Professional video camera
Encyclopedia
A professional video camera
(often called a television camera even though the use has spread beyond television) is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie camera
, that records the images on film). Originally developed for use in television studio
s, they are now commonly used for corporate and educational videos, music videos, and direct-to-video
movies.
There are two types of professional video cameras: High end portable, recording cameras (essentially, high-end tapeless camcorder
s) used for Electronic news gathering
(ENG) and Electronic field production
(EFP) image acquisition, and television studio
cameras which lack the recording capability of a camcorder
, and are often fixed on studio pedestals. Portable professional cameras are generally much larger than consumer cameras and are designed to be carried on the shoulder.
Professional television camera history has two main lines: the gradual shrinking of the camera as it became more versatile and self contained; and a progression of sensor
s from large insensitive tubes to smaller, much more sensitive tubes and finally to very small, very sensitive solid state charge-coupled device
(CCD) and active pixel sensor
(CMOS) imagers. Betacam
cameras that contained their own recording mechanisms did not appear until the early 1980s.
At the beginning, these cameras were very large devices, almost always in two sections. The camera section held the lens and tube pre-amps and other necessary electronics, and was connected with a large diameter multicore cable
to the rest of the camera electronics, usually mounted in a rack. The rack would be in a separate room in the studio, or in a remote truck. The camera head could not generate a video picture signal on its own. The video signal was output from the rack unit to the rest of the studio for switching and transmission. By the fifties, electronic miniaturization had progressed to the point where some monochrome cameras could operate stand alone and even be handheld. But the studio configuration remained, with the large cable bundle transmitting the signals back to the CCU (Camera control unit
). The CCU in turn was used to align and operate the camera's functions, such as exposure, system timing, and video and black level
s.
The first color cameras (1950s in the US, early 1960s in Europe), notably the RCA TK-40/41 series, were much more complex with their three (and in some models even four) pickup tubes, and the size and weight drastically increased. Handheld color cameras did not come into general use until the early 1970s, and the first ones were two pieces, a camera head shoulder unit that held the lens and pickup tube section, and a backpack unit. The Ikegami HL-33 was the first of this type, but was followed up by one piece cameras. These one piece cameras, (The HL-77 from Ikegami and the TK76 from RCA) made possible, (in combination with portable 3/4" U-matic
VCRs) the introduction of the Electronic news-gathering (ENG) camera, which very rapidly replaced the 16mm film cameras that had been the dominant method for capturing news events. This established the standard operation in the field of a two person news crew, one operating the camera, and one carrying the shoulder strapped U-matic
recorder and a boom microphone. The control layout (often called "form factor
") for the camera's most important functions was also established with these cameras, and continues to define an ENG camera to this day.
In the early 80s, the first cameras with an on board recorder were brought to the market. The more successful of these used the Betacam
recording system. At first these cameras used pickup tubes, and the recorders were of the removable type. Models with solid state CCD
imagers came on the scene in the mid-80s. These brought multiple benefits. They were much more stable and less prone to drift than tube cameras, and didn't require a warm up or calibration time at the beginning of the day. They also were not prone to image burn in or lag caused by very bright light sources in the frame. The early models did not have the resolution or color quality of their tube counterparts, but successive models quickly pulled ahead of tube technology. Eventually, cameras with the recorder permanently mated to the camera head became the norm for ENG.
Studio camera technology did not stand still during this period. The camera electronics shrunk, and CCD imagers replaced the pickup tubes. The thick multi-core cables connecting the camera head to the CCU were replaced in the late seventies with triax connections, a slender video cable that carried multiple video signals, intercom audio, and control circuits, and could be run for a mile or more. As the camera innards shrunk, the electronics no longer dictated the size of the enclosure. But the box shape remained, as it was necessary to hold the large studio lenses, teleprompters, electronic viewfinder
(EVF), and other paraphernalia needed for studio and sports production. Electronic Field Production cameras were often mounted in studio configurations inside a mounting cage. This cage supported the additional studio accessories.
In the late 90s, as HDTV broadcasting commenced, HDTV cameras suitable for news and general purpose work were introduced. Though they delivered much better image quality, their overall operation was identical to their standard definition predecessors. New methods of recording for ENG cameras were introduced to supplant video tape, tapeless cameras. Ikegami and Avid
introduced EditCam in 1996, based on interchangeable hard drives. Panasonic introduced P2
cameras. These recorded a DVCPro signal on interchangeable flash memory
card media. Several other data storage device
recording systems were introduced, notably XDCAM
from Sony
, and as of 2009, it remains to be seen what will become the predominant method of camera media for professional use in the 2010s. Sony also introduced SxS
(S-by-S), a flash memory
standard compliant to the Sony and Sandisk
-created ExpressCard
standard.
block directly behind the lens. This prism block (a trichroic assembly comprising two dichroic prism
s) separates the image into the three primary color
s, red, green, and blue, directing each color into a separate charge-coupled device
(CCD) or Active pixel sensor
(CMOS image sensor) mounted to the face of each prism. Some high-end consumer cameras also do this, producing a higher-resolution image, with better color fidelity than is normally possible with just a single video pickup.
