See our other history podcasts here: kzfaq.info/sun/PLwIVS3_dKVpsIirtInIxXGJEE-wX1ecEH

You guys forgot the Canon AE-1. "AE" stood for automatic exposure, and the AE-1 was the first consumer SLR with automatic aperture and shutter priority modes. It was soon followed by the AE-1P, which added a full program mode. These cameras made exposure relatively simple, and photography itself way more accessible for average people. It was the world's best-selling camera for a number of years.

I'm surprised that the Minolta MAXXUM 7000 (also known as the Minolta 7000 AF in Europe and α-7000 in Japan) was missed off your list. The first auto-focus camera for the masses back in 1985. Way ahead of Canon, Pentax (who were still a thing back then) Olympus (likewise), Nikon, Contax (remember them?). Ricoh, Fuji and everyone else. Minolta of course were bought out by Sony, but check out the a-7000 designation of this camera, and you'll see where Sony gets it's camera designations from.

it's worth noting that Fritz Kricheldorff from Berlin, Germany invented the SLR with moving mirror back in 1895. 64 years before the Nikon F. And the Kine Exakta of Ihagee in Dresden, Germany (the first 35mm SLR ) came out in 1936.

Canon A-1 surely! Nothing else would do in 1978. Id also go for Minolta 7000 in 1985, first decent autofocus camera

I definitely think the 5D Mark II deserved a mention here. It created the video revolution outside of cinema or broadcast cameras that consumer camera manufacturers are still largely chasing today. Sure, the Nikon D90 came first, but the 5D Mark II was the camera that would forever change the industry as it was bought in droves for use in actual production houses for big budget film productions.

The Hasselblad cameras deserved a nod, I think, especially given how the Earthrise photo was one of the most important photos of all time. Did it change photography forever? I don't know, but it was a seminal moment for photography for sure.

Didn't Minolta invent the in-camera light meter? That was a pretty big deal. Also, Minolta invented Auto Focus. The original Minolta Maxxum was the first AF camera. Didn't Minolta make Nikon's first camera for them? It seems like I remember they made the Nikkomat (not the Nikkormat) for Nikon. Nikon was originally a glass manufacturer.

Tony made a very good point about the Bayer filter. Not all the cameras are using it, some from Fuji, some cell phones have unfiltered pixels, and the Foveon chip, but in general was revolutionary and worked for us for decades. The mirrorless revolution was for the win from the beginning, less moving parts, and no need for specialized dedicated personnel (like the one you used to be able to find in Japan, Germany, or Switzerland. Increasing resolution was another problem (technically is the smaller pixel the problem). As resolution increases it becomes problematic to align the focusing sensor and the capture sensor perfectly. Hasselblad eventually started using lasers. Sony turned the photo industry into a customer electronics one by quickly iterating and adding features. I mostly agree with the list. I will say the F3 deserved a mention but there is no space for everything.

What about the 1985 Minolta 7000 that popularised autofocus SLRs ? Canon’s T80 was an alternative but had cumbersome special lenses. Canon’s EF mount quickly caught up and over took Minolta later. BTW Sony eventually bought out Minolta technology when they folded 🫤

Minolta 7000. First AF with motorized film advance. Still have mine somewhere!

The Pentax LX introduces concept of compact consumer friendly camera with pro features, basically like most mirrorless cameras today.

What about the Panasonic DMC-G1? While the camera didn't stand out on its own, it was the very first mirrorless camera. It was also the first camera to have a MFT mount.

Digital Cameras that were furthest ahead of the competition: 5D classic Nikon D800 Sony A1

My Grandmother would take a landscape pic with her old brownie folding cam & then use it to make her painting. I still have the cam & one big painting. For me, it was my Argus cams!

Exakta had already a 35mm SLR in 1936. That camera was very popular in Europe.

Chelsea was like "I'm switching from the Kodak Brownie to the Leica 1 in 1913" It was her first of I think 173 brand switches. The Northrups are truly timeless.

I had a Box Brownie in my youth inherited it. I never used it as a photographer, just a toy. I'm kicking myself as I sold it in 1986 at a yard sale, along with space Lego, Big Jim and a bunch of other 1970s and 90s toys, bought a boom box, but we didn't cam them boom boxes back then. Almost 40 years later all the camera gear I have more, using a Box Brownie on my shelf would be cool. Yes I can buy a used one on eBay but the one my great grandparents had would have been very cool.

