The first device recognized as a camera was invented in 1816 by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. He created a prototype camera and took the first photograph ever, which required around eight hours of exposure. This earliest photographic camera used silver chloride-coated paper, where the regions not exposed to light would turn dark. Niépce's photograph was not permanent, but it marked the beginning of photographic cameras. Before Niépce, in 1685, Johann Zahn designed the first portable camera concept, but it took about 130 years for significant progress to be made beyond that design. Both Johann Zahn and Joseph Nicéphore Niépce are credited for the invention of the first camera, with Niépce taking the first actual photograph. Later, in 1839, Louis Daguerre invented the daguerreotype, which was an early form of camera creating a permanent image and became widely popular. In summary:
- First camera design by Johann Zahn in 1685
- First photographic camera invention and first photograph by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1816
- First permanent photographic process by Louis Daguerre in 1839.
