Nikon Announces the Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera

Nikon introduces a new DSLR to their lineup, the Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera. With an effective 10.2 megapixel sensor and EXPEED technology, this is their smallest camera yet. Replacing the D40x, the D60 continues on as their introduction to the DSLR world and a low price (Pricing not announced yet, as of this posting)

Nikon Press Release Continue reading ‘Nikon Announces the Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera’Published January 29th, 2008 in Nikon Digital SLR's, Nikon News and Events and Nikon Press Releases. 1 Comment
Nikon announces 6 New Colorful Coolpix Cameras
NIKON ANNOUNCES SIX COLORFUL AND CONSUMER FRIENDLY COOLPIX CAMERAS
Cameras Offer New Color Choices and Outstanding Imaging Innovations
MELVILLE, NY (Jan. 28, 2008) – Nikon’s COOLPIX line is receiving a makeover with the addition of six colorful cameras. Available in colors such as Plum, Cool Blue and Ruby Red, these new COOLPIX cameras offer the consumer the opportunity to not only express themselves with their photos but with their cameras as well. In addition to new colorful bodies, the COOLPIX line boasts innovative technologies to ensure the picture is bright, in focus and the subject is free of red-eye. Powering each COOLPIX camera is EXPEED™, Nikon’s imaging processing engine to produce sharp photos with outstanding clarity.

Triops Camera

Now you can have digital camera that shoot when it’s thrown, although I don’t see what’s the point then because we might lose the focus of the object, but the German designer Fraziska Faoro said that the concept of this digital camera is to give users a new level experiences in photography. This robust digital camera is equipped with three protected fisheye lenses. You can make this digital camera to take the photos by throwing, located in unusual places, or even in suspended mode.
Now you can have digital camera that shoot when it’s thrown, although I don’t see what’s the point then because we might lose the focus of the object, but the German designer Fraziska Faoro said that the concept of this digital camera is to give users a new level experiences in photography. This robust digital camera is equipped with three protected fisheye lenses. You can make this digital camera to take the photos by throwing, located in unusual places, or even in suspended mode.
I think the best thing about this throw-able digital camera is that the concept make it possible to capture 360 degrees of panorama images. You can capture spontaneous and active photography, just throw the digital camera and smile. By the way, this digital camera also became the BraunPrize2007 finalist.

Camera parts

Camera parts

Even basic digital cameras have plenty of buttons, levers, dials, menus and modes to fuss with. Learn what they are as well as when and why to use them.If you're about to buy a new digital camera, information in this section can help you decide the type to purchase that best suits your photographic style and budget. If you already own a digital camera, we'll help you gain a better understanding of how to use your it.
Because access to and placement of camera components, menus and settings vary from camera to camera and manufacturer to manufacturer, you are urged to read and refer to the manual. The manual explains how to tweak camera-specific settings to obtain properly exposed photos and provides other indispensable camera tips.
Related Articles

Camera Parts
DSLR parts
Diopter lens
Flash
Hot shoe
Image Stabilization (IS)
LCD monitor
LCD night display
LCDs and sunglasses
LCDs that twist and tilt
Lenses
Megapixels
Resolution
Self-timer
Sensors
Viewfinders
Zoom lenses

A Short Vocabulary List

When using many of the automatic cameras today, many of the features listed below are obsolete. This list is provided for those students who are enthusiasts of the manual camera.
Lens - It draws the light into the camera and focuses it on the film plane.
Shutter - It open and closes to control the length of time light strikes the film. There are two types of shutters: a leaf shutter, located between or just behind the lens elements, and a focal plane shutter, located in front of the film plane.
Shutter Release - The button that releases or "trips" the shutter mechanism.
Film Advance Lever or Knob - It transports the film from one frame to the next on the roll of film.
Aperture - It dilates and contracts to control the diameter of the hole that the light passes though, to let in more or less light. It is controlled by the f-stop ring.
Viewfinder - The "window" through which you look to frame your picture.
Film Rewind KnobThis knob rewinds the film back into the film cassette.
Camera Body - The casing of the camera which holds the encloses the camera pats.
Flash Shoe - This is the point at which the flash or flash cube is mounted or attached.
Self-Timer - This mechanism trips the shutter after a short delay - usually 7 to 10 seconds - allowing everyone to be in the photograph.
Shutter Speed Control - This know controls the length of time the shutter remains open. Typical shutter speeds are measured in fractions of a second, such as: 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 and 1/1000 of a second.

