Box cameras: The American inventor George Eastman was the first person to use paper negatives in 1844 to make the first film roll and in around 1888 he built his film roll on a transparent base and introduced the Kodak box-camera as the first film roll camera. The box cameras were the simplest types of cameras that were used since the end of 19th century and encouraged millions of people to take on photography. The cameras had a box shaped body and the methods of using them were simple because no adjustments were needed. The focal length, shutter speed and diaphragm size were constant. And for years these types of cameras were ideal devices for armature photographers.

The first types of these cameras were introduced by C. R. Smith in 1844. These cameras used a prism to direct the light into the mirror inside the body of the camera and reflect the image on the visor screen. These cameras have minimum errors on the reflected image and are considered one of the most usable cameras since they are very light and several different lenses can be installed on the body of the camera to take Wide, Tele and Macro pictures of the subjects and specially of moving subjects. The films used for these cameras are 120 0r 620 mm films. The most common type of single lens cameras are 35mm cameras that take 35mm films (also called 135mm cameras). The first 35mm reflex camera was build by IHAGee Company in Germany in 1935 and was called Exakta. These were the most common photography cameras at their time and had many different capabilities suitable for both armature and professional photographers.

Polaroid The most well-known snap shot/instant cameras under Polaroid brand name were designed and introduced for the first time by Edwin land. This camera delivered an instant photo a few seconds after pressing the shutter. In this camera a Polaroid cartridge was used that contained a light-sensitive film instead of a negative film. Each film had a sandwich of three layers. One was a negative layer the other was for the positive image and between two is a layer of reagent chemicals for developing process. A few seconds after taking a photo, by means of applying pressure the chemical agent for is distributed to the negative and positive layers and thus the photo is developed. This type of “dry” developing process under one minute became one of the most exciting processes of its time in instant photography because people enjoyed the chance of seeing the result of their work right after taking the photos. These types of photos were used a lot by the traveling photographers that used the cameras to take photos for people in touristy attractions and historical monuments.

One of the oldest types of cameras, invented by Sir. Charles Wheatstone in 1838. A stereo camera is a type of camera with two or more lenses positioned in a horizontal line, side by side, with a separate image sensor or film frame for each lens. This allows the camera to simulate human binocular vision (left eye and right eye visions), and therefore takes two slightly similar pictures from two angles that create a three-dimensional image, a process known as stereo photography or stereoscopy. In fact stereoscopy is a method for creating a couple of two dimensional and slightly similar images and viewing them with a stereoscope. Stereoscope or the device for viewing the stereo photographs is a device that allows the viewers to see two pictures at the same time and form a single and three dimensional picture in their mind based on those two pictures. With the help of this device each of the pictures is shown to one eye of the viewer. The most common type of this device has two lenses and two frames to enter the pictures this device is called a stereoscope or stereo-viewer. In the Old Iranian society this device was called “world viewer” since it was used to see pictures of the most famous places in the world. And watching those pictures in that device was considered a pass time similar to going to cinema or theater in modern times.

TLR camera (twin lenses reflex) These types of cameras were first built in 1922 in Germany by HEIDECKE and were named Rolliflex. These cameras had two lenses in front of the camera with a divided case for each. But they work together and have similar focal lengths. The upper lens or visor lens uses a mirror with a 45 degree angle fixed at the back of the objective lenses and reflects the picture on the matte focusing screen (viewfinder) at the top of the camera. And the photographer by looking at the viewfinder does the necessary adjustment for framing and composition. The lower lens or the photographic objective is the original lentil or taking lens which creates/reflects an image on the film. In some types of TLR cameras (those that are not fixed-focus models) a parallax error occurs because the photographer views through one lens but takes the photograph through another.

Folding Camera: These types of cameras can be folded to a compact and rugged package when not in use. A cloth or leather bellows, prevents the light from entering the space between the lens and the light sensitive film. This camera is similar to the old studio cameras but in general it is considered a medium sized camera that needs adjustment for focal length, diaphragm and shutter. Working with this camera is slightly more difficult compared to box type cameras. However the photos taken with this camera have better focus and therefore these cameras at their time were used by professional photographers. The first type of a folding camera was built in 1885 and in 1897 the first type of film roll folding cameras were introduced. Some of these cameras use both single plate films and film rolls. The professional folding cameras were available in different sizes from 13*18 to 20*30 .

Studio camera: They are large cameras that always have to be set on tripods. Usually these cameras have wooden boxes and include a folding leather box (bellows) for the lens. In this method of photography first the image is directly reflected through lens on the matte screen at the back of the camera, the image at this stage is upside down. The folding lens box allows adjustment for better focus. Since at this stage the image on the matte screen is blurred the photographer needs to work under a black cloth covering the box. At the end a plate that contains the light sensitive film is replaced with the matte screen, exactly where the image has the best focus. To take the photo the containers cover or the lens cover should be removed for a few seconds to allow for the light to create the picture on film. For each photo a new plate should be placed in the camera. These cameras usually need glass negative plates in the following sizes: 9*12 -13*18 – 20*25 – 20*30