3
The Video Camera
and Support
Equipment
Objectives
• Explain the differences between the
various video cameras available.
• Identify each part of a video camera and
note the corresponding function.
• Differentiate between the focal length
and the focal point related to a zoom
lens.
• Explain the interrelationship between fstops, the iris, and aperture in controlling
light.
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Objectives
• Identify the challenges and benefits
involved in using hand-held camera
shooting.
• Recognize the types of tripod heads
available and cite the unique
characteristics of each.
• Implement the proper procedures for
cleaning and storing video equipment.
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Types of Cameras
• Studio camera
• Camcorder
• Convertible camera
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Studio Camera
• Remains in studio
• Unsuitable for field work because of:
• Size
• Weight
• Paired with
• Camera control unit (CCU) or
• Remote control unit (RCU)
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Tripod with Dolly
• Dolly has three wheels with tripod legs that
fit into it
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Studio Pedestal
• Vertical column
with base and three
wheels on bottom
• Heavy
• Pneumatics or
hydraulics assist
movement
• Has wheel to steer
it as it moves
Vinten Broadcast Ltd.
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CCU/RCU
• Two names for the same device
• Controls technical specifications of video
signal from camera to match images from
all cameras
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–
–
–
–
Color
Tint
Contrast
Brightness
Iris
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Camcorder
• Contains camera and recorder in one unit
• Lightweight and portable
• Sits on tripod or rests on operator’s
shoulder
• Records on variety of digital tape and other
media
• Usually can be directly connected to editor
to download footage
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Camcorder (Cont.)
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Convertible Camera
• Camcorder that can be accessorized to
become studio camera
• Larger viewfinder
• Rear controls for lens operation
• CCU/RCU may be added
• Less expensive than studio camera and
more versatile
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Parts of a Camera
• Many parts are interchangeable, allowing
user to customize camera to exact needs
• Camera head
• Viewfinder
• Camera lens
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Camera Head
• Actual camera
• Contains all the electronics needed to
capture image
• Light enters camera and hits target
• Target is front of charge coupled device
(CCD)
• CCD converts light to electrical signal
• Professional quality camera has three CCDs
• Consumer quality camera has one CCD
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Gain Control
• Feature found on higher-end cameras
• Allows strength of video signal to be
increased or decreased
• Used when image is too dark or too bright
• Has negative effects
– Entire image becomes increasingly grainy
– Brighter areas begin to glow unnaturally
• Should not be activated without supervisor
approval
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Viewfinder
• Small video screen that lets camera
operator see image that camera is
obtaining
• 1” screen with eye cup for operator with camera
on shoulder
• Small screen (3.4”/4.5”) that unfolds from side
of camera used when camera is on tripod
• Larger screen (5”–7”) separate unit attaches
above studio camera head
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Diopter Adjustment
• Adjusts magnification on 1” viewfinder for
operators who wear glasses
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Zebra Stripes
• Alert for camera operator
• Stripes only appear on viewfinder when
camera is not recording
• Diagonal black and white lines in areas of
viewfinder that are beyond set limits of
video brightness
• Any area with zebra stripes will glow
• Action is recommended to eliminate stripes
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Camera Lens
• Assembly of glass discs on front of camera
through which light passes into camera
• Focus–occurs when adjoining areas of
contrast are as sharp as possible
• Auto-focus–optional electrical circuit that
tries to automatically keep image focused
• Professionals do not use auto-focus
• Auto-focus removes possibility of creative focus
techniques
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Zoom Lens
• Allows smooth transition from close-up to
wide-angle shot
• Accomplished by moving zoom ring on lens
assembly
• Transition from wide-angle to close-up—
called zoom in, or tighten
• Transition from close-up to wide-angle—
called zoom out, or widen
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Optical Center of the Lens
• Also known as focal point
• Place where the image inverts inside of lens
• Wherever actual zoom lens is located
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Focal Length
• Distance in millimeters between focal point
and back of lens
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Variable Focal Length Lens
• Another name for zoom lens
• Since actual zoom lens moves back and
forth within zoom assembly, and since
zoom lens is always focal point, distance
between zoom lens and back of lens varies
• Therefore, zoom lens is variable focal
length lens
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Lens Control Rings
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F-stop
• Settings on lens which indicate size of iris
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Iris
• Metal blades form circle
• High blades create thick circle and small
hole
• Low blades create thin circle and large hole
• Controls amount of light that reaches back
of lens/target of camera
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Aperture
• Actual hole or opening in lens
• Large hole lets in much light (fast lens)
• Small hole lets in little light (slow lens)
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Iris/Aperture
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Relationship
• F-stop controls size of iris, which controls
size of aperture
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Auto-Iris Circuit
• Electrical circuit that automatically controls
size of iris
• Good feature that professionals may use
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Shutter
• Circuit that regulates how long CCD is
exposed to light before sending signal to
recorder
• Normal shutter speed is 1/60, i.e. CCD
sends its signal 60 times per second
• Pro cameras can increase shutter speed
to 1/8000+
• Higher shutter speed = clearer images
when played back in slow motion
• Excellent feature for shooting sports
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Camcorder Camera Mounts
• Hand-held shooting
• Image stabilization devices
• Tripod shooting
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Hand-Held
•
•
•
•
Should be avoided if possible
Produces good images for mere seconds
Otherwise, produces shaky camerawork
Never use zoom-in settings when hand
holding
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If You Must Hand-Hold…
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Image Stabilization Device
Glidecam Industries, Inc.
