The origins of the 35 mm camera lie in the increasing availability of motion picture film stock during the early years of the 20th century. The 35 mm format was first used in Edison’s Kinetoscope, a moving picture viewing device patented in 1891, and was later adopted as the standard film gauge by cinema-makers after 1896. The earliest 35 mm film was very slow and not ideal for still camera work. However, as the quality of the film improved, the potential virtues of small size and convenience of handling began to appeal to still camera designers.