A Brief History of Compact Film Cameras
Point-and-shoot cameras have a long history in the world of photography. The first point-and-shoot camera was introduced in 1900 by Kodak, but it wasn't until the 1970s that they became widely available and affordable.
Kodak Box Brownie
The Kodak Box Brownie, first introduced in 1900, was a revolutionary camera that made photography accessible to the masses. It was affordable, easy to use, made mostly of cardboard and produced satisfactory images. The Box Brownie was a game-changer for casual photography, however its roll film format would eventually be superseded by what we know now as 35mm film.
Fixed Lens Rangefinders
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, 35mm compact cameras became increasingly popular. Makers is Europe, Japan and America, produce many options at all price points. Overtime, makers added selenium cell light meter which facilitated autoexposure, such as in the perennial Olympus Trip 35mm. This made casual photography easier and faster. However, by the 1970s users were ready for modern, electronic features, such as built in flash, autofocus, power winding and eventually zoom lenses and full automation.
Konica C35 AF
The first modern point-and-shoot camera to incorporate built-in flash and autofocus was the Konica C35 AF, introduced in 1977. These features, made taking sharp photos in most lighting conditions without manually adjusting the focus easier for casual users. This camera was a huge success and sold over 5 million units.
Canon Autoboy/AF35M
By the end of the 1970's, point-and-shoot cameras dominated the market and increasing competition for sales forced makers to continually innovate. For many brands this meant a race towards full automation and which Canon won in 1979 with the release of the AF35M or Autoboy in Japan. It featured a 38mm f/2.8 lens and a simple and fully automated exposure and focus system that made it fast and easy to use. It was another huge success and sold millions of units.
Pentax Zoom 70
Following full automation, the next frontier was zoom lenses. Initially, models from Minolta, Canon and Nikon offered bifocal lenses, which allow the user to switch between a wide and short tele focal length. However, the Pentax were the first to integrate a genuine zoom into a compact point and shoot. First released in 1987, the Pentax Zoom 70 featured a 35-70mm f/3.5-6.5 zoom lens and automatic exposure with a manual override option. The camera had a large, brick like design but proved a popular choice among consumers and remains a sought-after vintage camera today.
Premium Point and Shoots
By the turn of the century, the point and shoot market was completely saturated with consumer level options, making premium alternatives for serious photographers necessary. Offerings from Yashica, Contax and Ricoh became popular. These cameras were sleek, stylish, often made of metal and featured fast, high end optics. The Yashica T4, Contax T2, Fujifilm Klasse and Ricoh GR Series were among the most popular premium options available new until the mid-2000s.
In conclusion, point-and-shoot cameras have a rich history in film photography, and have evolved to become more sophisticated and widely accessible. While digital cameras and now camera-phones threatened replaced them, film point-and-shoot cameras remain a great choice for anyone looking for a fun, stylish camera.