Most expensive camera ever made?

My photography Meetup group has a user based trivia game we are putting together, each person needs to bring in 5 questions relating to photography.  

Would the James Webb Space Telescope be considered the most expensive camera ever made? 

I guess technically, that is the correct answer.  

But if that doesn't take care of the itch, then: 

That gold camera is nasty! ha ha ha

I worked on a camera back in the late 1950's that was designed to take mapping photos of the entire Moon from an orbiting rocket. Since photo technology was rather primitive compared to today's digital cameras. Special reels of self developing film was used, so each shot self developed after it was taken, much like the Polaroid process. After each mapping photo session, the developed photos were slow scanned back to tracking stations on Earth.

Taking time exposures of the dark side of the Moon was impossible from the orbiting rocket, until we came up with a way to lock the camera on a position while the shutter was open. Then jump the camera ahead to the next position and repeat the process after the shutter closed. It's about like driving down a road on a Moon-less dark night and snapping a photo of every house on the street with a Polaroid Camera, and not missing any house or getting a blurred shot. A lot was spent on the development of that camera, and two cameras were made for the program, plus two spares, because two rockets were sent to complete the mapping job. The maps were later used for the Apollo Program, to help the Astronauts navigate the Moon, and just in case they landed somewhere other than their planned location.  I don't know the final cost of that camera, but it was pretty much open budget during the whole project. Whatever we wanted was provided, no matter how much it cost.

Charley

I never understood the fascination with gold cameras, I find it so tacky.  

CharleyL wrote: I worked on a camera back in the late 1950's that was designed to take mapping photos of the entire Moon from an orbiting rocket. Since photo technology was rather primitive compared to today's digital cameras. Special reels of self developing film was used, so each shot self developed after it was taken, much like the Polaroid process. After each mapping photo session, the developed photos were slow scanned back to tracking stations on Earth.

Taking time exposures of the dark side of the Moon was impossible from the orbiting rocket, until we came up with a way to lock the camera on a position while the shutter was open. Then jump the camera ahead to the next position and repeat the process after the shutter closed. It's about like driving down a road on a Moon-less dark night and snapping a photo of every house on the street with a Polaroid Camera, and not missing any house or getting a blurred shot. A lot was spent on the development of that camera, and two cameras were made for the program, plus two spares, because two rockets were sent to complete the mapping job. The maps were later used for the Apollo Program, to help the Astronauts navigate the Moon, and just in case they landed somewhere other than their planned location.  I don't know the final cost of that camera, but it was pretty much open budget during the whole project. Whatever we wanted was provided, no matter how much it cost.

Charley

How cool is that?!  That must have been such an exciting project.  Do you follow the evolution of cameras in space and the photos captured? 

"How cool is that?!  That must have been such an exciting project.  Do you follow the evolution of cameras in space and the photos captured?" 


Not really, but I did work on Apollo, Skylab, and early Space Shuttle development. Not on cameras though. I was mostly involved in the computer systems and components.

Charley