When film cameras first hit the market decades ago there were only a few manufacturers in business. George Eastman and his Kodak Company led the way over 100 years ago and Kodak is still one of the top names in the business today. Cameras started to become popular around the world and the Japanese firms Nikon and Fuji were soon developing quality cameras and film in Asia. Before you could say, "Jimmy cracked corn" camera companies were popping up all over the world, with the most successful ones being concentrated in Asia, Europe and North America. These companies were using advanced technology to develop better cameras, smaller cameras, new types of cameras and film for the market as quickly as possible. Underwater models were introduced and cameras were getting easier to use year after year.
In 1985, Minolta marketed the world's first autofocus single lens reflex (SLR) camera system. Even though digital cameras are rapidly outselling film versions, most of these companies are still producing an assortment of well made film cameras.
