While Kodak’s famous box camera made photography much more accessible at the start of the 20th century, it relied on simplicity for its appeal, which ultimately imposed some limitations on what could be achieved with it. If you wanted something that could do more, then inevitably the available equipment was big, bulky, and expensive.
However, as has been the case throughout the history of photography, the challenge was always to design smaller and lighter cameras without compromising either capabilities or image quality.