In both single sensor and triple sensor designs, the weak signal created by the sensors is amplified before being encoded into analog signals for use by the viewfinder and monitor outputs, and also encoded into digital signals for transmission and recording. The analog outputs are normally in the form of either a composite video
signal, which combines the color and luminance information to a single output; or an R-Y B-Y Y component video
output through three separate connectors.
cameras stand on the floor
, usually with pneumatic
or hydraulic
mechanisms called pedestals to adjust the height
, and are usually on wheel
s. Any video camera when used along with other video cameras in a multiple-camera setup
is controlled by a device known as CCU (camera control unit
), to which they are connected via a Triax
, Fibre Optic or the almost obsolete multicore cable
. The CCU along with genlock
and other equipment is installed in the production control room (PCR) often known as the Gallery of the television studio
. When used outside a formal television studio in outside broadcasting
(OB), they are often on tripods that may or may not have wheels (depending on the model of the tripod). Initial models used analog technology, but are now obsolete, supplanted by digital
models. Studio cameras are light and small enough to be taken off the pedestal and the lens changed to a smaller size to be used on a Multiple-camera setup's shoulder, but they still have no recorder of their own and are cable-bound. Cameras can be mounted on a tripod
, a dolly
or a crane
, thus making the cameras much more versatile than previous generations of studio cameras. These cameras have a tally light
, a small signal-lamp used that indicates, for the benefit of those being filmed as well as the camera operator
, that the camera is 'live' - i.e. its signal is being used for the 'main program' at that moment.
Though by definition, ENG (Electronic News Gathering
) video cameras were originally designed for use by news camera operator
s, these have become the dominant style of professional video camera
for most video production
s, from dramas to documentaries, from music video
s to corporate video
training. While they have some similarities to the smaller consumer camcorder
, they differ in several regards:
cameras are similar to studio cameras in that they are used primarily in multiple camera switched configurations, but outside the studio
environment, for concerts, sports and live news coverage of special events. These versatile cameras can be carried on the shoulder, or mounted on camera pedestals and cranes, with the large, very long focal length zoom lenses made for studio camera mounting. These cameras have no recording ability on their own, and transmit their signals back to the broadcast truck through a triax, fiber optic or the virtually obsolete multicore cable.
"Lipstick camera
s" are so called because the lens and sensor block combined are similar in size and appearance to a lipstick
container. These are either hard mounted in a small location, such as a race car, or on the end of a boom pole. The sensor block and lens are separated from the rest of the camera electronics by a long thin multi conductor cable. The camera settings are manipulated from this box, while the lens settings are normally set when the camera is mounted in place.
Block cameras are so called because the camera head is a small block, often smaller than the lens itself. Some block cameras are completely self contained, while others only contain the sensor block and its pre-amps, thus requiring connection to a separate camera control unit in order to operate. All the functions of the camera can be controlled from a distance, and often there is a facility for controlling the lens focus and zoom as well. These cameras are mounted on pan and tilt heads, and may be placed in a stationary position, such as atop a pole or tower, in a corner of a broadcast booth, or behind a basketball hoop. They can also be placed on robotic dollies, at the end of camera booms and cranes, or "flown" in a cable supported harness, as shown in the illustration.
Video camera
A video camera is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition, initially developed by the television industry but now common in other applications as well. The earliest video cameras were those of John Logie Baird, based on the electromechanical Nipkow disk and used by the BBC in...
(often called a television camera even though the use has spread beyond television) is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie camera
Movie camera
The movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film which was very popular for private use in the last century until its successor, the video camera, replaced it...
, that records the images on film). Originally developed for use in television studio
Television studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
s, they are now commonly used for corporate and educational videos, music videos, and direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
movies.
There are two types of professional video cameras: High end portable, recording cameras (essentially, high-end tapeless camcorder
Tapeless Camcorder
A tapeless camcorder is a camcorder that does not use video tape for the digital recording of video productions as 20th century ones did. Tapeless camcorders record video as digital computer files onto random access data storage devices such as optical discs, hard disk drives and solid-state flash...
s) used for Electronic news gathering
Electronic news gathering
ENG is a broadcasting industry acronym which stands for electronic news gathering. It can mean anything from a lone broadcast journalist reporter taking a single professional video camera out to shoot a story, to an entire television crew taking a production truck or satellite truck on location...
