The history of the camera spans several centuries, evolving from basic optical devices to the sophisticated digital systems we use today. Below is an overview of the key milestones: --- 1. The Camera Obscura (5th-15th Century) The camera obscura ("dark room") is the earliest form of a camera. It was used by scientists and artists to project an inverted image of a scene through a small hole onto a flat surface. Not a device for capturing images, it served primarily as a drawing aid. --- 2. Early