ABSTRACT
The main function of the video camera is to translate the optical image captured by the camera’s lens into an electrical signal that can be recorded and transmitted. Although all video cameras perform this basic function, there are significant differences in the ways in which cameras are configured and the markets to which they are targeted. Video equipment varies greatly in terms of features, quality, and cost. With the development and proliferation of low-cost portable camcorders and video-capable smartphones, video seems to have become omnipresent in American culture. No longer are professional video producers the only ones with access to video production tools; cameras appear to be everywhere. A video camera designed for studio use may be a fairly large camera mounted on a heavy pedestal or tripod with a set of external controls that allow the camera operator to control principal camera functions such as zooming the lens to change the angle of view and focusing the lens.