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Subjective Camera
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Tripod
• Three legs
• Length of each leg can be independently
extended
• Sometimes has vertical column in center which
can be raised and lowered
• Pedestal column
• Handle that raises and lowers pedestal is
pedestal control, which should not be used when
camera is recording, or hot, to avoid audience
seeing shaking screen
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Tripod Head
•
•
•
•
Attaches to top of tripod
Camera attaches to tripod head
Head allows pans and tilts to occur
Head has one or two pan handles attached
so operator can stand behind camera and
move it with handle
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Tripod Head and Pan Handles
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Fluid Head
• Two pieces of metal, separated by grease,
screwed together
• Professional
• More expensive
• High quality because grease allows varying
degrees of pressure to cause varying levels
of resistance (drag) when panning and
tilting
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Friction Head
• Two pieces of metal mashed together by
tightening screw
• Unprofessional
• Inexpensive
• Low quality because drag is either fully on
or fully off
• Offers poor resistance when panning and
tilting
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Jib
EZFX Inc.
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Lens Cleaning Do's
• Use lens cleaning paper to wipe lens
• Use canned compressed air to blow dust off
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Lens Cleaning Don’ts
• Don’t blow on lens with mouth
• Don’t touch lens with bare fingers
• Don’t use saliva to moisten lens before
wiping
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
After Use of Studio Camera
•
•
•
•
Lock pedestal and tripod head of camera
Close iris and place lens cap on camera
Move camera to safe location in studio
Coil camera cable as instructed
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
After Use of Camcorder
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Remove tape, if present, from camcorder
Close lens and attach lens cap
Power down camera
Detach camera from tripod
Fold up tripod
Secure camera in case
Coil and secure cables where instructed
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Career Page
• United States Department of Labor
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Television, Video, and Motion Picture
Camera Operators and Editors
information page
• http://www.bls.gov
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Why is a convertible camera a good
investment?
It can serve as both field camera as well as
studio camera. In a pinch, it could be a
“spare” in either environment.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
What is the function of a CCD?
Light goes through lens, hits target on front
of the CCD. Then CCD converts that light
into electrical signal and sends it on to be
recorded after electronics of camera head
completes image processing and refinement.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Why is a hand-held not the camera of
choice?
Produces shaky camerawork and low-quality
images.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Name and describe the different tripod
heads.
Friction head–Unprofessional, inexpensive,
low quality, offers poor resistance when
panning and tilting.
Fluid head–Professional, expensive, high
quality, allows varying degrees of resistance
when panning and tilting.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
What is another name for optical center of
lens? What is another name for variable
focal length lens?
Optical center of lens is also known as focal
point. Variable focal length lens is also
known as zoom lens.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Name the parts of a video camera and their
functions.
Camera head–Actual camera, target is front
of charge coupled device (CCD).
Viewfinder–Video screen that lets operator
see image camera is displaying.
Camera lens–Glass discs on front of camera
through which light passes into camera.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
What is the relationship between the f-stop,
iris, and aperture?
F-stop indicates the size of iris, which
determines size of aperture.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Why are f-stop, iris, and aperture important?
Aperture is most important of the three. Fstop and iris merely determine size of
aperture. Aperture is gateway for light to
enter camera. It determines amount of light
that camera receives. Too much light and
image is over-exposed; too little light and
image is too dark.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Why is auto-focus generally a bad thing to
activate?
It automatically tries to keep center of
picture in focus. This prevents camera
operator from performing creative
composition of shots. It will cause important
objects to be out of focus merely because
they are not in center of shot.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Which is better—a fluid head or a friction
head? Why?
Fluid head is better because it will provide
drag when panning or tilting, which makes
for more stable picture.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Explain how to clean dirty lens.
Use either compressed air from a can to
blow away dirt or lens cleaning paper to
wipe away dirt.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Review Question
Explain why you should not blow on lens
with your mouth or use saliva to moisten
lens prior to wiping it clean.
Either method can cause saliva to touch
surface of lens. Saliva is very acidic and will
destroy coating on surface of lens. Lens is
unusable after that happens.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Glossary
• aperture: The opening, adjusted by the
iris, through which light passes into the
lens.
