Amateur Photographer - UK (2019-10-18)

AndyWestlake

takesalookathow

thecamerahas

evolvedoverthepast

135 years,focusingon

someiconicand

innovative designs

S

inceAPpublisheditsfirst

edition,photographic

technologyhaschanged

beyondallrecognition.In

1884,photographerswereusing

camerasconstructedfromwoodand

brass,andtakingpicturesonglass

platescoatedwithlight-sensitive

emulsion.Sincethen,plateshave

givenwayto rollfilmandthen

cartridgefilm,beforedigital

technologytransformedimage

capture.Foldingcamerashavebeen

supersededbyfixed-bodydesigns,

rangefindersbySLRs,mechanical

shuttersbyelectronic,andmanual

focusbyautofocus.Rightnowwe’re

in themiddleof anotherbig

transition– fromDSLRto mirrorless.

Allthewaythrough,APhasbeen

followingandcommentingonthe

trendsof theday.

In thisarticlewe’llbetakinga look

at howcamerashaveevolvedand

progressedoverthistime,by

focusingona fewspecific models.

Someweretrailblazersthatdebuted

a particularfeatureordesign

approach,whileothersareclassics

thathavebecamearchetypesof

theirkind.Togethertheyillustrate

howwe’veprogressedfrom

camerascraftedfrommahogany

andbrassthroughtothedigital

marvels we’re using today.

&

Pioneers

icons

WE’D LIKE TO THANK JOHN WADE FOR PROVIDING CAMERAS USED TO ILLUSTRATE THIS ARTICLE