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Some of the earliest cameras were the simple box cameras. As the name implies, the camera is made up of a box with a lens on one end and a mechanism for holding the film on the other end.
Early Box Cameras
Box cameras became the first consumer cameras at the end of the 19th century, according to camerapedia.org. By 1900, the Yale plate box camera could be purchased for $2 and the Kodak rollfilm box cost $1. With the success of these models, many other manufacturers soon offered box cameras.
Box Camera Features
Early box cameras had one control, the shutter button. The lens had a fixed aperture, shutter speed and focus point. They were the earliest "point-and-shoot" cameras.
Collecting Box Cameras
The Kodak Brownie is the most common of the box cameras. First produced in 1900, the Brownie was available in various models until the 1960s. The value of these collector's items varies depending upon the scarcity of the individual model. The value of cameras built by other manufacturers also depends upon quality and scarcity.
Using Box Cameras
Because of its simple design, there is little to fail in a box camera. If the box remains light tight and the shutter still works, the camera is useable. Finding film of the proper size and having it processed can be the bigger challenge for photographers trying to use their box camera.
Modern Box Cameras
Some manufacturers of close circuit television cameras refer to them as box cameras due to the shape of the camera body.
