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House of Images
The body of the camera, better known as the housing, is the main component. It incorporates and protects the inside of the camera machine. It can be contoured to match a photographer's hand or it can be boxy, serving its purpose in a utilitarian fashion. Within the body are a couple of major parts to remember. The storage chamber, the viewfinder, the trigger, the battery or power source and the lens.
Storage Evolution
The storage chamber is where you save images captured with the camera. This used to be where a user installs camera film located on the backside of the camera; for some photo enthusiasts, rolls of film are still a must, each shot burning a negative image of a photograph to be developed later. For digital cameras and most modern users, a small storage disc carries all the images taken and is usually found on the side of the camera.
Viewfinder
The viewfinder is what most people think of aside from a lens with a camera. It's the part you see through to view the photo target. Cheap cameras have a little window in the corner with a glass to see through. High-end cameras, known as Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras, use a mirror inside the housing designed to show you the image as it comes through the camera lens. Then, as you actually take the photo, the mirror snaps up for a brief second to catch the same image on film or a digital capture system, finally returning the mirror to the viewing position. This all happens in fractions of a second.
Trigger
The trigger is where the magic occurs. It is the actuating system that tells the camera to capture the image at which you are aiming. Triggers can be built in the form of buttons or cables that carry a steel actuator that does the same job, screwing into the camera at the default trigger button. Cables tend to be used when the camera is on a tripod and the user doesn't want to shake the camera at all when taking a photo. They only function on high-end cameras and old medium or large format units.
Power Sources
Most modern cameras today use batteries as a power source. This provide automatic function and, when film was used, automatic forwarding of the film frames. Prior to batteries, the user was provided a winding mechanism pushed by the thumb to move the film along inside the camera.
Without good batteries, modern picture-taking doesn't happen. However, while most consumer cameras use over-the-counter batteries, professional cameras have designed, rechargeable units that snap into place in the camera housing for energy. For additional power, some high-end cameras come with an additional battery-housing that attaches and functions as a second handle to the camera.
Lens
Finally, the last but just as significant part of a camera is the lens. The lens is designed to open briefly and capture the image aimed at. Using a science of opening sizes (apertures) and speed (f-stops), the lens can freeze many of the fastest motions, zoom up to 500 meters away, blur motions to make them look fuzzy or liquid or capture light even in the dark.
Inexpensive cameras use a basic lens setting designed to make all things clear, regardless of distance. A comparable feature in a detachable lens would be a 22mm lens. It opens to a wide view and works just as well up close.
Detachable lenses allow zooming and image control. Using a macro lens can make tiny bugs and a U.S. penny coin seem like they are under a microscope. A zoom lens can bring your image right into the face of a football player at midfield. Single measurement lenses produce portrait shots of a clear face with a blurred background, and fish-eye lenses make the world look a bit funny.
Summary
Understanding the basics of a camera allows a user to function with any unit, regardless of make or design. The principles are the same, and the photographs can be extraordinary.