Jun 22, 2023
“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” There is no better role model for this Thomas Edison quote than Steve Sasson, the electrical engineer fresh out of grad school who was hired to work in a Kodak research lab, in 1973. With a passion for scavenging parts and a penchant for invention, he developed the world’s first self-contained digital camera just two years after his arrival in the lab.
In honor of National Camera Day, we invited Sasson to the
podcast for an in-depth discussion about his invention of this
revolutionary device. Listen in to hear about the surprising
reception Sasson’s prototype received from Kodak executives during
early demonstrations of its use, the complicated mix of cultural
and business factors confronting a company in the throes of
innovation, the many years that elapsed before Sasson was allowed
to speak publicly about the camera, and much, much more.
In addition to being a storyline worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster,
our conversation offers rare insight into the inner workings of a
long-established, successful company that knows a lot about the
problem but doesn’t like the answer. Stay to the end to hear Sasson
make a comparison to a groundbreaking technological development in
the corporate world today.
Guest: Steve Sasson
For more information on our guest and the gear he uses, see:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/invention-of-digital-camera
Above photograph © Courtesy of the George Eastman MuseumStay Connected
Steve Sasson Profile at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute:
https://eng.rpi.edu/about/alumni-achievements/steven-j-sasson
Steve Sasson at the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame:
https://www.invent.org/inductees/steven-sasson
Steve Sasson at the National Science & Technology Medals
Foundation: https://nationalmedals.org/laureate/steven-sasson/
The George Eastman Museum: https://www.eastman.org