In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Started Aug 16, 2015 | Discussions
PhotoPhart
PhotoPhart Senior Member • Posts: 2,281
In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
7

His bosses made him hide it .

"Imagine a world where photography is a slow process that is impossible to master without years of study or apprenticeship. A world without iPhones or Instagram, where one company reigned supreme. Such a world existed in 1973, when Steven Sasson, a young engineer, went to work for Eastman Kodak.

Two years later he invented digital photography and made the first digital camera.

Mr. Sasson, all of 24 years old, invented the process that allows us to make photos with our phones, send images around the world in seconds and share them with millions of people. The same process completely disrupted the industry that was dominated by his Rochester employer and set off a decade of complaints by professional photographers fretting over the ruination of their profession.

Mark9473 Veteran Member • Posts: 6,462
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
2

Nice article, thanks for posting.
--
Mark

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Al D Contributing Member • Posts: 704
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

PhotoPhart wrote:

His bosses made him hide it .

"Imagine a world where photography is a slow process that is impossible to master without years of study or apprenticeship. A world without iPhones or Instagram, where one company reigned supreme. Such a world existed in 1973, when Steven Sasson, a young engineer, went to work for Eastman Kodak.

Two years later he invented digital photography and made the first digital camera.

Mr. Sasson, all of 24 years old, invented the process that allows us to make photos with our phones, send images around the world in seconds and share them with millions of people. The same process completely disrupted the industry that was dominated by his Rochester employer and set off a decade of complaints by professional photographers fretting over the ruination of their profession.

This is a very good read, very interesting, thanks for pointing it out.

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Saint 112 Senior Member • Posts: 2,181
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Very interesting.Thanks for the tip.

There was also an article in 2009 on DPR: Digital camera inventor receives honorary doctorate.

It's always very interesting to get the details about how projects really start and are developed, very often on a very small scale. This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Nick

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walkaround Senior Member • Posts: 2,551
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
8

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Andrea Visconti Regular Member • Posts: 136
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
2

walkaround wrote:

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Right! And the proof is that Fuji is still there, still makes (a few) films and many good digital cameras!

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Saint 112 Senior Member • Posts: 2,181
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

walkaround wrote:

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Well, you are right, my expression was a shortcut. A smart management would have realized the fabulous business opportunity but their business model was film and paper, period. It's practically a text-book case of mismanagement and missed opportunity. But they were dumb, incompetent bureaucrats and they let digital photography kill their own business. Do these guys enjoy a peaceful and affluent retirement?

Bottom line: it's like firearms. Is it the weapon that kill people of is it its owner or both?

Nick

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J A C S
J A C S Forum Pro • Posts: 21,140
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Saint 112 wrote:

walkaround wrote:

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Well, you are right, my expression was a shortcut. A smart management would have realized the fabulous business opportunity but their business model was film and paper, period. It's practically a text-book case of mismanagement and missed opportunity. But they were dumb, incompetent bureaucrats and they let digital photography kill their own business. Do these guys enjoy a peaceful and affluent retirement?

I guess they missed the opportunity to start building electric cars as well?

tbcass
tbcass Forum Pro • Posts: 59,128
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Could there be a parallel between Kodak and Canon's slowness to imbrace new tech?
--
Tom

Look at the picture, not the pixels
------------
Misuse of the ability to do 100% pixel peeping is the bane of digital photography.

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Al D Contributing Member • Posts: 704
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
1

walkaround wrote:

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Koday, just another in the long list of tech giants who missed the boat, along with:

- Xerox, leaving it to Steve Jobs to take the Alto, turn it into an Apple and... the rest is history

- IBM, letting Bill Gates take off with their DOS

- Microsoft, missing the boat on mobile computing

- Big record companies missing the boat on online downloads and music streaming

- Film industry letting Netflix run with the ball

- Yahoo for... well, how many times have they missed the boat?

- etc...

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tbcass
tbcass Forum Pro • Posts: 59,128
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Large companies almost always play it to conservatively letting smaller ones take over.
--
Tom

Look at the picture, not the pixels
------------
Misuse of the ability to do 100% pixel peeping is the bane of digital photography.

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walkaround Senior Member • Posts: 2,551
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
8

tbcass wrote:

Could there be a parallel between Kodak and Canon's slowness to imbrace new tech?

No, but that won't stop moonbats from making one.

tbcass
tbcass Forum Pro • Posts: 59,128
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
1

Don't be so sure. That kind of conservative attitude has been the ruination of many companies.
--
Tom

Look at the picture, not the pixels
------------
Misuse of the ability to do 100% pixel peeping is the bane of digital photography.

