kamera

Kamera is a device that records visual images either as still photographs or as moving pictures. It consists of an optical system that forms an image, a light-tight enclosure, and a recording medium. Modern cameras capture light via sensors or film, and provide controls for exposure, focus, and image format.

The word Kamera derives from the Latin camera, meaning room, via the camera obscura, a historical device used to project scenes. The modern photographic camera emerged in the 19th century with advances such as Daguerre's daguerreotype and Henry Fox Talbot's calotype, leading to widespread photographic practice.

Today cameras span many types: digital cameras (DSLRs, mirrorless, and compact point‑and‑shoots), film cameras, cinema cameras, and specialized forms such as action cams and instant cameras. They share core components: a lens, an image sensor or film, a shutter, and control electronics. Most also include autofocus, optical or electronic image stabilization, and various mounts for interchangeable lenses.

Operation involves exposing the recording medium to light according to exposure settings (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO), with color, tone, and sharpness adjusted through metering, white balance, and processing. Output formats range from JPEGs and RAW files to motion files in digital video. Kameras have transformed science, journalism, art, and everyday life and continue to evolve with innovations in sensor technology, computational photography, and video capabilities.