Digital cameras are back! Blending Y2K nostalgia with creative freedom, in a world of polished smartphone photos, digital cameras bring back the fun of capturing moments with authenticity and flair. Let’s find out some fun facts about the quirky little cameras!
A mega secret and epic fail!
The first self-contained digital camera was invented in 1974-5 by Steve Sasson. He was working for Kodak and was under strict orders to keep the new technology a secret. The camera was as big as a toaster and a Frankenstein mish-mash of other camera types at the time, including a Kodak movie camera. It took 20 seconds just to commit an image to tape, and after all of Steve’s work, Kodak decided not to do anything with it. Ouch!
20 years later… we had digital!
Tech pioneers Apple and Kodak released the Quick Take 150 to the public in 1994-5, to take their first ever home digital snaps. Imagine it: up until that point, people had been processing photos by taking the camera film to a developer and waiting days or weeks for their prints! Now they could instantly see their photos and keep returning to them on the screen. It must have been mind-blowing! It cost around £700 in 1995 which would be around £1500 in todays money.
Pocket-sized snaps
Digital cameras were fairly popular and grew as people entered the new millennium. The compact digital camera was a hit upon release in 2010, allowing on the go snaps and selfies. But, this was just as the smartphone began to really take off and the digital camera as we know it became incorporated in our mobile phones.
Smartphone takeover!
Digital camera sales declined by 90% from 2010 when the smartphone got even smarter and better at taking pictures. The camera technology got so good, it is rare now for anyone to pull out a digital camera at a party! However…
Digi-cool again!
…retro always makes a comeback, and with second hand sellers, you can find a digital camera and relive the Y2K experience! The aesthetic of the photos and having something tangible in your hands that has a sole purpose is really satisfying. Do you have one and have you taken some cool photos with it yet?