(ENG) and Electronic field production
Electronic field production
Electronic field production is a television industry term referring to a video production which takes place in the field, outside of a formal television studio, in a practical location or special venue...
(EFP) image acquisition, and television studio
Television studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
cameras which lack the recording capability of a camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
, and are often fixed on studio pedestals. Portable professional cameras are generally much larger than consumer cameras and are designed to be carried on the shoulder.
History
Image sensor
An image sensor is a device that converts an optical image into an electronic signal. It is used mostly in digital cameras and other imaging devices...
s from large insensitive tubes to smaller, much more sensitive tubes and finally to very small, very sensitive solid state charge-coupled device
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
(CCD) and active pixel sensor
Active pixel sensor
An active-pixel sensor is an image sensor consisting of an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, each pixel containing a photodetector and an active amplifier. There are many types of active pixel sensors including the CMOS APS used most commonly in cell phone cameras, web...
(CMOS) imagers. Betacam
Betacam
Betacam is family of half-inch professional videocassette products developed by Sony in 1982. In colloquial use, "Betacam" singly is often used to refer to a Betacam camcorder, a Betacam tape, a Betacam video recorder or the format itself....
cameras that contained their own recording mechanisms did not appear until the early 1980s.
At the beginning, these cameras were very large devices, almost always in two sections. The camera section held the lens and tube pre-amps and other necessary electronics, and was connected with a large diameter multicore cable
Multicore cable
An audio multicore cable is a cable which contains from 4 to 64 individual audio cables inside a common outer jacket. Audio multicore cables are widely used whenever multiple audio signals, for example from a number of microphones, need to be conveyed between common locations...
to the rest of the camera electronics, usually mounted in a rack. The rack would be in a separate room in the studio, or in a remote truck. The camera head could not generate a video picture signal on its own. The video signal was output from the rack unit to the rest of the studio for switching and transmission. By the fifties, electronic miniaturization had progressed to the point where some monochrome cameras could operate stand alone and even be handheld. But the studio configuration remained, with the large cable bundle transmitting the signals back to the CCU (Camera control unit
Camera control unit
- Description :The Camera Control Unit is typically part of a live television broadcast "chain". It is responsible for powering the professional video camera, handling signals sent over the camera cable to and from the camera, and can be used control various camera parameters such as iris...
). The CCU in turn was used to align and operate the camera's functions, such as exposure, system timing, and video and black level
Black level
Video black level is defined as the level of brightness at the darkest part of a visual image or the level of brightness at which no light is emitted from a screen, resulting in a pure black screen....
s.
The first color cameras (1950s in the US, early 1960s in Europe), notably the RCA TK-40/41 series, were much more complex with their three (and in some models even four) pickup tubes, and the size and weight drastically increased. Handheld color cameras did not come into general use until the early 1970s, and the first ones were two pieces, a camera head shoulder unit that held the lens and pickup tube section, and a backpack unit. The Ikegami HL-33 was the first of this type, but was followed up by one piece cameras. These one piece cameras, (The HL-77 from Ikegami and the TK76 from RCA) made possible, (in combination with portable 3/4" U-matic
U-matic
U-matic is an analog recording videocassette format first shown by Sony in prototype in October 1969, and introduced to the market in September 1971. It was among the first video formats to contain the videotape inside a cassette, as opposed to the various Reel-to-Reel or open-reel formats of the...
VCRs) the introduction of the Electronic news-gathering (ENG) camera, which very rapidly replaced the 16mm film cameras that had been the dominant method for capturing news events. This established the standard operation in the field of a two person news crew, one operating the camera, and one carrying the shoulder strapped U-matic
U-matic
U-matic is an analog recording videocassette format first shown by Sony in prototype in October 1969, and introduced to the market in September 1971. It was among the first video formats to contain the videotape inside a cassette, as opposed to the various Reel-to-Reel or open-reel formats of the...
recorder and a boom microphone. The control layout (often called "form factor
Form factor
Form factor may refer to:*Form factor or emissivity, the proportion of energy transmitted by that object which can be transferred to another object...
") for the camera's most important functions was also established with these cameras, and continues to define an ENG camera to this day.
