Whether they are applied in tactical and strategic investigations in the military, in civil field mapping, fine agriculture, coastal resource exploration, or map navigation, aerial cameras can be seen everywhere. This article first exemplifies several typical aerial film cameras of the 20th century and introduces how they work. Then, the aeronautical digital cameras are divided into three categories according to their working methods. The principles and characteristics of these working methods are briefly introduced and some typical examples of aerial digital cameras are given. Finally, the development trend of aerial cameras is summarized and predicted.