Medium format (film)

Medium format (film)

Medium format has traditionally referred to a film format in still photography and the related cameras and equipment which use this film. Generally, the term applies to film and cameras used to produce images larger than the 24 by 36 mm of 135 film, but smaller than the 4"×5" size, which is considered to be large format.
In digital photography, medium format refers either to cameras adapted from medium format film photography uses, or to cameras making use of sensors larger than that of a 35 mm film frame. Often, medium format film cameras can be fitted with digital camera backs, converting them to digital cameras, but some of these digital backs, especially early models, use sensors smaller than a 35 mm film frame. As of 2006, medium format digital photography sensors were available in sizes of up to 36 by 48 mm, with 39 million pixels for use with commonly available professional medium format cameras. Sensors used in special applications such as spy satellites can be even larger, but are not necessarily described as medium format equipment.
In the film world, medium format has moved from being the most widely used film size (1890s through 1950s) to a niche used by many professionals and some amateur enthusiasts, but one which is still substantially more popular than large format. In digital, medium format is a very expensive option, with typical brand new all-digital medium format cameras retailing for $10,000 (Mamiya ZD) to $32,000 (Hasselblad H3D) in 2008, though older and used equipment can be substantially cheaper.
While at one time or another a variety of medium format film sizes were produced, today the vast majority of medium format film is produced in the 6 cm 120 and 220 sizes. Other sizes are mainly produced for use in antique cameras, and many people assume 120/220 film when the term medium format is used.
In general (consumer cameras, as opposed to specialized industrial, scientific, and military equipment), the more cameras sold, the more sophisticated the features available. As a result, medium format cameras made since the 1950s are generally less automated than smaller cameras made at the same time, having high image quality as their primary advantage. For example, autofocus became available in consumer 35 mm cameras in 1977, but did not reach medium format until the late 1990s, and has never been available in a consumer large format camera.

Characteristics

The main benefit of medium format photography is that, because of the larger size of the film or digital sensor (two to six times larger than 35 mm), images of much higher resolution can be produced. This allows for bigger enlargements and smooth gradation without the grain or blur that would characterize similarly enlarged images produced from smaller film formats.
Compared to 35 mm, the main drawbacks are accessibility and price. While 35-mm cameras, film, and photo finishing services are generally widely available and cheap, medium format is usually limited to professional photography shops and can be prohibitively expensive, especially for digital medium format cameras.

Film handling

Medium format film is usually roll film, typically allowing 8 to 32 exposures on one roll of film before reloading is needed. This is less convenient than 35 mm cartridges, which typically take 24-36 pictures on one roll. While rolls of large format film were produced at one time, their use was specialized, typically for aerial cameras installed in military aircraft or printing industry equipment.
Most large format film is sheet film, that is, film where each picture is on a separate piece of film, requiring that the camera be frequently reloaded, usually after every picture, sometimes using magazines of up to five pictures or reduction backs that allow multiple pictures on a single sheet of film. Medium format sheet film was produced for some cameras, but these cameras tend to be smaller, lighter, and easier to use than large format gear. Sheet film was never commonly used in cameras smaller than medium format.
Film cost per exposure is directly related to the amount of film used, thus, the larger the film size, the more expensive each picture will be. An 8"x10" large format negative is far more expensive than a 6x6 cm medium format picture, which is substantially more expensive than a frame of 35 mm film.
35mm cartridges are generally easier to load and unload from a camera than medium format rolls. A 35 mm cartridge is placed inside a camera, and in most motorized cameras this is all that is needed; the camera loads the film, and rewinds it into the cartridge for removal. Far fewer medium format cameras are motorized, and medium format roll film does not have sprocket holes, so loading often requires that marking on the backing paper of the film be lined up with markings on the camera, and on unloading, the backing paper must be carefully secured to protect the film from light.

