I recall selling some of the first consumer
digital cameras back in 1995 ... the quality was very poor and the price was
extremely high ... the Casio QV-10
was one of the first (250,000 pixels), it was more like a still video camera,
and looked a bit like one. It was listed at $899.99
As time went on the CCD technology improved
slowly. The Olympus C-400 was a great
improvement over the Casio, as its' body design was based on a traditional point and shoot
film camera ... but it was also very expensive.
The major electronic companies were the first to jump on the digital
band-wagon ... the traditional film companies still did not want to give up the
high profitability of traditional film, so were very reluctant to start
changing. Eventually the photographic industry started to pay attention
as they realized that they were being left behind. It has been a very short time
period for the digital camera market, and it has shown rapid change since
letting go of film.
With the advent of digital imaging came a new
era in Photography. Though it took some time for technology to become both
affordable and of high enough quality to equal traditional film, it has quickly
taken over.
The instant availability of the image became
the norm ... is the norm (note that Polaroid has just now discontinued their
instant film).
The camera is still a medium to focus and
control projected light onto a light sensitive medium. The difference now is
that the equipment itself can process the "film" and computers/printers process
the "print". The lens is still used to focus the light, apertures and shutters
are used to control exposure, and there is still a traditional looking (most of
the time) camera body to hold it all together.
