Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Rukunin Cinematography ya wanzu tun lokacin da aka kirkiro Academy Awards. Har zuwa 1938, an ba da lambar yabo ɗaya kawai. Daga
Daga 1939 zuwa 1966, an ba da kyaututtuka biyu, ɗaya don fina-finai baki da fari, ɗayan kuma don fina-finai masu launi. An haɗu da lambobin yabo guda biyu na ɗan gajeren lokaci a lambar yabo ta 1957, kuma an sake haɗa su har abada a cikin rukuni ɗaya daga 1967. Duk da haka, tun da ba a zabi fina-finai na harshe na waje don kyautar Cinematography ba kafin Academy Awards na 1966, rabuwa da haɗuwa da suka faru a cikin wannan rukunin ba su shafe su ba.