In ancient times there were the first attempts to develop a camera. But it took until the 19th century to build the basic features of a camera as we know it today. After that, it was quite fast, more and more model and innovations. To this day, companies, engineers, developers and creatives are trying to build the perfect camera. Many attempts have failed, others are legendary to this day.

We give you an overview of the most diverse camera models. Some are well-known, other cameras were almost forgotten. You will find information about the functions, history and whether it is still possible to use the camera to take pictures today.

Film cameras need film. Without fresh film material, nothing works in analog photography and you can't take pictures. The film material is light-sensitive and converts and stores the light that falls through the optics of the camera. So film is a mixture of an image sensor (of a digital camera) and a storage medium.

As with cameras, there are and have been a lot of different films. The main distinguishing features are type, format and development. The main types are black and white film and color film. These can then be further subdivided into color negative film, color slide film, orthochromatic black and white film and more. Each film differs then also still mall in the (color) characteristics and sensitivity.

As you can see, there are many different possible combinations, which is why there are and have been so many different films. There is just not the perfect film, but the film choice is always dependent on the shooting situation, camera and the desired result. We give you an overview of the photo films developed over the decades, describe the special features and show which ones can still be bought today.