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Inventions · Topic 16 of 54

The Camera

Early cameras captured an image on a light-sensitive plate. Modern digital cameras use sensors to record light as pixels. Photos capture moments and memories.

💡 Fun fact

The word camera comes from the Latin for chamber.

All about The Camera

Early cameras captured images using a small hole to let light into a dark box, which projected a picture onto a light-sensitive surface. The first photographs were made in the 1820s and 1830s, and they needed long exposure times.

Modern digital cameras use sensors to record light as millions of tiny pixels. Each pixel records colour and brightness, and together they form an image that can be stored on a memory card or sent over the internet.

🎮 Try it yourself!

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Real-life uses of The Camera

  • Taking photos of family and friends
  • Documenting science experiments
  • Recording videos for school projects

Frequently asked questions about The Camera

What is a camera obscura?

An early device in which light passes through a small hole in a dark room or box, projecting an upside-down image on the opposite wall.

Who took the first photograph?

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce made one of the earliest surviving photographs in about 1826 or 1827.

What does megapixel mean?

One million pixels. A higher number of megapixels can produce more detailed images.