The most revolutionary camera designs in photo history... suggest your top 3!

[nemophoto]

1) Canon EOS3 with eye controlled autofocus
2) Hassleblad ELM - first motorized medium format
3) Canon 1Ds - first truly hi-res 35mm based, full-frame camera

[shadowblade]

1. Digital mirrorless. Not for the Sony A7 series or other high-end cameras, but for the fact that it allowed everything from camera smartphones, to videoconferencing, to GoPros, to combining video and still in the same machine.

2. Whichever was the first camera to introduce AF.

3. The SLR - the first through-the-lens preview system that wasn't a ground glass on a view camera. Image preview that was both fast (unlike ground glass) and accurate (unlike everything else).

[Paulo Bizarro]

Canon D30 - the first DSLR lauded in Lula as equalling film quality

Before that, the Canon EOS Rebel line, starting with film, and continuing today, as the most successful line of cheap cameras ever. Real photography for the masses, on the cheap.

Canon EOS 1V - the best camera I have ever used, this is a thing of beauty and functionality, with a luscious tactile feel.

Hey, I have used Canon EOS for 20 years for a reason!

[Theodoros]

I can see why one would suggest the Brownie, ...but the Eos 30D? What is revolutionary about it? It was an important camera alright for the reasons you mention (its time resisting for IQ sensor) but that doesn't make a camera "revolutionary" for its use... It only makes it "important"... doesn't it?
By applying the same reasoning as you do, one could call (even more) revolutionary the Nikon D90 for being the first camera that offers video... But again, this only makes it important... not revolutionary.

[Erick Boileau]

iPhone

[Theodoros]

iPhone

Personally, other than the cameras I suggested and the Brownie and Polaroid that others suggested, I would also consider the maker of the first folding camera (don't know who is first... is it Zeiss with the the Ikonta?), the maker of the first folding view camera with movements (is it Linhof?) and some more including makers of "panoramics" like Seitz, Fuji & Holga... (don't know who made first what... but know the cameras and have used Seitz extensively).
Other than the above, I would consider the maker of the first phone with ability to capture pictures, but to my knowledge, iphone is far from being it... But again, picture making by using a cell phone, doesn't really revolutionize picture taking... does it? IMO it only replaces a small tiny sensor camera integrating it with the cell phone... not much innovation into it, ...is there? I think that people that would suggest the Nikon F3-AF (first AF camera ever) or the Nikonos series that one could use both underwater and as a rangefinder, makes more sense...
 

[kers]

Looking at the future,
I think the  Light L16 Camera, the Ricoh Theta S and similar cameras that produce a computed image from several simultaneous gathered images will be revolutionary.

[Peter McLennan]

Pentax Spotmatic.   First SLR with TTL metering.

Also, my first real camera.

[Theodoros]

OK... Up to now the suggestions include Voightlander Prominent, Fuji GX-680, Sinar M system, the Polaroid instant film, the Kodak Brownie, the first folding camera (does anybody know if it is the Zeiss Ikonta?), the first hand held camera with movements (is it the Linhof?), the Nikon F (because of its completely modular design with finders, screens etc), the Nikon F3 AF (the camera that introduced AF), the original Nikonos & the Pentax Spotmatic (for introducing TTL metering)....

I think we should drop Nikon D1, EOS 30D, the digital Kodaks and the various phones, since there is no revolution introduced for picture talking other than being digital, ergonomics & image quality (which are are all different to revolution in picture taking) and we should also reject the Hasselblad ELM (because the motor is ergonomics, it doesn't affect one's photography)... but I also think we should include the first modular MF ever (was that the Hasselblad 1000?), or consider Hasselblad 500c since it added leaf shutter & polaroid back on top...

If there are no objections, that leaves us with what is on the first paragraph & the Hasselblad 500c added... I think that there are more that can be added, please contribute your knowledge on revolutionary cameras!

[Erick Boileau]

But again, picture making by using a cell phone, doesn't really revolutionize picture taking

in my opinion it is the most revolutionary modern camera

[Peter McLennan]

in my opinion it is the most revolutionary modern camera

Agreed.  The "share" button adds brand new functionality to photography.

[BernardLanguillier]

Funny how we all seem to have different definitions of what a revolutionary camera is.

To me, it is:
- A camera whose design marked a turning point and was followed/copied by many others later,
- A camera that enabled to take pictures that could not be taken before it appeared, or at least not at a reasonnable price,

That's why I picked the D1, but the Nikon F is also another great candidate.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Theodoros]

To me, it is:
- A camera whose design marked a turning point and was followed/copied by many others later,
- A camera that enabled to take pictures that could not be taken before it appeared, or at least not at a reasonnable price,

That's why I picked the D1, but the Nikon F is also another great candidate.