I like to mention one camera that definitely did NOT change the photography, Canon Pellix. I think it was WAY ahead of its time. Due to its peliicle mirror, it had no blackout period for moving the mirror away - the mirror remained in place. It picked some 1/4 of the light for the viewer and passed 3/4 to the film. Its downfall was evidently the repeated big text warnings about the delicate mirror - DON’T EVER TOUCH IT! Actually I also have one other Canon (video) camera that failed in the marketplace with just one production run. It was called TX1. Absolutely wonderful tiny camera with 10:1 optical zoom (+ 20:1 digital zoom, for a total of 200:1…) Its price was over $600 when competition sold their small cameras for about $100. I used my first TX1 until it was scarily worn out. By that time it was out of production, but I found somewhere “New Old Stock” and bought a spare one. I still have both, the latter in essentially mint condition. Similarly, I still have my Pellix.

Yashica Electro-35, Canon EOS 5D M2, Sony Nex-7, a7III & a9III should be in your list as well, IMHO.

AI thing is scary. Sure why not replace moon with perfect image, it's all the same. But what next? Perfect smile? Perfect eyes? Perfect bird in flight?

Rolleiflex!

What about the camera obscura - the definitive ur mirrorless camera...

Nikon FM2 was a fantastic camera back in the day!

4x5 Press Graflex changed everything.

Waittttt what about the 5D Mk II

You did not include the 5D II? The camera that brought digital to the mass professional marked, because it was the one that delivered equally or better results than 35mm film?

I had used a Brownie in the 1960s when I was under 10. Still have it.

Y la MINOLTA 7000 ?? La primera en acertar con un verdadero AF, después fue copiado por todas las demás. También me gustaría recordar la Pentax LX, podías sacar 36 fotos y después retroceder a la primera y hacer Múltiples Exposiciones en todos los fotogramas

11:46 Yup the A9, I still hug my A9 ver 1 every evening :) I'll use this camera until it dies then get another used.. It does everything I need it to do for my shooting, which is a lot of sports mostly motocross..

It's sad that there is no Minolta 7000 or 9000 on the list. The first auto focus cameras that really changed the industry and paved the way for auto focus cameras.

I think A7III was a BIG innovation and showed Canon and Nikon that mirrorless are okay..

Dear T&C, with all due respect, why did you not include the Hasselblad 500EL, the camera that accompanied Apollo 11 to the moon? Also, no TLR? The TLR format camera were used in the German trenches in 1916 which allowed photographers to essentially use the camera like a periscope and collect images without the risk of getting their heads blown off. Once again, thank you for another great video!

I dont think you mentioned many of us used polaroid's for pictures of our wives when we thought wives wouldn't like chemist to see the pictures. Game changing. I am looking at my Canon AE1 and Nikon FM2 here now. Changed things for me. Got out my Canon 250D which I also like. I like Brownie for developing and contact printing larger format.

Minolta 7000 or one of the AF cameras that preceded it.

I would add the Lytro light field camera (2012). Even though it was a failed company which was bought by google. The technology was very impressive, unlike what we ever had using light field rendering to create image . I would also like to add the 360 camera, as it made it so convenient to take 360 photos without a complex workflow and offered lots of new abilities with videos.

Did I miss the ad for the "I Shoot RAW" T-Shirt???

Interesting and well thought out list... I could propose an alternative which I think was more impactful than the Rebel.. The Canon AE-1.. I worked in Camera stores in 1978 and, prior to then,,, every camera on the shelf was all metal and 90% all manual. Trying to explain concepts of shutter speeds vs f-stop vs film ASA to folks from end-of-the-paved-road communities in rural America was hard enough and that little needle in the viewfinder was just not enough for most. In my Canon section we had the F-1, the FTBn and the TX-- all manual.. The EF was there--auto exposure ,,yes,, but costing around 500 1970s Dollars. The AE-1 and all the plastic "Me Too" followers from nearly every brand that followed created the SLR BOOM of the late 70s,, It was estimated then that more households bought an SLR camera than a microwave oven in 1980,,,just my 2 cents.

I want to recognise the Olympus OM-1, which was the first camera that for me, was an aspirational camera. I really wanted an OM-1 when I was a kid, but couldn't afford one. I made-up for it a little bit later in life, by getting myself an OM-D E-M5 II in silver, which scratched that very old itch. I don't much care for it TBH, as I prefer my Panasonic m43 cameras, but I'll never sell it. 😄

Hi Tony, waiting for you guys to review the Nikon Z6iii before I will make my decision and any recommendation for full frame photography camera between Nikon, Sony and Canon which one do you think is good under $3000. Thanks

Thanks for this.For me personally the cameras that got me started were the Yashica Minister D rangefinder and then the Pentax spotmatic 2 that I started doing weddings with.Many great other brands I now enjoy including Canon, Nikon Olympus and Panasonic M43 not to mention all the wonderful movie cameras both digital (Canon XL1)and film over the years.cheers Geoff

Pentax???

