony Mavica, a digital camera introduced in 1981, recorded video onto a 2 x 2 inch video floppy disk. Its image quality was comparable to contemporary televisions.

Olympus in Japan invented the NMOS Active-Pixel Sensor (APS) in the mid-1980s. Enabled by advances in MOS semiconductor device fabrication, the NMOS APS was fabricated in 1985, paving the way for further developments in digital imaging technology.

The first disposable camera was created in 1986, providing a convenient and affordable option for capturing moments without the need for film development or camera maintenance.

The MegaVision Tessera, possibly the first digital camera ever sold commercially, was introduced in 1987. It marked the beginning of the digital camera era.

The Digital SLR camera, introduced in 1988, marked a significant shift from traditional film-based photography to digital imaging. It offered photographers new creative possibilities and instant results.

The DS-X by Fuji, marketed in Japan in December 1989, was one of the first commercially available portable digital cameras. It played a significant role in the early digital camera market.

In 1990, Logitech released the Dycam Model 1, the first commercially available digital camera. This camera utilized CCD technology and allowed users to store data internally, paving the way for easy connectivity to personal computers for viewing and printing.

Kodak introduced the Kodak DCS (Kodak Digital Camera System) in 1991, featuring a 1.3 megapixel sensor and a bulky external digital storage system. Priced at least $13,000, it marked a significant step in the shift to digital photography. The development of JPEG and MPEG standards in 1988 further facilitated the transition by enabling compression of image and video files for storage.

Eric Fossum's team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed the CMOS Active-Pixel Sensor (CMOS Sensor) in 1993. This innovation marked a significant advancement in digital imaging technology.

In 1995, the Casio QV-10 became the first consumer camera with a liquid crystal display on the back. It was developed by a team led by Hiroyuki Suetaka.

In 1996, the Kodak DC-25 became the first camera to use CompactFlash. It was a significant advancement in digital camera technology.

Silicon Film, a proposed digital sensor cartridge for film cameras, was announced in late 1998. It aimed to enable 35 mm cameras to capture digital photographs without modification, but the product was never released due to technological advancements.

The Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, released in May 1999, was the first commercial camera phone. It had a front-facing camera and could store and send digital images.

In June 2000, the Samsung SCH-V200 was one of the first phones with a built-in camera. It featured a TFT LCD display and stored digital photos at 350,000-pixel resolution.

The Sharp J-SH04, sold in Japan in November 2000, was the first mass-market camera phone. It could transmit pictures via cell phone telecommunication.

In January 2004, Kodak announced that they would no longer sell Kodak-branded film cameras in the developed world. This decision reflected the industry's shift towards digital photography.

The Canon EOS 5D was the first consumer-priced full-frame digital SLR camera, making high-quality photography accessible to the general public.

The first Apple iPhone released in 2007 allowed users to easily send and receive digital photos between devices. It marked a shift from CCD to CMOS technology.

Polaroid continues to make instant cameras, with the latest model released in 2021, maintaining its iconic status and nostalgia for instant photography enthusiasts.