A photograph without film

01 / The briefing

Begin with the question.

In 1975, Steven Sasson built a self-contained digital camera prototype at Kodak. It was not a modern consumer camera disguised in a large box: sensing, conversion, storage and playback all imposed constraints. Your investigation asks what the demonstration actually proved and what remained to be engineered. Evaluate the artifact as a chain of functions rather than judging it only by present-day image quality. The source set includes a patent naming Gareth Lloyd and Sasson and institutional accounts of the prototype. This is not a case claiming that one management decision explains Kodak's later corporate history. A successful proof of principle, a marketable product and a successful long-term business strategy are different propositions requiring different evidence.

The timeline

1. 1974

   Gareth Lloyd assigns Sasson to investigate a CCD-based camera sensor application, according to the Inventors Hall of Fame.

2. 1975-12

   Sasson’s prototype records its first digital photographs.

3. 1977-05-20

   Kodak files the application that becomes US Patent 4,131,919.

4. 1978-12-26

   The electronic still-camera patent is granted and published.

A researched reconstruction for learning. These reasoning steps simplify a complex record; no score can capture the full history.

02 / The evidence

What does the record show?

Read each exhibit before settling on an explanation. The numbered source links below every exhibit lead to the record behind it.

03 / Your reasoning

Follow the strongest explanation.

Choose an interpretation, then compare it with the evidence. You can revise your choice. The goal is understanding, not a perfect score.

04 / The findings

The chain behind the outcome.

The prototype answered a bounded engineering question: an image could be captured, digitized, stored and reconstructed without making film the recording medium. Its limited resolution and slow recording show where the implementation still needed improvement; they do not erase the demonstrated principle. The patent makes the relationship between stages especially useful to examine, because capture and recording need not operate at the same rate. The right next investigation would measure the bottlenecks and test changes, rather than declaring either total failure or inevitable commercial victory. Credit also requires precision: Sasson built the celebrated prototype, while the patent names both him and Lloyd. Nothing in this small evidence set justifies a complete story of Kodak's later fortunes. The broader lesson is to state exactly what a prototype proves, what it does not prove, and which separate tests would be needed for a product or business claim.

Take the method with you

• Evaluate prototypes against their intended proof.
• Inspect interfaces and rate mismatches between components.
• Do not substitute a memorable invention story for business evidence.

You can read findings at any time. Exploring every reasoning step marks this case as complete in your notebook.