In the early 80s, the first cameras with an on board recorder were brought to the market. The more successful of these used the Betacam
Betacam
Betacam is family of half-inch professional videocassette products developed by Sony in 1982. In colloquial use, "Betacam" singly is often used to refer to a Betacam camcorder, a Betacam tape, a Betacam video recorder or the format itself....
recording system. At first these cameras used pickup tubes, and the recorders were of the removable type. Models with solid state CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
imagers came on the scene in the mid-80s. These brought multiple benefits. They were much more stable and less prone to drift than tube cameras, and didn't require a warm up or calibration time at the beginning of the day. They also were not prone to image burn in or lag caused by very bright light sources in the frame. The early models did not have the resolution or color quality of their tube counterparts, but successive models quickly pulled ahead of tube technology. Eventually, cameras with the recorder permanently mated to the camera head became the norm for ENG.
Studio camera technology did not stand still during this period. The camera electronics shrunk, and CCD imagers replaced the pickup tubes. The thick multi-core cables connecting the camera head to the CCU were replaced in the late seventies with triax connections, a slender video cable that carried multiple video signals, intercom audio, and control circuits, and could be run for a mile or more. As the camera innards shrunk, the electronics no longer dictated the size of the enclosure. But the box shape remained, as it was necessary to hold the large studio lenses, teleprompters, electronic viewfinder
Electronic viewfinder
An electronic viewfinder or EVF is a viewfinder where the image captured by the lens is projected electronically onto a miniature display. The image on this display is used to assist in aiming the camera at the scene to be photographed.-Operation:...
(EVF), and other paraphernalia needed for studio and sports production. Electronic Field Production cameras were often mounted in studio configurations inside a mounting cage. This cage supported the additional studio accessories.
In the late 90s, as HDTV broadcasting commenced, HDTV cameras suitable for news and general purpose work were introduced. Though they delivered much better image quality, their overall operation was identical to their standard definition predecessors. New methods of recording for ENG cameras were introduced to supplant video tape, tapeless cameras. Ikegami and Avid
AVID
AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S....
introduced EditCam in 1996, based on interchangeable hard drives. Panasonic introduced P2
P2 (storage media)
P2 is a professional digital recording solid-state memory storage media format introduced by Panasonic in 2004, and especially tailored to electronic news-gathering applications. It features tapeless recording of DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO25, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO-HD, or AVC-Intra streams on a solid-state...
cameras. These recorded a DVCPro signal on interchangeable flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
card media. Several other data storage device
Data storage device
thumb|200px|right|A reel-to-reel tape recorder .The magnetic tape is a data storage medium. The recorder is data storage equipment using a portable medium to store the data....
recording systems were introduced, notably XDCAM
XDCAM
XDCAM is a a series of products for digital recording using random access solid-state memory media, introduced by Sony in 2003. Four different product lines — the XDCAM SD, XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD422 — differ in types of encoder used, frame size, container type and in...
from Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, and as of 2009, it remains to be seen what will become the predominant method of camera media for professional use in the 2010s. Sony also introduced SxS
SxS
SxS is a flash memory standard compliant to the Sony and Sandisk-created ExpressCard standard. According to Sandisk and Sony, the cards have transfer rates of 800 Mbit/s and burst transfer rate of up to 2.5 Gbit/s...
(S-by-S), a flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
standard compliant to the Sony and Sandisk
SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory...
-created ExpressCard
ExpressCard
ExpressCard is an interface to allow peripheral devices to be connected to a computer, usually a laptop computer. Formerly called NEWCARD, the ExpressCard standard specifies the design of slots built into the computer and of cards which can be inserted into ExpressCard slots. The cards contain...
standard.
Chronology
- 1926 to 1933 "cameras" were a type of flying spot scanner using mechanical disk.
- 1936 saw the arrival of RCA's iconoscope camera.
- 1946 RCA's TK-10 studio camera used a 3" IO - Image Orthicon Tube with a 4 lens turret. The RCA TK-30 (1946) was widely used as a Field Camera.
- The 1948 Dumont Marconi MK IV was an Image Orthicon Camera. Marconi's first camera was shown in 1938. EMI cameras from the UK, were used in the US in the early 1960s, like the EMI 203/4. Later in the 60s the EMI 2000 an EMI 2001.
- In 1950 the arrival of the Vidicon camera tube made smaller cameras possible. 1952 saw the first Walkie-Lookie "portable cameras". Image Orthicon tubes were still used till the arrival of the Plumbicon.
- The RCA TK-40 is considered to be the first color televisionColor televisionColor television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
camera for broadcasts in 1953. RCA continued its lead in the high-end camera market till the (1978) TK-47, last of the high-end tube cameras from RCA. - Ikegami introduced the first truly portable hand-held TV camera in 1962.
- PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
' line of NorelcoNorelcoNorelco is the American brand name for electric shavers and other personal care products made by the Consumer Lifestyle division of Philips.-Norelco and Philishave:...
cameras were also very popular with models such as PC-60 (1965), PC-70 (1967) and PCP-90 (1968 Handheld). PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
/BTS-Broadcast Television Systems Inc.Broadcast Television Systems Inc.Broadcast Television Systems was a joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH's Fernseh Division and Philips Broadcast in Breda, Netherlands formed in 1986.- History :...
later came out with an LDK line of camera, like its last high end tube camera the LDK 6 (1982). Philips invented the Plumbicon pick up Video camera tubeVideo camera tubeIn older video cameras, before the mid to late 1980s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal. Several types were in use from the 1930s to the 1980s...
in 1965, that gave tube cameras a cleaner picture. BTS introduced its first HandHeld Frame transfer CCD- Charge-coupled deviceCharge-coupled deviceA charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
-CCD camera the LDK90 in 1987. - Bosch FernsehFernsehThe Fernseh AG television company was registered in Berlin on July 3, 1929 by John Logie Baird, Robert Bosch and other partners with an initial capital of 100,000 Reichsmark....
marketed a line of high end cameras (KCU, KCN, KCP, KCK) in the US ending with the tube camera KCK-40 (1978). Image Transform (in Universal City, CaliforniaUniversal City, CaliforniaUniversal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
) used specially modified 24 frame KCK-40 for their "Image Vision" system. This had a 10 MHz bandwidth twice NTSCNTSCNTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
resolution. This was a custom pre HDTV video System. At its peak this system was used to make "Monty Python Live at the Hollywood BowlMonty Python Live at the Hollywood BowlMonty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a 1982 concert film in which the Monty Python team perform many of their greatest sketches at the Hollywood Bowl. The show also included filmed inserts which were mostly taken from two Monty Python specials, Monty Python's Fliegender Zirkus, which had been...
" in 1982. This was the first major high-definition analog wideband videotape-to-film post production using a film recorderFilm recorderA Film Recorder is a graphical output device for transferring digital images to photographic film.All film recorders typically work in the same manner. The image is fed from a host computer as a raster stream over a digital interface...
for film out.
Technology
Most professional cameras utilize an optical prismPrism (optics)
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use...
block directly behind the lens. This prism block (a trichroic assembly comprising two dichroic prism
Dichroic prism
A dichroic prism is a prism that splits light into two beams of differing wavelength . They are usually constructed of one or more glass prisms with dichroic optical coatings that selectively reflect or transmit light depending on the light's wavelength. That is, certain surfaces within the prism...
s) separates the image into the three primary color
Primary color
Primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors. For human applications, three primary colors are usually used, since human color vision is trichromatic....
s, red, green, and blue, directing each color into a separate charge-coupled device
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
(CCD) or Active pixel sensor
Active pixel sensor
An active-pixel sensor is an image sensor consisting of an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, each pixel containing a photodetector and an active amplifier. There are many types of active pixel sensors including the CMOS APS used most commonly in cell phone cameras, web...
(CMOS image sensor) mounted to the face of each prism. Some high-end consumer cameras also do this, producing a higher-resolution image, with better color fidelity than is normally possible with just a single video pickup.
In both single sensor and triple sensor designs, the weak signal created by the sensors is amplified before being encoded into analog signals for use by the viewfinder and monitor outputs, and also encoded into digital signals for transmission and recording. The analog outputs are normally in the form of either a composite video
Composite video
Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
signal, which combines the color and luminance information to a single output; or an R-Y B-Y Y component video
Component video
Component video is a video signal that has been split into two or more component channels. In popular use, it refers to a type of component analog video information that is transmitted or stored as three separate signals...
output through three separate connectors.
Studio cameras
Most television studioTelevision studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
cameras stand on the floor
Floor
A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology...
, usually with pneumatic
Pneumatics
Pneumatics is a branch of technology, which deals with the study and application of use of pressurized gas to effect mechanical motion.Pneumatic systems are extensively used in industry, where factories are commonly plumbed with compressed air or compressed inert gases...
or hydraulic
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
mechanisms called pedestals to adjust the height
Height
Height is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
, and are usually on wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s. Any video camera when used along with other video cameras in a multiple-camera setup
Multiple-camera setup
The multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
is controlled by a device known as CCU (camera control unit
Camera control unit
- Description :The Camera Control Unit is typically part of a live television broadcast "chain". It is responsible for powering the professional video camera, handling signals sent over the camera cable to and from the camera, and can be used control various camera parameters such as iris...
), to which they are connected via a Triax
Triaxial cable
Triaxial Cable, often referred to as triax for short, is a type of electrical cable similar to coaxial cable, but with the addition of an extra layer of insulation and a second conducting sheath. It provides greater bandwidth and rejection of interference than coax, but is more expensive...
