The Camera

A camera is a special tool that makes pictures. It catches light through a small hole called a lens. Then it saves what it sees. People use cameras to remember fun times, take photos of pets, and share moments with family and friends.

How Cameras Work

A camera has a lens on the front. Light goes through the lens and lands inside the camera. Old cameras used film to save the picture. New cameras use a tiny computer chip. The chip turns light into a photo you can see on a screen.

The History of Cameras

The first real camera was made almost 200 years ago. It was big and heavy. You had to sit very still for a long time to get your photo taken. Over time, cameras got smaller and faster. Today, most phones have a camera built right in.

Fun Facts

• The word camera comes from a Latin word that means room.
• The first photo ever taken needed eight hours of sunlight to work.
• People take more than a trillion photos each year around the world.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the camera on your phone is better than the big cameras used by space scientists just 30 years ago?