Periscope cameras were rare rather than standard in World War II

Did World War II submarine periscopes have cameras, and what were they used for?

A few boats used attached or built-in cameras for intelligence and target records, but the capability was uncommon until after the war.

World War II submarines could carry cameras, but a periscope-mounted camera was not standard across most boats or navies. Some special or late-war installations let crews attach a camera or expose film through the search periscope, usually for intelligence and target records. Film handling brought fire, toxic-gas, and development problems into a confined hull, which limited routine use. Postwar equipment made the capability appear more universal than it had been during the war.