Cheers,
Bernard

Agree on both factors but for the phrase "and was followed/copied by many others later". There are cases where the camera was revolutionary and did marked a "turning point" but wasn't followed/copied... Take the Voightlander Prominent for instance, the camera was as compact as the Leica M, it was as well (or even better) build, it shared the same focusing system, but additionally offered leaf shutter which enabled flash sync at all speeds and focusing was done via an on camera body focusing wheel that controlled a mechanism which moves the lens instead of having a focusing ring.

http://www.shutterbug.com/content/prominent#MRrpZySQiEHJGFIU.97

As one knows, a lens that doesn't have focusing mechanism, (and thus no moving elements) maximizes its optical performance considerably, but both the functions (as well as most of the rest of the solutions that where implemented on this camera system as accessories to be added on), where unique to it....

On the OTH, the D1 is in reality an F5 but with digital sensor (and no interchangeable finder), it doesn't add for picture taking to the F5....

[Chris Livsey]

The Leica I or A in some foreign markets 

The refined and improved version of Barnack’s UR camera went into production under the name of Leica and was presented to the public in March 1925, at the Leipzig Spring Fair. It was fitted with a non-interchangeable, Leitz Anastigmat 50 mm f/3.5 lens designed by Max Berek in a collapsible mount.
Like the discussion on the D1 it was not the first to use 35mm movie film but was the one that "took off".
Was the M3 revolutionary ? IMHO no it was a continuation of the refinement of the original. But perhaps the OP title design rather than technology would reverse that order?

[Theodoros]

The Leica I or A in some foreign markets 

The refined and improved version of Barnack’s UR camera went into production under the name of Leica and was presented to the public in March 1925, at the Leipzig Spring Fair. It was fitted with a non-interchangeable, Leitz Anastigmat 50 mm f/3.5 lens designed by Max Berek in a collapsible mount.
Like the discussion on the D1 it was not the first to use 35mm movie film but was the one that "took off".

I was waiting for one to suggest the Leica M (or perhaps it should be the Barnack UR), as I think it should definitely be among the proposed...

Was the M3 revolutionary ? IMHO no it was a continuation of the refinement of the original. But perhaps the OP title design rather than technology would reverse that order?

"Revolutionary" (in this discussion) is used as to suggest a pioneering product that can improve one's ability into different tasks of picture taking... From this POV, the product doesn't have to introduce new technology but rather to have the design as to apply existing knowledge of technology. Take the view camera for example, it doesn't invent Scheimpflug's theory... it rather applies the theory by the design of the product... still I think that the first camera (ever in production) with full lens movements with respect to light sensitive area plane should also be included among the proposed.

[Mjollnir]

Kodak Instamatic, esp, the 'pocket Instamatic'.

[Chris Livsey]

"Revolutionary" (in this discussion) is used as to suggest a pioneering product that can improve one's ability into different tasks of picture taking...

That's interesting as a defnition as the D1 then, or any other early digital contender, doesn't really fit, it replaced the recording medium but didn't "improve one's ability into different tasks of picture taking" unless you contend the ability to shoot almost unlimited frames did that but forget the 250 exposure backs from Nikon and others or the ability to "see" the result instantly already done by Polaroid but most, including me and you above, seem to agree it was revolutionary. Was that because of what followed, the near death of film certainly at a consumer level?

[Chris Livsey]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1550622.stm

I hope not a blocked link out of the UK. First camera phone 110,000-pixel (0.11M in modern speak) . Note the comments below the article.

[Theodoros]

That's interesting as a defnition as the D1 then, or any other early digital contender, doesn't really fit, it replaced the recording medium but didn't "improve one's ability into different tasks of picture taking" unless you contend the ability to shoot almost unlimited frames did that but forget the 250 exposure backs from Nikon and others or the ability to "see" the result instantly already done by Polaroid but most, including me and you above, seem to agree it was revolutionary. Was that because of what followed, the near death of film certainly at a consumer level?

But... I didn't agree that D1 should be included, actually in my reply to Bernard above, I mention that "it is only an F5 with a digital sensor"... In fact I believe that the material used for light sensitive area is irrelevant to the camera's own abilities of providing tools for one's photography... That said, I think that cameras with no control over lighting (like the Kodak instamatic or the instant Polaroid, or various phones) should NOT be included, they are important to the growth of the photo industry alright, but didn't offer anything as to improve one's picture taking...
 
Especially for the polaroid instant developing film, I think that it is the film that is important, not the camera... As such, I would consider cameras that use the instant film on a creative manner (like it used on an MF interchangeable back camera), but would not consider cameras that are aimed to capture "snaps" with respect to others that aim to creative photography.

[ErikKaffehr]

1) The original Leica -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leica_Camera#History
2) The Kine Exacta - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kine_Exakta
3) Canon D30 http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canond30

Explanations


- The original Leica established the 135 format
- The Kine Exacta was the first SLR
- The Canon D30 was the first DSLR at an affordable price and also the first DSLR with a CMOS sensor

Cameras that should have been mentioned:

The Hasselblad 500 series
The Casio camera that once upon the time defined the digital camera platform with an LCD display on the back.

Best reagrds
Erik