, Fibre Optic or the almost obsolete multicore cable
Multicore cable
An audio multicore cable is a cable which contains from 4 to 64 individual audio cables inside a common outer jacket. Audio multicore cables are widely used whenever multiple audio signals, for example from a number of microphones, need to be conveyed between common locations...
. The CCU along with genlock
Genlock
Genlock is a common technique where the video output of one source, or a specific reference signal from a signal generator, is used to synchronize other television picture sources together. The aim in video and digital audio applications is to ensure the coincidence of signals in time at a...
and other equipment is installed in the production control room (PCR) often known as the Gallery of the television studio
Television studio
A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
. When used outside a formal television studio in outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting is the electronic field production of television or radio programmes from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera and microphone signals come into the production truck for processing, recording and possibly transmission...
(OB), they are often on tripods that may or may not have wheels (depending on the model of the tripod). Initial models used analog technology, but are now obsolete, supplanted by digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
models. Studio cameras are light and small enough to be taken off the pedestal and the lens changed to a smaller size to be used on a Multiple-camera setup's shoulder, but they still have no recorder of their own and are cable-bound. Cameras can be mounted on a tripod
Tripod (photography)
In photography, a tripod is used to stabilize and elevate a camera, or to support flashes or other photographic equipment. All photographic tripods have three legs and a mounting head to couple with a camera...
, a dolly
Camera dolly
A camera dolly is a specialized piece of filmmaking and television production equipment designed to create smooth camera movements . The camera is mounted to the dolly and the camera operator and focus puller or camera assistant, usually ride on the dolly to operate the camera...
or a crane
Crane shot
In filmmaking and video production a crane shot is a shot taken by a camera on a crane. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie. Some filmmakers like to have the camera on a boom arm just to make it easier to move...
, thus making the cameras much more versatile than previous generations of studio cameras. These cameras have a tally light
Tally light
In a television studio , a tally light is a small signal-lamp on a professional video camera or monitor. It is usually located just above the lens or on the so-called electronic viewfinder and communicatee, for the benefit of those in front of the camera as well as the camera operator, that the...
, a small signal-lamp used that indicates, for the benefit of those being filmed as well as the camera operator
Camera operator
A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
, that the camera is 'live' - i.e. its signal is being used for the 'main program' at that moment.
ENG cameras
Electronic news gathering
ENG is a broadcasting industry acronym which stands for electronic news gathering. It can mean anything from a lone broadcast journalist reporter taking a single professional video camera out to shoot a story, to an entire television crew taking a production truck or satellite truck on location...
) video cameras were originally designed for use by news camera operator
Camera operator
A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
s, these have become the dominant style of professional video camera
Professional video camera
A professional video camera is a high-end device for creating electronic moving images...
for most video production
Video production
Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...
s, from dramas to documentaries, from music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s to corporate video
Corporate video
Corporate video production refers to audio-visual corporate communications material commissioned primarily for a use by a company, corporation or organisation. A corporate video is often intended for a specific purpose in a corporate or B2B environment and viewed only by a limited or targeted...
training. While they have some similarities to the smaller consumer camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
, they differ in several regards:
- ENG cameras are larger and heavier (helps dampen small movements), and usually supported by a camera shoulder supportCamera shoulder supportA camera shoulder brace is a stabilizing mount for a video camera, which mechanically shifts the weight of the camera to the operators shoulder. This allows for smoother shots than might be obtainable by handheld operation...
or shoulder stock on the camera operatorCamera operatorA camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
's shoulder, taking the weight off the hand, which is freed to operate the zoom lensZoom lensA zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens...
control. - The camera mounts on tripods with Fluid heads and other supports with a quick release plate.
- 3 CCDsCharge-coupled deviceA charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
or CMOSCMOSComplementary metal–oxide–semiconductor is a technology for constructing integrated circuits. CMOS technology is used in microprocessors, microcontrollers, static RAM, and other digital logic circuits...
active pixel sensorActive pixel sensorAn active-pixel sensor is an image sensor consisting of an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, each pixel containing a photodetector and an active amplifier. There are many types of active pixel sensors including the CMOS APS used most commonly in cell phone cameras, web...
s are used for each of the primary colorPrimary colorPrimary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to make a useful range of colors. For human applications, three primary colors are usually used, since human color vision is trichromatic....
s - They have interchangeable lenses.
