TheHistoryOf.net

The history of digital photography starts with the invention of video tape and then takes a path that includes outer space and the attempt to create a different type of semiconductor related to computer memory. Like many other aspects of history the development of digital photography was often not directly related to photography or it was inspired by the need to find a solution to a new challenge.

Go to the Video Tape

In 1951, the video tape recorder (VTR) made its debut. These were not devices used in homes. Television producers utilized them as a new medium devoted to recording programs for broadcast. Video tape was unique in that unlike film it did not directly record an image; instead, video turned an image into a coded signal that was then decoded back into an image when it was played through a video tape player. By 1956, VTR technology had been perfected and was a standard method for recording TV programs, which could later be broadcast.

Found in Space

The next step in the history of digital photography was a giant leap that was made from space. No, it was not the first time a man walked on the moon. In the early days of space exploration, scientists experimented with a new way of taking pictures. Film was seen as being too cumbersome. Pictures taken in space using film would need to be physically brought back to earth and developed. The process was too long and risky. Plus if the flight was unmanned, it was impossible to accomplish. Scientists wanted a way to take pictures so that they could be sent from space to earth instantly and without a person being directly involved in the space flight.

The answer to this challenge lay in digital photography.  When NASA sent unmanned space probes to map the moon’s surface, it developed the technology that converted analog signals to digital signals that could be sent back to earth through space. In the history of digital photography the aphorism was true—necessity was the mother of invention.  

The CCD

At the Bell Labs on October 17, 1969, George Smith and William Boyle created the charge-coupled device (CCD). The CCD was an attempt to develop a new semiconductor that would better facilitate computer memory. Instead, what the team created was the image sensor that would be central to the development of digital photography. The CCD would be instrumental in the creation of solid state video cameras, high definition television, copy machines, bar code readers and digital cameras.

The First Digital Camera

At Kodak in 1973 engineer Steve Sasson used a CCD to create a digital image using a camera. The camera, which weighed eight pounds, was definitely experimental. Along with the fact that it was heavy, the device had just 0.1 megapixels.  This was an important advancement, but a viable commercial digital camera was still over a decade away.

Digital Photography Goes Commercial

There are various highlights in the history of digital photography during which this manner of taking pictures became a commercial enterprise. In 1981, Sony introduced the Mavica, which was the first electronic camera. Although this was not a true digital camera, it paved the way for a new way of envisioning photography. The Mavica, which took video freeze-frames, stored images on a small disc. The images were transferred to a video reader, which was connected to a color printer or television. This is how the photos were viewed.

The 1990s saw the digital age come into its own.

• In 1990, the Dycam Model 1 by Logitech, which was the first fully digital camera, was introduced to the public. It took black-and-white images and stored 32 images.
• In 1991, Kodak offered the Nikon F-3, which was the first fully professional digital camera system.  
• Late in the decade, in 1999, Nikon introduced the Coolpix 700, which had a lens with a fixed focal point, and the Coolpix 950, which featured a zoom lens. These digital cameras were the first to feature  2 megapixels. 

As time has gone on, digital cameras have been able to greatly improve their picture quality, storage capabilities and versatility. The image quality is first-rate and now photos may be sent via email, posted on the web, stored on your computer and instantly printed at home.

Infrared Digital Cameras

A digital infrared camera, which captures night images, can be configured to take pictures by capturing the heat that emanates from subjects or by seeing the wavelength between the heat given off by subjects and the spectrum of visible light. The former is known as “heat vision” and the latter is called “night vision.” Some cameras that are infrared use film, while others utilize digital technology. These cameras have an infrared filter built in, which must be removed in order to take night pictures.

The Next Step in Digital Photography

In the history of digital photography, the cameras continue to undergo development as picture quality continues to be improved and capacity expanded. At this point, those who are developing the next generation digital cameras are working towards a three-dimensional digital image.

About the Author

When it comes to having fun Melissa Cameron has found that spending the day surfing with her three children and husband is all that she needs. When not at the beach enjoying the waves, Melissa works as a bookkeeper for a very busy medical practice. When she goes off on her own and does her own thing, she loves to engage in infrared photography, using the latest infrared technology. Melissa and her husband have two young boys that keep them very busy.

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