Hall of Fame is a three-part journey through the technological milestones that have defined the evolution of photography from 1990 to today, as celebrated each year by the TIPA World Awards.
Each chapter revisits a key phase in this ongoing transformation, tracing the innovations and products that have shaped the way we capture and experience images.
This first installment, The In-Between Era (1990–1999), looks back at a pivotal decade that bridged two worlds: the twilight of analog photography and the dawn of digital imaging
Kodak Photo CD
When TIPA was founded in 1990, the photography world was entering a decade of many changes. Photographers were still using film to record their images, but the demand for digital output was rising. The Kodak Photo CD, awarded by TIPA as BEST INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY in 1991, seemed to be the perfect answer to that demand. The Kodak Photo CD allowed photographers to get high quality film scans for a very reasonable price. Prior to Photo CD, professionals who wanted to have a digitised version of their film images had to pay much higher fees to get drum scans of their negatives and transparencies. For consumers, the Photo CD offered an easy and affordable option to view images on their computer or TV.
Canon EF 35–350mm f/3.5–5.6 L USM
Cameras remained analog for quite a few more years, but innovations kept coming. In 1993 TIPA awarded the Canon EF 35–350mm f/3.5–5.6 L USM as Best Professional Lens. For the first time, a zoom reached a true 10× range — the perfect companion for travel photographers who needed one lens to cover an entire focal-length span. This was the start of many more extreme zooms.
Fujifilm Provia 100
1994 symbolised a time when analog photography remained strong while digital output grew more important. Provia 100 was prized for true-to-life colour with slightly enhanced contrast, balancing Velvia’s vividness with Astia’s subtle tones — versatile for precision and vibrancy. The picture shows the Fujifilm Provia 100F, the successor to the Provia 100, launched in 2000.
Dicomed Digital Back
In the same year, the Dicomed Digital Back enabled medium-format capture directly to digital, revolutionising studio work. The 6000×7520px scanning back used a Kodak trilinear CCD and took about four minutes per image — ideal for stationary subjects.
Epson Stylus Photo
The first consumer inkjet to approach photo quality thanks to light inks. It challenged mini-labs using costly dye-sub printers and accelerated the acceptance of digital compact cameras. Film was not given up, however.
Canon EOS ix
The new APS format aimed to revive film photography and could store digital information (like today’s metadata) directly on the film.
Kodak DCS 520 / Canon EOS D2000
Based on the Canon EOS-1N with a ~2 MP Kodak CCD — the first DSLR with a rear LCD so photographers could judge results instantly. A very expensive 6 MP DCS 560 / EOS D6000 was also available.
Pentax 645N AF
The first medium-format camera to introduce both autofocus and autoexposure, bringing familiar automation to photographers moving up from 35 mm.
Leica M Tri-Elmar 28–35–50mm f/4
Three distinct focal lengths with prime-like rendering in one lens — a uniquely versatile, travel-friendly option for Leica M users.
Contax 645
Paired with legendary Carl Zeiss lenses, the Contax 645 delivered extraordinary sharpness and precision — a favourite for wedding and portrait pros, proving film was still going strong at the end of the decade.
Stay tuned for the next chapters of the Hall of Fame series and many more features from TIPA Topics, written by members of the TIPA association.
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