120 and 220

For more information, see the 120 film article
All medium-format cameras mass produced today (as of 2008) use the 120 film format. Many also can use the 220 film format, which is twice as long and hence allows twice the number of exposures. 120 and 220 film is still almost as available as 35 mm from specialist shops.
This film is shot in a variety of aspect ratios, which differ depending on the camera or frame insert used. The most common aspect ratios are 6×6 cm (square) and 6×4.5 cm (rectangular). Other frequently used aspect ratios are 6×7 cm, 6×9 cm, and 6×17 cm panoramic. The 6×4.5 cm format is usually referred to as "645", with many cameras that use this ratio bearing "645" in their product name. Cameras that can switch to different aspect ratios do so by either switching camera backs, by using a frame insert, or by use of special multi-format backs. All of these dimensions are nominal; actual dimensions are a bit different. For example, 6×7 cm might give an image on film that is actually 56×70 mm; this enlarges exactly to fill an 8×10 sheet of paper. Another feature of many medium format models is the ability to use Polaroid instant film in an interchangeable back. Studio, commercial and architectural photographers value this system for its ability to verify the focus and exposure.

Digital medium format

Digital photography came to the medium format world with the development of digital camera backs, which can be fitted to many system cameras. Digital backs are a type of camera back that have electronic sensors in them, effectively converting a camera into a digital camera. These backs are used predominantly by professional photographers. As with film, due to the increased size of the imaging chip (up to twice that of a 35 mm film frame, and thus as much as 40 times the size of the chip in a typical pocket point-and-shoot camera) they deliver more pixels and have lower noise. Features like fan cooling also improve the image quality of studio models.
This market began in 1992 when Leaf Systems Inc. released their first digital camera back, named, fittingly enough, the "DCB". By the late 1990s, there were a number of companies producing backs of various types.
In the 2000s, the number of vendors of both high-end medium format camera systems and digital backs began to decrease. The power of digital SLRs cut into the sale of film-based medium format systems, while the tremendous development expenses for medium format digital systems meant that not all vendors could profitably compete. Contax and Bronica ceased production of cameras, Kodak stopped making their DCS series of backs, and camera and back manufacturers began to integrate.
Camera maker Hasselblad merged with digital imaging firm Imacon and partnered with Fuji to design and produce a new line of digital-friendly medium format cameras, the H-Series. Since the manufacturer will sell digital backs integrated with the camera, other makers of digital backs are far less likely to be able to sell backs for this camera, and this partnership is the clear market leader.
Camera maker Mamiya has developed the Mamiya ZD back, but also announced a partnership with back maker Phase One. Camera maker Sinar was taken over in stages by the digital cameraback manufacturer and developer Jenoptik and partnered with Rollei for the development of the Hy6 medium format camera systems.
The Leaf Aptus 75S digital back offers 33MP resolution, with shooting speed of 50 frames a minute. In early 2006 Hasselblad (H2D and H3D) and Phase One (P45) released a 39 megapixel back, the highest resolution single-shot digital backs to date (Sinar continue to dominate the high end non-interpolated imaging market with a line of progression from the macroscan through to the latest eVolution 75 which also has live image focuĎsing.

"Lomography" and other low-budget medium format cameras

While most professional medium format cameras are very expensive, some inexpensive plastic imports, such as the Chinese Diana and Holga, are gaining in popularity, particularly with toy camera enthusiasts. Many of these cameras are sold though the Austrian Lomographische AG. Due to the poor quality of the cameras, the exact image captured on the negative is somewhat random in nature. These cameras often have plastic lenses that offer poor or uneven focus, light leaks that oddly colorize an image, extreme vignetting, and a multitude of other "flaws" that are generally undesirable to photographers. While these elements certainly are "flaws" in camera design, they can produce interesting, artistic, or enjoyable results. Because of the popularity of lomography and toy camera culture, medium-format photography has seen a resurgence with amateur photographers. Lomography detractors point out that twin-lens reflex cameras (TLRs) and folders without the distortion and light leaks can be had on the used market in the same price range.
The Chinese Seagull TLR and medium-format cameras from the former Soviet Union such as the Russian Lubitel and somewhat better made Ukrainian Kiev-Arsenal 60 and 88 are also available at moderate prices. These cameras can deliver quality images, although the lenses and camera bodies are not at the level of those from Swedish, German and Japanese manufacturers.
Used folding cameras, TLRs, and box cameras are also a cheap option to shoot medium format. Many U.S.-made folders, including most of the mass produced Kodak folders use the discontinued 620 film requiring the user to respool 120 film.

