| Year | Cinematographer(Winner) | Film | Language |
| 2010 | Anjuli Shukla | Kutty Srank | Malayalam |
| 2009 | Abhik Mukhopadhyay | Antaheen | Bengali |
| 2008 | Shanker Raman[1] | Frozen | Hindi |
| 2007 | Goutam Ghose | Yatra | Hindi |
| 2006 | Madhu Ambat | Sringaram | Tamil |
| 2005 | Mahesh Aney | Swades | Hindi |
| 2004 | Abhik Mukhopadhyay | Bhalo Theko | Bengali |
| 2003 | Abhik Mukhopadhyay | Patalghar | Bengali |
| 2002 | Ramachandra Halkare | Dweepa | Kannada |
| 2001 | Ashok Mehta | Moksha | Hindi |
| 2000 | Anil Mehta | Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam | Hindi |
| 1999 | Santosh Sivan | Dil Se | Hindi |
| 1998 | Santosh Sivan | Iruvar | Tamil |
| 1997 | Mrinal Kanthidas | Rag Birag | Assamese |
| 1996 | Santosh Sivan | Kalapani | Malayalam |
| 1995 | K.V. Anand | Thenmavin Kombath | Malayalam |
| 1994 | Venu | Manichitrathazhu | Malayalam |
| 1993 | Venu | Miss. Beatty`s Children | English |
| 1992 | Apurba Kishore Bir | Adi Mimansa | Oriya |
| 1991 | Santosh Sivan | Perumthachan | Malayalam |
| 1990 | Virendra Saini | Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro | Hindi |
| 1989 | Apurba Kishore Bir | Daasi | Telugu |
| 1988 | P.C. Sriram | Nayagan | Tamil |
| 1987 | Venu | Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal | Malayalam |
| 1986 | Subrata Mitra | New Delhi Times | Hindi |
| 1985 | Jehangir Choudhary | Holi | Hindi |
| 1984 | 1. Madhu Ambatt 2. B.Bindhani & Rajshekhar |
1. Adi Shankaracharya (Colour) 2. Neerabha Jhada (Black & White) |
1. Sanskrit 2. Oriya |
| 1983 | Balu Mahendra | Moondram Pirai (Colour) | Tamil |
| 1982 | 1. Ashok Mehta 2. Shripathi R. Bhat |
1. 36 Chowringhee Lane (Colour) 2. Mooru Darigulu (Black & White) |
1. English 2. Kannada |
| 1981 | 1. Ashok Kumar Agarwal 2. Sivan |
1. Nenjathai Killathe (Colour) 2. Yagam (Black & White) |
1. Tamil 2. Malayalam |
| 1980 | 1. Rajan Kinagi 2. Kamal Nayak |
1. Shodh (Colour) 2. Neem Annapurna (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Bengali |
| 1979 | 1. Govind Nihalani 2. Shaji N. Karun |
1. Junoon (Colour) 2. Thamp (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Malayalam |
| 1978 | 1. Soumendu Roy 2. Balu Mahendra |
1. Shatranj Ke Khiladi (Colour) 2. Kokila (Black & White) |
1. Hindi/Urdu 2. Tamil |
| 1977 | 1. S. Ramachandra 2. P.S. Nivas |
1. Rishya Shringa (Colour) 2. Mohiniattam (Black & White) |
1. Kannada 2. Malayalam |
| 1976 | 1. Ishan Arya 2. B.S. Loknath |
1. Muthyala Muggu (Colour) 2. Apoorva Raagangal (Black & White) |
1. Telugu 2. Tamil |
| 1975 | 1. Soumendu Roy 2. K.K. Mahajan |
1. Sonar Kella (Colour) 2. Chorus (Black & White) |
1. Bengali 2. Bengali |
| 1974 | 1. Soumendu Roy 2. Apurba Kishore Bir |
1. Ashani Sanket (Colour) 2. 27 Down (Black & White) |
1. Bengali 2. Hindi |
| 1973 | 1. K.K. Mahajan 2. M.C. Ravi Varma |
1. Maya Darpan (Colour) 2. Swayamvaram (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Malayalam |
| 1972 | 1. S. Ramachandran 2. Nando Bhattacharya |
1. Reshma Aur Shera (Colour) 2. Anubhav (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Bengali |
| 1971 | 1. Radhu Karmakar 2. K.K. Mahajan |
1. Mera Naam Joker (Colour) 2. Uski Roti (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Hindi |
| 1970 | 1. Marcus Bartley 2. K.K. Mahajan |
1. Shanti Nilayam (Colour) 2. Sara Akash (Black & White) |
1. Tamil 2. Hindi |
| 1969 | 1. K.S. Prasad 2. Nariman F. Irani |
1. Thillana Mohanambal (Colour) 2. Saraswati Chandra (Black & White) |
1. Tamil 2. Hindi |
| 1968 | 1. M.N. Malhotra 2. S. Ramachandran |
1. Hamraaz (Colour) 2. Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (Black & White) |
1. Hindi 2. Hindi |