I found "camera" very disconcerting in Italy, since it never meant a machine of photography, but rather a room.


yes, very early on, the roman discovered the camera obscura.. the process of having a small opening in the wall of an other wise dark room, would created a faint, (and upside down) image on the wall opposite the the opening.

we call camera's (the machines) because they are the mechanical evolution of the camera obscura.