You missed the a7III. It was the first mirrorless that you could use professionally that didn’t cost 4000$+. Mirrorless would not be what it is today without it.

The original Kodak film camera was introduced in the mid-1880s and it allowed a person to take pictures without having to rely heavy tripods, large cameras, toxic chemicals, etc. This camera revolutionized how, and more necessarily who, could enjoy photography.

Box Brownie Leica 1 Pentax Spotmatic First widely used TTL camera. Rolleiflex. Because so many important photographers used it Speed Graphic. The default press camera for decades. Canon A1. A breakthrough in automatic film photography. Kodak Instamatic. They were everywhere and were a big factor in making photography popular. Nokia 6680. First Nokia with a selfie camera. Canon 5D mk2. The first acceptable pro DSLR that did video. Iphone.

What about CANON T90?

I think the Sony a7iii had a huge impact on photography.

Dear Tony & Chelsea, I know You Guys concentrate on Still Cameras, but I think the Two Cameras that changes my life most were the introduction of the 1997 Sony VX-1000 Digital 3 Chip Video Camera with the Direct EEEI 1394 Firewire connection to Computers for seamless editing. This was so wonderful. The next was the Canon Digital Rebel around 2003, that changed Photography Forever in that 6 MP DSLR Format without Film. I was intrigued by the Earlier 3.5" Floppy disc Camera, but it Just didn't step up the Game like the Elimination of Film and Post Processing. The Canon made you instantly competitive with Real Photography at a Minimal Cost. Even though back then, a 1 GB Flash Card was $400 Dollars. Then comes up the Biggest Game Changer for Digital Photography outside of the Cameras themselves. Memory Cards. 128, 256, 512 GB Cards! Wow! The Biggest Impact toward an affordable Hobby in History. Anyway, Take Care, Tracy Mapes

Olympus inventing CMOS sensors and together with Panasonic pioneering mirrorless? By 2017 Oly already had 5-axis stab and second gen mirrorless pro bodies with computational photography.

The most significant iPhone for me was an iPhone 12 Pro Max which I still use. I held off upgrading from a 2016 SE until I saw what this could do. I was blown away by its low light capabilities and replaced a dedicated camera for bodybuilding shows as I could post to instagram quickly with usable photos.

The problem in fitting some cameras into this is the word FOREVER, in big bold caps. Shorter term, 4x5 cameras had a huge impact on press and commercial photography. Speed Graphics, Crown Graphics, etc. were the press workhorses for 20-30 years, and 4x5 monorails were the go-to in studios for even longer, and still in widespread use by architectural photographers with the budget for sheet film. Also, collectively there were a huge number of TLRs made, from Rollei to Mamiya to Ciro to Yashica, and a lot more, but they did not did not affect photgraphy FOREVER.

I am surprised that Canon 5D Mark II did not make it into the list as the DSLR that revolutionized the start of the professional video/still hybrid DSLR camera.

I think that is far more important to focus on innovations rather than specific cameras. Example, 35mm, SLR, in camera Auto exposure, autofocus, digital, and mirrorless. Also, the computer and digital photographic editing.

Good choices, its tempting to post various landmark SLR's with the gradual march of technology from clockwork manual everything Nikon F, to fully electronic microchip controlled auto everything, that would set exposure with multi zone metering and focus for you.(minolta 7000 I think) But the only thing that really changed the game was Digital, and even then it wasn't at the first model or second, Maybee the the canon 5D or for sure the 5D II with video was the first digital SLR that didn't just take still pictures and would best Handycam for quality hands down, now you could make movies and that meant that Wedding photographers had to learn whole new skill set.

Love the photography history. Pretty sure there was a vlogging camera (DJI action 4) from recent months that seems to have changed the form factor (from dslr style) to in camera AI

Id say leica II, Kine Exakta, nikon F-F3, pentax k1000, zenit e, canon 650, kodak dcs, canon d30, canon 5d, nikon d700, panasonic gh4, sony a7s, and nothing interesting since :D

I’m 66, I still have my F2 with motor drive several focus glasses and other accessories. Plus an FE with several lenses including Nikon enlarger lenses. I have kept these along with others like my 500CM. I have been buying old cameras the past 10 years, simple to put them all on display once I retire. I have a Brownie, an old Kodak folding camera, several medium format brands. Once I switched to Digital, I have kept them all for the same reason, from the Canon 50D, 5D mk II,II and IV.

