Cameras in lore?

[Zen]

Hi there! I've been searching around and haven't been able to find anything pertaining to cameras in lore. So far I've only seen references to painting and I saw references to magazines in the game. Since those magazines have pictures, I was wondering how those pictures got there.  Is there something like a camera in lore? Or is it assumed that they could exist in Eorzea? Maybe I just don't know the terminology to search. Any help is appreciated! 

[Valence]

Pictures on magazines are done through painting and drawing as far as I know. The covers of every newspaper and magazine in Eorzea seems to be made that way.

 

For cameras I have literally no idea. I'm pretty sure we've seen screens and monitors in Allagan tech, we've also seen them in Omegascape, but for Garlemald it seems unclear to me. They certainly use doodads and monitors showing data as seen in various castrums and their airships, but do they show actual pictures taken with cameras, or just raw data?

[Dweek]

I've always explained the way of "capturing your likeness" as with a Magitek device.   Considering all the things they can do, they gotta be able to spit out a mini painted portrait .

[Maril]

Magitek is powered by ceruleum, which is very explosive. My first thought on it is that even if that kind of magitek had reached it's way into Eorzea reliably, holding something to take a picture that could also malfunction and explode your arm wouldn't be very appealing. My other thought on it is that it is a "big deal" technology, meaning that as soon as it'd be in Eorzea, it would spread and be more notable/visible in the universe & we'd see examples of it in quests and similar descriptions- and less so examples of hand-painted or printing-press style stuff. Think about how big of a deal it was to the OOC world. It would likely also hit the public in stages- from researchers to the rich and then onwards - Ul'dah has a monopoly on the Eorzean production of ceruleum (see Northern Thanalan).

So it's essentially a case of (as per how I see it) sure it might be technically possible but it's not where Eorzea is at yet, and with the upcoming expansion being (most likely) literally Garlemald I'd rather bide my time and wait to see how the lore-writers are going to incorporate a burst of magitek-influence into the Eorzean culture. They could go various ways, from destroying it, prohibiting it, burying it underground, repeat the whole "allagan" incident in real time.... And there's likely always going to be some resistence towards Magitek (as seen in Ala Mhigo-areas, I'm thinking about the people who wanted to blow that big tower thing up that the anarta prettied up instead)

 

But I have seen various people use "picture boxes" and even display movies icly, so if that's what you wanna do for fun in your RP you totally could, I just would hesitate to think of it as canon lore and more your own twist/take on things. Give it some extra thought and write it well and you'll always have some people interested.

[ShoggMommy]

As a photographer (I work in the industry professionally), I would like to point out that cameras have existed since 391 BC in the form of a Camera obscura which are a forerunner to the photographic camera. However this requires the individual to draw onto the parchment with a projected inverted image. The camera obscura itself has been around since 1550 with a window (like a window on a house) shutter. And portable ones have existed since the 17th century. 

The 'modern' camera as we can think of them is around early 1700's, and the earliest photo from 1826 of the View from the Window at Le Gras that is in existence today. These involve using more 'box' type cameras and the first permanent photograph was from Joseph Nicephore Niepce using said wooden box photograph. 

Analogue cameras have been around for a really long time, and have worked on either by hand or by mechanical operation. Daguerreotype photographs had almost a 3d type look to them. Further, you don't really need a lot of tech to make a photograph. However something to keep in mind if you are creating analogue photographs you will have to know chemicals to some extent. So certainly can suggest maybe some knowledge in alchemy. But be aware that early photography chemicals are highly toxic and have been thought to have killed photographers.

Keep in mind that albumen prints also known as 'silver prints' were made with egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals, this was published in 1847 by Louis Desire Blanquart-Evrard. So there are many, many ways to make photographs, cyanotypes, etc. 

I'd suggest reading up on old methods of photography if you would like to go that route. 
I would say it's highly plausible that cameras exist in some shape of the form, but nothing like what we would consider digital cameras currently.

In my opinion? You would not need things like ceruleum, magitek, crystals, magic, etc to make a photograph. You don't need an LCD or anything remotely allagan for a photograph. Lore/Canon? not to my knowledge; plausible-head canon; arguably yes. Something I want to also stress... We have microscopes in game. Which seem to be around 17th-18th c. versions. And we do have lenses, it's an alchemy requirement for recipes

You can see some cameras from mid 1800's here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/58757970117325781/ 

Daguerreotype Camera: 




Albumen Print

Daguerreotype 

View from a Window

Edited August 7, 2018 by Fox

[Zen]

Thank you so much for the replies; they give me food for thought - especially for the direction of real-world history of cameras to research in lieu of a lore-related item. I'll rummage around google and see what I can put together. Thank you again!