Kodak ignored the man who invented the digital camera..

28 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this narrated segment, Dan Novaes recounts how Steven Sasson, an engineer at Kodak, invented the first digital camera in 1975. At a time when photography relied on chemical film, Sasson assembled a prototype using parts from various devices, creating an 8‑pound camera that recorded low‑resolution (≈0.01 megapixel) images onto a cassette tape and displayed them on a screen. Despite this breakthrough, Kodak failed to fully embrace the technology, and decades later digital photography supplanted film worldwide. The narration highlights the technical details of the prototype, the irony of Kodak's inaction, and the lasting impact of Sasson's invention on how memories are captured.

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Steven Sasson created the first digital camera while working at Kodak in 1975. At the time, photography meant film. Pictures had to be developed chemically. Photos took time to process, and every shot required a physical roll of film. Sasson wondered if images could be captured electronically. Using parts from several devices, he built a prototype camera. It weighed nearly 8 pounds. Instead of film, it recorded images onto a cassette tape. The resolution was extremely low, about 0.01 megapixels, but the concept worked. The camera captured a digital image that could be displayed on a screen. Ironically, the company that invented the digital camera did fully embrace the technology. Years later, digital photography would replace film worldwide. Stephen Sasson didn't just invent a device, he quietly introduced the future of how the world captures memories.