When and by whom was the first digital camera invented?
Today, the use of digital cameras has become so widespread that there are hardly any cell phones that do not have a camera lens. Some companies have even integrated camera lenses into their wristwatches. Did you know that although we are so familiar with digital cameras, the first prototype of these cameras was actually invented in 1975?
Born in 1950, Steven Sasson graduated with a degree in electrical engineering just before starting a job at Kodak. The task assigned to him at Kodak was actually not very clear. Was it possible to manufacture a camera using inert electronic parts? Starting from scratch, Sasson got to work with a set of electronics, including a film camera lens, analog-to-digital converter, and most importantly, load-coupled devices.
Steven J. Sasson (born July 4, 1950) is an American electrical engineer and the inventor of the self-contained (portable) digital camera. Sasson is a 1972 (BS) and 1973 (MS) graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in electrical engineering. He attended and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. He has worked for Kodak since shortly after his graduation from engineering school.
By December 1975, Sasson's first prototype was ready for testing. Weighing 3.6 kilograms and the size of a toaster, it wouldn't be right to say that this digital camera is portable, but Sasson convinced his assistant in his lab to pose. It took 23 seconds for the image to be recorded on tape, and another 23 seconds for the recorded image to be read. After all these processes, the captured image was projected onto the television screen.
Sasson and his team shared the details of the digital camera they invented with Kodak officials. It would not be correct to say that the reaction of Kodak officials to this invention was exciting. It would not be right to expect a company that has established itself in the market with the camera films they produce, to have a positive approach to a product that did not require the use of film at that time. Why would anyone want to see their photos on the television screen? Eventually, the rapid development of computer technology would overcome these problems, but it would be many years before the use of digital cameras replaced the traditional use of film.