Photography is a wonderful field that can be considered a mix of science and art, and I am but a mere enthusiast who has a desire to grow in this subject area.  As part of my blogging experience, I aim to document and organize key photography concepts, not just to share with you, but more importantly for personal edification.  If at anytime you come across any incorrect statements, please pardon me and let me know of my mistake.

As for this first post, I will briefly review the most influential variations of the camera, which has a rich and interesting history that stems back into the late 1600s.  I'm not going to re-write all of the great information that is out there on the web, but rather provide a centralized catalog as a starting point.

Camera Obscura (1000 AD)

Known as the pinhole camera, this Latin name literally translates to "Dark Chamber".  Early discoveries and knowledge of light properties passing through a small hole was understood between 500-300 BC, however it wasn't until the 1000s when Ibn al-Haytham, an influential Persian scientist and philosopher, documented his observations and created the first physical camera obscura.

Camera Lucida (1800)

Created as a portable drawing aid for artist, the literal Latin translation of the given name is "Lit Chamber".  Disappointed with the usability of the Camera Lucida, William Fox Talbot envisioned a tool or mechanism that would automatically record the images.  He would later go on to invent the negative photographic process.

Large and Medium Format Camera (1890)

These formats were the most common film and camera standards used between 1890 and 1950, before the 35mm format took off. Although no longer a common format, it is now primarily used in professional photography due to it's larger footprint which yields higher image quality.  Hasselblad set the standard for Medium Format photography, and to date creates medium format cameras for digital format.

Twin Lens Reflex Camera (1872)

Advances in mechanical engineering and production eventually led to the development of boxed cameras, including the Twin Lens Reflex camera.  The TLR camera is comprised of 2 lenses, one which captures the image to be photographed, and the other acts as a display for the viewfinder.  Although variations of this camera began to appear in the late 1800s, it wasn't until the early 1920s when the camera evolved into a true reflex camera with the release of the RolleiFlex.  Read more about the TLR camera at Mediajoy.

Single Lens Reflex Camera (1884)

Although the TLR was extremely popular during its time, its heft was far too great for portability.  In 1861 Thomas Sutton invented the SLR camera, however due to it's complicated design, it did not hit the production market until 1884 as a Large Format film camera.  The 35mm variations started to appear in the 1930s, which is when Carl Zeiss refined its design to the one that is used in today's market.  The 1950s saw a rise in Japanese manufacturing of SLR cameras by the likes of Pentax, Nikon, Minolta, and Canon.  As interest grew across the world in SLR development, technilogical advances in computers brought about many amazing and new features including auto-exposure, light metering, and auto-focus.

35mm Camera (1913)

The first 35mm camera was created by Oskar Barnack as a prototype.  Well, you may be asking yourself, what happened during the 113 years gap?  During the 1800-1913 timeframe, major advances in recording light had taken place.  Methods ranging from dry plates by Louis Jacques Daguerre to photographic film by George Eastman.  Eastman brought photography to the mainstream through the creation of the "Kodak" camera, aimed at the consumer world.

Instant Camera (1947)

Pioneered by Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, the instant camera gave the consumer the ability to bypass the development process.  This remarkable design gained huge popularity through the 1970s due to it's ease of use and instant gratification for the end-user.

Point & Shoot Camera

The Point and Shoot Camera is the most widely purchased camera equipment, particularly because of it's appeal to the mainstream market.  They are generally compact, especially compared to the TLR/SLR counterparts, and user-friendly therefore allowing the user to worry more about having fun rather than creating a perfect image.

Disposable Camera (1986)

Fujitsu developed the first disposable camera in 1986, and this line of camera saw great success as consumers did not need to worry about owning their own equipment.

Visit Wikiepedia for a comprehensive list of camera types.