camera ottica

The camera obscura, meaning "dark chamber," is the ancestor of the modern photographic camera. This optical device, known since antiquity, projects an inverted image of its surroundings onto a surface through a small aperture.1

Early uses included safely viewing solar eclipses and, by the 16th century, serving as an aid for artists to trace images for drawing. Portable versions were developed, featuring mirrors to orient the image correctly. The invention of light-sensitive plates by J.-N. Niepce led to the creation of photography. Optical systems, which form images, can include various components like lenses and mirrors, with detectors such as the eye or photographic film recording the image.12