The Film Camera

The world's first film camera was invented in 1874 by Frenchman Jules Janssen. Janssen’s device used a pendulum mechanism to move light-sensitive film strips intermittently inside a circular magazine, with a rotating shutter exposing each frame—a principle that became the foundation of modern cinematography. Later, the invention of charge-coupled devices (CCD) replaced film, sparking a wave of electronic video equipment that grew ever more compact. Today, we effortlessly capture life's precious moments with smartphones. What revolutionary imaging technology might the future hold?