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nuke12 Veteran Member • Posts: 3,432
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
2

tbcass wrote:

Don't be so sure. That kind of conservative attitude has been the ruination of many companies.
--

This is the same old mirrorless vs DSLR thing. Mirrorless people seem to think the world should embrace mirrorless tech and any company that doesn't will fail. It's like some mirrorless people want the the world to admit they were wrong in selecting anything but a mirrorless camera?

I don't hate a mirrorless camera. I have one and I like it very much but I dislike this push from both sides that keep saying, what they have is the best for everyone.

Personally, I don't feel either side will be the so called "winner". I think the path forward will see a hybrid of the two systems and we all will win. JMHO

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I'm a photo hacker. I use my expensive equipment to destroy anything in front of my camera. This is a special skill that can never be realized by low life photographers. A nurtured skill since the 1970's.

Szumi Contributing Member • Posts: 827
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Thanks for the trip on the way back machine.  I remember lusting after S-100 computer systems back then.  Sad that Kodak didn't embrace the future when they owned it.

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PhotoPhart
OP PhotoPhart Senior Member • Posts: 2,281
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

nuke12 wrote:

tbcass wrote:

Don't be so sure. That kind of conservative attitude has been the ruination of many companies.
--

This is the same old mirrorless vs DSLR thing. Mirrorless people seem to think the world should embrace mirrorless tech and any company that doesn't will fail. It's like some mirrorless people want the the world to admit they were wrong in selecting anything but a mirrorless camera?

I don't hate a mirrorless camera. I have one and I like it very much but I dislike this push from both sides that keep saying, what they have is the best for everyone.

Personally, I don't feel either side will be the so called "winner". I think the path forward will see a hybrid of the two systems and we all will win. JMHO

There's more to it than that. As Sony keeps on perfecting sensors and especially stacked sensors plus better evf it will put pressure on traditional DSLR's. Thry won't be able to duplicate the features of shutterless and mirrorless. Just go read the new news article put up about the a7R. Just one of the things the article mentions is how mirror slap is becoming an issue as the resolution of sensors increase.

tbcass
tbcass Forum Pro • Posts: 59,128
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

nuke12 wrote:

This is the same old mirrorless vs DSLR thing. Mirrorless people seem to think the world should embrace mirrorless tech and any company that doesn't will fail.

And the DSLR crowed thinks that mirrorless will never be as good. You should have balance in a post that purports to be neutral.

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Tom
Look at the picture, not the pixels
------------
Misuse of the ability to do 100% pixel peeping is the bane of digital photography.

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mostlyboringphotog Forum Pro • Posts: 10,475
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

For most of us on DPR forum, this should not be a news as in, SLR means it's not TLR is not a news.

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chipmaster
chipmaster Veteran Member • Posts: 3,225
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.

Al D wrote:

walkaround wrote:

Saint 112 wrote:

This one litterally changed the world… including killing the company he was working for.

Myth. Digital cameras didn't kill Kodak. Mismanagement and greedy Kodak executives killed Kodak.

The film division never operated in the red.

Koday, just another in the long list of tech giants who missed the boat, along with:

- Xerox, leaving it to Steve Jobs to take the Alto, turn it into an Apple and... the rest is history

- IBM, letting Bill Gates take off with their DOS

- Microsoft, missing the boat on mobile computing

- Big record companies missing the boat on online downloads and music streaming

- Film industry letting Netflix run with the ball

- Yahoo for... well, how many times have they missed the boat?

- etc...

Kodak didn't realize it was in the imaging business.  Their management was confused and figured they were in the film/developing business and milked it too long.

Xerox at the time of PARC was a special place.  Did they see the document business / copiers was going to be excel/word/powerpoint and GUI...?and so cheap that we didn't need copiers and stuff that cost the price of cars?

IBM is in the compute business and simply couldn't embrace new technology that would do it fore cheaper what their mainrame, minicomputers could do.    Took a guy from a cookie company to fix them once, likely the current CEO won't and they need to go outside again.

The theme is the same, the old school management rose milking the golden goose and simply can't see beyond that goose is cooked.  They got to the top milking the goose and they will strangle it before they can see out of the box.

We'll see if Amazon, Google, FB, Apple can avoid these mistakes.

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J A C S
J A C S Forum Pro • Posts: 21,140
Re: In 1975, this Kodak employee invented the digital camera.
1

chipmaster wrote:

Kodak didn't realize it was in the imaging business. Their management was confused and figured they were in the film/developing business and milked it too long.

They were in the film/developing business.

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