Camera's history is extremely interesting, with the precursor of the camera being the Camera Obscura. The camera Obscura was not a hand-held camera per se, but was a dark chamber which consisted of an optical device for drawing. The camera Obscura used a lens or a pinhole to project the image of the scene on a viewing surface. The first camera Obscuras were large enough to house one or more person. The evolution into hand-held cameras was much more gradual. However, even the handheld cameras of yore couldn't be compared to the compact-sized cameras that we all use today.