Three cameras that didn't change photography, but that mattered to me (age 69) in my photo journey. The Pentax Spotmatic, because it was my first 'real' camera. The Nikon F2 Photomic, because it was the bomb, and I couldn't afford one but wanted one so badly, but never did, and now there's no point. And the Olympus OM1, because of the jewel-like quality of that small, precise body in the hand. Digital photography is superior to film photography in almost every way, but I have never bonded with it, just as I've never bonded with reading poetry and fiction on a Kindle. Our tools improve, but the experience of life does not.

Does anyone have an email address to contact Tony or Chelsea as I need to ask a question regarding a purchase but I cannot login using my membership to their site. I don't use social media sites. Thanks

My first digital camera was the Kodak DC 260 which I purchased in July of 1998 for $950 after my employee discount at Microwarehouse. I loved that camera! I didn't know anything about photography. I used that camera for 3 years, including concerts at Giants Stadium. I still have the camera for nostalgia reasons. I don't know if there were other digital camera brands at the time. I do know that I was fascinated by this camera as were my friends. We had all been using film cameras.

Sony A7S Low Light King

Olympus Trip 35 just Wow !

For a small segment of us shooting architecture the Hasselblad Arc body changed portability when working middleformat in the field - not something that changed the whole industry but a niche gamechanger :)

Sony Alpha 100 was my first digital SLR, and then I eventually switched to Canon 6D, then Canon 5D Mark iii, then 5D Mark IV, then Fujifilm GFX 50s, and now Fujifilm GFX 100s.

My first digital camera was a Nikon 990. But, my first dlsr was a Canon (D30?) (2000?) because it was the first "affordable" digital camera with interchangeable lenses. So, for me, this Canon model makes my list of important cameras.

The Minolta Maxxum…. You guys forgot the first true autofocus camera

This is a nice, comprehensive survey. Some of the pictures of these important cameras are missing here. Nevertheless, thank you two for the effort. Good work.

I maintain that your #4 pick should be the Pentax rather than Nikon. Pentax was the first SLR with a pentaprism and an instant return mirror prior to Nikon by several years. I like 10s of thousands of other students cut their teeth on Pentax cameras. Pentax was the most inovative Japanese 35mm camera manufacturer in the 1950s, 60s into the 70s. Pentax introduced the first TTL metering with the Spotmatic, the first TTL focusing with the Pentax ME and was the first to introduce multicoated lenses with the Super Multi-Coated Takumar lens line. I do agree that later in the 60s Nikon became the camera of professionals.

Hey Tony! Hey Chelsea! Thanks as always for sharing your insight! Curious, planning on reviewing the Fuji XT-50? 🤔

I think you missed the Fujifilm FinePix X100. Rangefinder body with modern specs, with the Film Simulations and the precursor of popular and almost unobtainable TikToker cameras. That or the X-T1, the precursor of modern mirrorless camera with retro style body.

When you compare the Nokia N95 (5mpx) which was available slightly earlier than the iPhone (2mpx), you see that consumers prefer simplicity and immediate shareability of photos. The Brownie, the Leica 1, the Polaroid and the iPhone solved that. In that sense, the smartphone cameras are the spiritual heir of those 4 cameras I mentioned before.

Correction, the Pixel line started proper computational photography before the iPhone X was released, and demolished the iPhone 7 at the time.

You mentioned Kodak, but you didn't mention that they had some of the earliest digital cameras. I don't remember what they were called buy they were grey things and were held like binoculars. Chinon in Japan had digital cameras at about the same time.

It’s funny how people comment here expecting tony or chelsea to respond. They haven’t responded to a comment in 3 years. They’re too busy counting your money.

This segment is not fair everyone has their own list. I think it would be interesting to compare what many, who think what is the camera is a game changer. It would be fun to see!

As for photography we need to change the narrative since film and digital photography is the game changer. Two totally different worlds, old is photography is best and the new photography is more spoiled enhance to everyone. I did more old school photography which was more time consuming in the dark, which I feel was more rewarding. However photography was limited to many people and now it is more accessible to anyone, which I appreciate. that is what I list as number one on the list of game changer.