• auto-focus: A common feature on
consumer cameras that keeps only the
center of the picture in focus.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Glossary
• auto-iris circuit: A feature on many
consumer and professional cameras that
automatically examines the light levels
coming into the camera and adjusts the
iris according to generic standards of a
“good” picture.
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Glossary
• camcorder: A portable camera/reader
combination
• camera control unit (CCU): A piece of
equipment that controls various
attributes of the video signal sent from
the camera to the video tape recorder,
and is usually placed in the control room
or the master control room. Also
commonly called a remote control unit
(RCU).
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Glossary
• camera head: The portion of the video
camera that contains all the electronics
needed to convert the reflection of light
from the subject into an electronic
signal.
• charge coupled device (CCD): A
dime-sized component of the camera
head into which light enters and is
converted into an electronic, or video,
signal. The video signal exits on the
opposite side of the CCD and enters the
rest of the camera.
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Glossary
• convertible camera: A camera with a
variety of accessory packages available
to make it operational in a studio, as a
portable field camera, or both.
• diopter adjustment: A knob or lever
that adjusts the magnifier on the
viewfinder to compensate for differences
in vision.
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Glossary
• dolly: A three-wheeled cart onto which
the feet of a tripod are mounted. A dolly
allows smooth camera movements to be
performed.
• drag: Resistance to movement created
by tripod head mount.
• fast lens: A camera lens that can
produce a large aperture and let a great
deal of light into the camera.
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Glossary
• fluid head: A mounting assembly on
some tripods that stabilizes the camera
using the pressure between two pieces
of metal and a thick fluid that provides
additional resistance to movement.
• focal length: The distance (measured in
millimeters) from the optical center, or
focal point, of the lens assembly to the
back of the lens assembly.
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Glossary
• focus: The act of rotating the focus ring
on a camera lens until the lines of
contrast in the image are as sharp as
possible.
• friction head: A mounting assembly on
some tripods that stabilizes the camera
using the pressure created when two
pieces of metal are squeezed together
by a screw.
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Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.
Glossary
• f-stop: A camera setting that
determines the amount of light passing
through the lens by controlling the size
of the iris.
• gain: The strength of the video signal.
• hot: The state of a video camera when
the image captured by the camera is
being recorded.
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Glossary
• iris: A component of a lens that is
comprised of blades that physically
expand and contract, adjusting the
aperture size.
• jib: A type of camera mount that allows
the camera to be raised high over the
set and swung in any direction.
• lens: An assembly of several glass discs
placed in a tube attached to the front of
a camera.
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Glossary
• optical center: The physical location
within the lens assembly where an
image is inverted. Also called the focal
point.
• pan handle: A device attached to the
back of the camera when on the tripod
head that allows the camera operator to
move the tripod head while standing
behind the tripod.
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Glossary
• pedestal column: A column in the
center of a tripod used to raise or lower
the camera.
• pedestal control: A crank on the side
of the pedestal column that twists a gear
to raise and lower the pedestal column.
• shutter: A circuit on a video camera
that regulates how long the CCD is
exposed to light coming through the
lens.
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Glossary
• slow lens: A lens that is capable of
small aperture settings and lets little
light into the camera.
• studio camera: A television camera
placed on a tripod or studio pedestal for
exclusive use within the studio.
• studio pedestal: A large, single column
on wheels that supports the camera and
is pneumatically or hydraulically
controlled.
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Glossary
• subjective camera: A hand-held
camera technique, in which the camera
itself becomes the eye of one cast
member. The viewers see the world
through the eyes of that character.
• target: Photosensitive surface of a
charge coupled device (CCD).
• tripod: A three-legged stand that
supports a camera.
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Glossary
• tripod head: The assembly at the top of
the pedestal column to which the
camera attaches.
• variable focal length lens: A lens in
which the optical center can vary its
position within the lens assembly,
varying the focal length measurement as
well. Also called a zoom lens.
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Glossary
• viewfinder: A small video monitor
attached to the camera that allows the
camera operator to view the images in
the shot.
• zebra stripes: A special function of
some viewfinders that displays black and
white diagonal stripes on any object in a
shot that is too brightly lit.
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Glossary
• zoom in (ZI): The act of rotating a ring
on the zoom lens so that the center of
the picture appears to be moving toward
the camera. Also called tighten.
• zoom lens: The particular piece of glass
within the lens assembly that moves
forward and back, magnifying or
shrinking the image accordingly. This
individual lens is the focal point, or
optical center, of the zoom lens
assembly. Also called a variable focal
length lens.
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Glossary
• zoom lenses: A camera lens assembly
that is capable of magnifying an image
merely by twisting one of the rings on
the outside of the lens housing.
• zoom out (ZO): The act of rotating a
ring on the zoom lens so that the center
of the picture appears to be moving
away from the camera. Also called
widen.
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