Why is a camera important to have?

Cameras and other image-capturing devices provide an important aspect of recorded history, and allow investigation of phenomena that cannot be observed in real time.

The first cameras in the 19th century made possible an actual "look" at the people and places of the time, as opposed to paintings or descriptions. During the civil war, Matthew Perry made extensive use of his camera to document the conflict. The photograph was used to document events such as the Transcontinental Railroad.

As a scientific tool, cameras can be used to study events that are too ephemeral or rapid for human eyes, such as meteor showers or the movement of a hummingbird's wings. In industrial testing, still and motion cameras can record and replay the stages and steps of events such as the burning of chemicals or automotive test collisions.

In astronomy, cameras record various frequencies of light or radiation from distant stars, which can reveal their characteristics. In 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was found by comparing photographs of the night sky over a period of several weeks.