- The lens is focused manually and directly, without intermediate servo controlServo controlServo control from a radio control receiver to the servos is done by sending each servo a PWM signal, a series of repeating pulses of variable width....
s. However the lens zoom and focus can be operated with remote controls with a television studioTelevision studioA television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
configuration operated by a camera control unitCamera control unit- Description :The Camera Control Unit is typically part of a live television broadcast "chain". It is responsible for powering the professional video camera, handling signals sent over the camera cable to and from the camera, and can be used control various camera parameters such as iris...
(CCU). - A rotating behind-the-lens filter wheel, for selecting an 85A and neutral density filterNeutral density filterIn photography and optics, a neutral density filter or ND filter can be a colorless or grey filter. An ideal neutral density filter reduces and/or modifies intensity of all wavelengths or colors of light equally, giving no changes in hue of color rendition.The purpose of standard photographic...
s. - Controls that need quick access are on hard physical switches, all in the same general place on the camera, irrespective of the camera manufacturer, such as Gain Select, White/Black balance, color bar select, and record start controls and not in menu selection.
- All settings, white balance, focusFocus (optics)In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge. Although the focus is conceptually a point, physically the focus has a spatial extent, called the blur circle. This non-ideal focusing may be caused by...
, and iris can be manually adjusted, and automatics can be completely disabled. - Professional BNC connectorBNC connectorThe BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic...
s for video out and genlockGenlockGenlock is a common technique where the video output of one source, or a specific reference signal from a signal generator, is used to synchronize other television picture sources together. The aim in video and digital audio applications is to ensure the coincidence of signals in time at a...
in. - Can operate an Electronic viewfinderElectronic viewfinderAn electronic viewfinder or EVF is a viewfinder where the image captured by the lens is projected electronically onto a miniature display. The image on this display is used to assist in aiming the camera at the scene to be photographed.-Operation:...
(EVF) or external CRTCRT-Medicine:* Capillary refill time, the rate at with blood refills empty capillaries* Cognitive Retention Therapy, a dementia treatment* Cardiac resynchronization therapy, a treatment for heart failure** CRT-D, an implanted cardiac resynchronization device...
viewfinder. - At least two XLR input connectors for audio are included.
- Direct slot-in for portable wireless microphoneWireless microphoneA wireless microphone, as the name implies, is a microphone without a physical cable connecting it directly to the sound recording or amplifying equipment with which it is associated...
s. - Audio is adjusted manually, with easily accessed physical knobs.
- A complete time codeTime codeA timecode is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular intervals by a timing system.- Video and film timecode :...
section is available, allowing time presets; multiple-camera setups can be time code-synchronized or jam synced to a master clock. - "Bars and tone" are available in-camera (the SMPTE color barsSMPTE color barsThe SMPTE color bars are a type of television test pattern, and is most commonly used in countries where the NTSC video standard is dominant, such as those in North America. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers refers to this test pattern as Engineering Guideline EG 1-1990...
(Society of Motion Picture and Television EngineersSociety of Motion Picture and Television EngineersThe Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE , founded in 1916 as the Society of Motion Picture Engineers or SMPE, is an international professional association, based in...
) Bars, a reference signal that simplifies calibration of monitors and setting levels when duplicating and transmitting the picture. ) - Recording is to a professional medium like some variant of BetacamBetacamBetacam is family of half-inch professional videocassette products developed by Sony in 1982. In colloquial use, "Betacam" singly is often used to refer to a Betacam camcorder, a Betacam tape, a Betacam video recorder or the format itself....
or DVCPRO or Direct to disk recordingDirect to Disk RecordingDirect-to-disk recording refers to methods by which analog signals and digital signals such as digital audio and digital video are digitally recorded to optical disc recording technologies such as DVDs, and CD optical discs...
or flash memoryFlash memoryFlash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
. If as in the latter two, it's a data recording, much higher data rates (or less video compression) are used than in consumer devices.
EFP Cameras
Electronic Field ProductionElectronic field production
Electronic field production is a television industry term referring to a video production which takes place in the field, outside of a formal television studio, in a practical location or special venue...
cameras are similar to studio cameras in that they are used primarily in multiple camera switched configurations, but outside the studio
Outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting is the electronic field production of television or radio programmes from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera and microphone signals come into the production truck for processing, recording and possibly transmission...
environment, for concerts, sports and live news coverage of special events. These versatile cameras can be carried on the shoulder, or mounted on camera pedestals and cranes, with the large, very long focal length zoom lenses made for studio camera mounting. These cameras have no recording ability on their own, and transmit their signals back to the broadcast truck through a triax, fiber optic or the virtually obsolete multicore cable.
