The first video camera was created by Louis Le Prince, a French inventor, in the late 19th century. He created the first and oldest motion video in existence using his single lens camera, “Roundhay Garden Scene” a two second silent film of people walking in a garden.

Louis Le Prince’s video camera, known as the “Single-lens Type-1” camera, had several key features. It used a single lens to capture images, had a rotating disk with multiple lenses for continuous recording, and used paper film as the recording medium. Le Prince’s camera was a significant step towards the development of motion picture technology.

Louis Le Prince’s camera differed from previous cameras in a few ways. Firstly, it was designed specifically for capturing motion, whereas earlier cameras were primarily used for still photography. Additionally, Le Prince’s camera used a single lens and a rotating disk with multiple lenses, allowing for continuous recording, which was a novel feature at the time. Lastly, it used paper film as the recording medium, whereas earlier cameras typically used glass plates or other materials.

Thomas Edison played a significant role in the development of motion pictures and is often credited with inventing the first practical motion picture camera called the Kinetograph, however, it was his employer Sir William Kennedy Laurie Dickson who created the Kinetograph. Although Edison tried to create one at the time, it was Sir William Kennedy’s that turned out to be the superior make. In my next blog I will share what camera was invented by Sir William Kennedy and who were the other significant pioneers in the history of cinematography.