Chapter 3:

1. Chapter 3: The Video Camera & Support Equipment

2. Vocabulary: • Aperture: Opening, adjusted by the iris, through which light passes. • Auto-Focus: Feature on consumer cameras that keeps only the center of the picture in focus. • Auto-Iris Circuit: Feature that automatically examines the light levels coming into the camera and adjusts the iris according to generic standards of a “good” picture • Camcorder: Portable camera/recorder combination. • Camera Control Unit (CCU): Controls various attributes of the video signal sent from the camera and is usually placed in a control or the master control room. Sometimes referred to as a remote control unit. • Camera Head: Contains all the electronics needed to convert the reflection of light from the subject into an electronic signal.

3. Vocabulary (Continued): • Charge Coupled Device (CCD): Dime-sized component of the camera head into which light enters and is converted into an electronic signal. • Convertible Camera: Camera with a variety of accessory packages available to make it operational in a studio, as a portable field camera, or both. • Docking: Process of attaching the camera head and recorder to each other. • Dolly: Cart that allows smooth camera movements. • Fluid Head: Works like a friction head but has a thick fluid, such as oil or grease, between the two pieces of metal. • Focal Length: Distance from the optical center of a lens assembly to the back of the lens assembly. • Focal Point: Physical location within the lens assembly where an image is inverted is called the focal point.

4. Vocabulary (Continued): • Focus: 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: The pressure created when two pieces of metal are squeezed together by a screw stabilizes camera. • F-Stop: Setting determines the amount of light that passes through the lens by controlling the size of the iris. Lower numbers allow a greater amount of light through the iris and higher numbers allow smaller amounts of light through the iris. • Gain: Strength of the video signal. • GlidecamTM: Device that attaches to a harness worn by the camera operator. • Hot: When the image captured by the camera is being recorded. • Iris: Component of a les that adjusts the aperture size. When it contracts, more light passes through.

5. Vocabulary (Continued): • Lens: Assembly of several glass discs placed in a tube on the front of a camera. Primary purpose is to focus the incoming light rays on the surface of the imaging device. • Optical Center: Point where the image is inverted, regardless of the physical location inside the lens assembly or the distance from the front or back of the lens assembly. Also known as the focal point. • Pan Handle: Attachment that allows movement of the tripod head. Allows the camera operator to move the tripod head. • Pedestal Column: Allows the camera to be raised or lowered. • Pedestal Control: Crank on the side of the pedestal column that twists a gear to raise and lower the pedestal column. • Remote Control Unit (RCU): See Camera Control Unit. • Studio Camera: Television camera placed on a tripod or studio pedestal for exclusive use within the studio.

6. Vocabulary (Continued): • Studio Pedestal: Large, single column on wheels that supports the camera and is pneumatically or hydraulically controlled. • Subjective Camera: Allows the audience to gain the visual perspective of a character in the program. • Target: Photosensitive surface on the charge coupled deice (CCD). • Tripod: Three-legged stand that provides support for studio cameras. • Tripod Head: Assembly at the top of the pedestal column to which the camera attaches. • Variable Focal Length Lens: Lens in which the optical center can vary its position within the lens assembly, varying the focal length measurement as well. Also called Zoom Lenses. • Viewfinder: Small television monitor that allows the camera operator to view the images in the shot.

7. Vocabulary (Continued): • Zebra Stripes: Some display zebra stripes on any object in the shot that is too brightly lit. • Zoom In: Center of the picture appears to be moving toward the camera. • Zoom Lens: Piece of glass in the lens assembly that is the focal point. • Zoom Lenses: See Variable Focal Length Lens. • Zoom Out: Center of the picture appears to moving away from the camera.

8. Other Notes: • Adjusting the gain control changes the actual strength of the video signal. • In the dark, increasing the gain may artificially brighten the picture. • When gain is increased the resulting image becomes increasingly grainy. • When shooting with a hand-held camera there may be some challenges like the camera operator’s arms tire quickly causing an unsteady camera, which causes a shaky picture because it wiggles, tilts sideways and moves with the rise and fall of the camera operator’s chest while breathing.

9. Other Notes (Continued): • The telescoping legs on most tripods allow the operator to position the camera at varying heights allowing the set up on a slope terrain. • A soft cloth, photographic lens paper and compressed air are used to clean a camera lens. • Every studio camera comes with a CCU that controls the video signal sent from the camera to the video tape recorder. • The focal length of a lens is measured in millimeters. • Before storing a studio camera, the iris should be closed and a lens cap attached.