Dock cameras
Some manufacturers build camera heads, which only contain the optical block, the CCD sensors and the video encoder, and can be used with a studio adapter for connection to a CCU in EFP mode, or various dock recorders for direct recording in the preferred format, making them very versatile. However, this versatility leads to greater size and weight. They are favored for EFP and low-budget studio use, because they tend to be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than most studio cameras.Remote cameras
Remote cameras are typically very small camera heads designed to be operated by remote control. Despite their small size, they are often capable of performance close to that of the larger ENG and EFP types."Lipstick camera
Lipstick camera
A lipstick camera is an extremely small video camera which is approximately the size of a typical tube of lipstick. They are useful for capturing images that a conventional camera would not be able to capture due to size or weight constraints....
s" are so called because the lens and sensor block combined are similar in size and appearance to a lipstick
Lipstick
Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...
container. These are either hard mounted in a small location, such as a race car, or on the end of a boom pole. The sensor block and lens are separated from the rest of the camera electronics by a long thin multi conductor cable. The camera settings are manipulated from this box, while the lens settings are normally set when the camera is mounted in place.
Block cameras are so called because the camera head is a small block, often smaller than the lens itself. Some block cameras are completely self contained, while others only contain the sensor block and its pre-amps, thus requiring connection to a separate camera control unit in order to operate. All the functions of the camera can be controlled from a distance, and often there is a facility for controlling the lens focus and zoom as well. These cameras are mounted on pan and tilt heads, and may be placed in a stationary position, such as atop a pole or tower, in a corner of a broadcast booth, or behind a basketball hoop. They can also be placed on robotic dollies, at the end of camera booms and cranes, or "flown" in a cable supported harness, as shown in the illustration.
See also
- AkaiAkaiAkai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
- AmpexAmpexAmpex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence...
- John Logie BairdJohn Logie BairdJohn Logie Baird FRSE was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first practical, publicly demonstrated television system, and also the world's first fully electronic colour television tube...
- Broadcast Television Systems Inc.Broadcast Television Systems Inc.Broadcast Television Systems was a joint venture between Robert Bosch GmbH's Fernseh Division and Philips Broadcast in Breda, Netherlands formed in 1986.- History :...
LDK - line of cameras - Digital cinematographyDigital cinematographyDigital cinematography is the process of capturing motion pictures as digital images, rather than on film. Digital capture may occur on video tape, hard disks, flash memory, or other media which can record digital data. As digital technology has improved, this practice has become increasingly common...
- Digital cinematography camerasDigital cinematography camerasDigital movie cameras for digital cinematography are typically purpose-designed professional video cameras designed for the capture of high optical resolution, high dynamic range imagery. Different digital movie cameras output a variety of different acquisition formats...
- Allen B. DuMontAllen B. DuMontAllen Balcom DuMont also spelled Du Mont, was an American scientist and inventor best known for improvements to the cathode ray tube in 1931 for use in television receivers. Seven years later he manufactured and sold the first commercially practical television set to the public...
- EMI 2001EMI 2001The EMI 2001 Broadcast studio camera was an early, very successful British made Plumbicon studio camera that included the lens within the body of the camera. Four 30mm tubes allowed one tube to be dedicated solely to producing a relatively high resolution monochrome signal, with the other three...
- FernsehFernsehThe Fernseh AG television company was registered in Berlin on July 3, 1929 by John Logie Baird, Robert Bosch and other partners with an initial capital of 100,000 Reichsmark....
KC- line of cameras - Film ChainFilm chainA film chain or film island is a television - Professional video camera with one or more projectors aligned into the photographic lens of the camera. With two or more projectors a system of front-surface mirrors that can pop-up are used in a multiplexer. These mirrors switch different projectors...
- Grass Valley (company)Grass Valley (company)Grass Valley, previously known as Grass Valley Group, is a privately held company based in California, USA. Grass Valley produces technology for the video and broadcast industry. On January 29, 2009, Thomson announced its intention to sell the Grass Valley business unit...
LDK - line of cameras
- HitachiHitachi, Ltd.is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered in Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company is the parent of the Hitachi Group as part of the larger DKB Group companies...
SK- line of cameras - Ikegami HL -line of cameras
- Marconi CompanyMarconi CompanyThe Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
EMI - line of cameras - Multiple-camera setupMultiple-camera setupThe multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
- NorelcoNorelcoNorelco is the American brand name for electric shavers and other personal care products made by the Consumer Lifestyle division of Philips.-Norelco and Philishave:...
PC line of cameras - NTSCNTSCNTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
- PALPALPAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
- PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
KD - line of cameras - RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
TK- line of cameras - SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
- Video camera tubeVideo camera tubeIn older video cameras, before the mid to late 1980s, a video camera tube or pickup tube was used instead of a charge-coupled device for converting an optical image into an electrical signal. Several types were in use from the 1930s to the 1980s...