Apart from Brownie, Leica and Polaroid, my list would be completely different.. Not in particular order; 4- Pentax Spotmatic. First TTL Metering on SLR. 5- Zenit-E. Seriously, this is THE camera that brought "SLR" to average person. 6- Minolta Maxxum 7000. First Auto-Focus for the consumer. 7- Canon 5D Classic. This is the camera IMHO convinced many professionals Film is functionally obsolete. 8- D800 This is the camera that started the high Megapixel camera era. 9- Sony A7. IMHO this is the camera that convinced masses mirrorless is the future. 10- Sony A9 III. While it didn't change photograhpy YET, this is the camera that has proven Global Electronic Shutter is the future. Personally I don't consider phones "a camera", but if I'll put two on this list like you did: 1- Nokia 7650 or Sony Ericsson P800. These are the first phone with a camera (for the masses). You could share photos via Bluetooth or MMS. 7650 could do video natively, and P800 had touch screen. Those two came 5 years before iPhone and apart from hype, they did everything first iphone did half-a-decade earlier. 2- Kyocera VP-210 for introducing selfie camera. A significant proportion or today's photography are selfies and I'd say this quite fits the "changed the photography Forever" definition.

I have no doubt the kodak brownie is why I began my journey. Not because it was my first camera but because it was my grandfathers first camera and he led me into the light! I still have that camera and think about using it every now and then. edit: I also have his land camera.

Thankyou❤❤

1972 Fuji 801 it did not have needle it was really ahead for the time it had 5 red LEDs for exposed. Middle led right on next two LEDs were one stop over and one stop under the technology was super. No needle just high tech leds what a way to learn to shoot film. Now fifty years later I use canon r6 11 and 200 800 lens and I still love taking photos after all these years thanks for showing these old cameras that I grew up with EricJ Hansen

Ai image generation should be used to expand the EVF when tracking fast moving objects like birds. you can maintain a good zoom and have a better ability to track the subject.

I think GFX (and to an extent Hasselblad) has made an interesting change in some of the photo world due to 100mpx becoming relatively accessible to more main stream photographers to own. Where these studio systems were largely rental-only and reserved for commercial work, the ability to daily drive a very powerful camera opens the opportunity for more creative uses. It's still super niche, but I'm seeing more and more work pop up on these systems and am excited to see more work like Piotr Andrew Lusztyk

The A7s, the OG low light king!

The A2e was the camera that got me into photography. With th 75-300 IS lens.

I can’t wait for your livestream to come back!

thx

I grew up when Brownies were for sale and had a Brownie as a kid. You could set B&W, or color. I'm guessing ISO 125 or ISO 64? I always thought they took bad pictures and never liked them.

The olympus e1 gave birth to the modern digital slr and is still an amazing camera 20 years on !!!

Biggest problem I have with mirrorless cameras is the EVF. I like to see through the lens and not look at a miniature screen.

Still have my mother’s Kodak Brownie Target Six Twenty from 1945! She contact printed her own. First camera, Kodak Instamatic, next Hanimex Practica, borrowed a Yashica Electromatic to finish photography class in college when a sudden drop in altitude on takeoff damaged my Gossen light meter, last film camera was a Canon A-1, in 1980 I thought it was a leap in technology. Looking at Canon R6 II, or Nikon ZF or Z6 III.

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie that my grandfather gave me. I actually garbage picked it out of his trash and he let me keep it. I took a lot of pics with it, but usually had to wait months before we could afford to get them developed

I had a brownie as my first camera in the early 60’s. I was maybe 6, and my mom gave me one because I kept messing with her cameras.

Minolta Maxxum 7000 for its AF, Canon 5D Mark II for its video, maybe Canon 1NRS for its glimpse into the mirrorless future with its transparent mirror Would love to see a motion picture camera episode! ✌️

Sony A7, the first full frame mirrorless camera. And what about the first or early cameras with decent autofocus?

Pentax is the most glaring omission. They made revolutionary advancements with in-camera metering and autofocus.

The Olympus E-M5 was the first mirrorless camera with image stabilization

I think another camera that changed things was the first camera with an in-body meter, the Pentax Spotmatic

This was a rough one. Nikon/Canon/Sony fanboys over here... The real important SLR cameras →→→ Praktiflex Praktica - the basis for the standard "camera" form factor. Ihagee Kine Exakta - The first mass-produced SLR Pentax Spotmatic - The first widely produced camera with TTL metering

The Canon AE-1 introduced in 1976 was a ground-breaking camera that stayed in production until 1984. Outside of the US no one knows what a “Rebel” is Canon did not use this name in Europe or the Far-East. (You have a global audience so we’re not all American!)

this is a question for me , I just want too learn from you, do not change you cinematography because my question ????. What is the reason, you videos are so red shifted, in specific the epidermis red color. thanks in advance. saludos Iberians you are the best