The very first recorded photograph was made in 1814 by Jospeh Nicephore Niepce. He used a wooden box camera which was made by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in Paris. Unfortunately, the photograph was not permanent and the picture eventually faded. This process was built on a discovery by Johann Heinrich Schultz in 1724 which involved a silver and chalk mixture which darkened when exposed to light.

Cameras however, date back even further. A device dated in 1021 used a pinhole or lens to project an image of a scene outside the viewing surface. Early photographs were not preserved. he Kodak Company would eventually invent film that would allow permanent pictures. Kodak cameras, as well as other models, such as a Canon camera would all use the same film process in the early years of photography.

A small hand held camera was actually built by Johann Zahn in 1685, but it would take 150 years before a hand held camera would be fully functional like they are today.