1814 - Then Joseph Niepce first photographic image using an early device for projecting real-life imagery called a camera obscure. But the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded.


1837

Louis Daguerre first daguerreotype, an image that was fixed and did not fade and needed under thirty minutes of light exposures.

First American patent took photography to Alexander Wolcott for his camera.

William Henry Talbot patents the Calotype process, the first negative-positive process making possible the first multiple copies.

First American patent issued in photography to Alexander Wolcott for his camera.

Frederick Scott Archer invented the Collodion process so that images required only a couple of seconds of light exposure.

Panoramic camera, called the Sutton, is patented.

1856 
This is First when  portable camera obscura that was small enough for practical use was built by Johann Zahn.

Oliver Wendell Holmes invents stereoscope viewer.

Photographs and photographic negatives are added to protected works under copyright law.

Richard Leach Maddox invented the gelatin dry plate silver, this  means negatives no longer had to be developed immediately.


1880

Then Eastman Dry Plate Company is founded.

George Eastman invents flexible, paper-based photographic film.

Eastman patents Kodak roll-film camera.

Reverend Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film.

First mass-marketed camera, called the Brownie, goes on sale.

After the First 35mm still camera is developed.

General Electric invents the modern common flash bulb.


1932

First light meter with photoelectric cell is introduced.

Eastman Kodak markets Kodachrome film.

Eastman Kodak introduces Kodacolor negative film.

Chester Carlson luckily receives a patent for electric photography

Edwin Land launches and markets the Polaroid camera.

1949
 First disposable cardboard camera was built by Photo-Pac

1954

Eastman Kodak release  high-speed Tri-X film.

1957
TheFirst self-contained amphibious underwater camera the Calypso-Phot this was  built by Jean de Wouters for Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

1960’s

First digital camera signals used in cameras over analog this was by NASA.

1961
First “film-less” digital camera concept is given credited to Eugene F. Lally.

1960

the underwater camera is made for the U.S. Navy.

1996

TheFirst IP camera was released in 1996 by Axis Communications.

Polaroid introduces the instant color film.

Photograph of the Earth is taken from the moon.

Polaroid introduces one-step instant photography with the SX-70 camera.

1975

 First digital camera invented by Steven J. Sasson.

1977

Pioneers George Eastman and Edwin Land are put into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Konica introduces the first point-and-shoot autofocus camera.

Sony demonstrates first consumer camcorder for capturing moving picture.

Canon demonstrates first digital electronic still camera.

Pixar introduces the digital imaging processor.

Eastman Kodak announces Photo Compact Disc as a digital image storage medium.

Kyocera Corporation introduces the VP-210 VisualPhone, the world's first mobile phone with built-in camera for recording videos and still photos.   

 2000
Canon introduced the EOS D30, the first digital SLR for the consumer market with a CMOS sensor

2002 
Contax introduced the NDigital which is the first SLR digital camera with a CCD the same size as a 35 mm frame.