Digital photography

Digital photography

Digital photography is a form of photography that utilizes digital technology to make digital images of subjects. Until the advent of digital technology, photography used photographic film to create images which could be made visible by photographic processing. Digital images can be displayed, printed, stored, manipulated, transmitted, and archived using digital and computer techniques, without chemical processing.
Digital photography is one of several forms of digital imaging. Digital images are also created by non-photographic equipment such as computer tomography scanners and radio telescopes. Digital images can also be made by scanning conventional photographic images.

Sensors and storage

Sensors read the intensity of light as filtered through different color filters, and digital memory devices store the digital image information, either as RGB color space or as raw data.
There are two main types of sensors:
charge-coupled device (CCD) – photocharge is shifted to a central charge-to-voltage converter
CMOS sensors ("Active pixel sensor")
Nearly all digital cameras now use built in and/or removable solid state flash memory. Digital camcorders that double as a digital still camera use flash memory, discs and internal hard disks. For a time floppy disks and mini-CDs were used in early digital cameras such as the Sony Mavica range.

Multifunctionality and connectivity

Except for some linear array type of cameras at the highest-end and simple web cams at the lowest-end, a digital memory device (usually flash memory; floppy disks and CD-RWs are less common) is usually used for storing images, which may then be transferred to a computer later.
Digital cameras can take pictures, and may also record sound and video. Some can be used as webcams, some can use the PictBridge standard to connect to a printer without using a computer, and some can display pictures directly on a television set. Similarly, many camcorders can take still photographs, and store them on videotape or on flash memorycards.

Performance metrics

The quality of a digital image is the sum of various factors, many of which are similar to film cameras. Pixel count (typically listed in megapixels, millions of pixels) is only one of the major factors, though it is the most heavily marketed. Pixel count metrics were created by the marketing organizations of digital camera manufacturers because consumers can use it to easily compare camera capabilities. It is not, however, the major factor in evaluating a digital camera. The processing system inside the camera that turns the raw data into a color-balanced and pleasing photograph is the most critical, which is why some 4+ megapixel cameras perform better than higher-end cameras.
Lens quality: resolution, distortion, dispersion (see Lens (optics))
Capture medium: CMOS, CCD, Negative film, Reversal Film etc.
Capture format: pixel count, digital file type (RAW, TIFF, JPEG), film format (135 film, 120 film, 5x4, 10x8).
Processing: digital and / or chemical processing of 'negative' and 'print'.

Pixel counts

The number of pixels n for a given maximum resolution (w horizontal pixels by h vertical pixels) is the product n = w × h. This yields e. g. 1.92 megapixels (1,920,000 pixels) for an image of 1600 × 1200. The majority of compact (not SLR) digital cameras have a 4:3 aspect ratio, i.e. w/h = 4/3. [1]. According to Digital Photography Review, the 4:3 ratio is because "computer monitors are 4:3 ratio, old CCD's always had a 4:3 ratio, and thus digital cameras inherited this aspect ratio."[1]
The pixel count quoted by manufacturers can be misleading as it may not be the number of full-colour pixels. For cameras using single-chip image sensors the number claimed is the total number of single-colour-sensitive photosensors, whether they have different locations in the plane, as with the Bayer sensor, or in stacks of three co-located photosensors as in the Foveon X3 sensor. However, the images will have different numbers of RGB pixels: the Bayer-sensor cameras produce as many RGB pixels as photosensors via demosaicing (interpolation), while the cameras with Foveon sensors produce uninterpolated image files with one-third as many RGB pixels as photosensors. It is difficult to compare the resolutions based on the megapixel ratings of these two types of sensors, and therefore sometimes subject of dispute.

Resolution

Resolution provides an indication of the amount of detail that is captured, but, like the other metrics, resolution is just another factor out of many in determining the quality of an image. Furthermore, different methods of creating an image make it impossible to compare the resolutions of cameras simply based on the number of pixels produced by the image sensor. For example, the Sigma SD14 camera uses Foveon technology, which is quite different from most other digital cameras. It claims to be a 14 megapixel camera, but is generally considered to have detail-capturing capabilities roughly equivalent to 9 megapixels in terms of Bayer sensors. [2]
The relative increase in detail resulting from an increase in resolution is better compared by looking at the number of pixels across (or down) the picture, rather than the total number of pixels in the picture area. For example, a sensor of 2560 × 1600 sensor elements is described as "4 megapixels" (2560 × 1600 = 4,096,000). Increasing to 3200 × 2048 increases the pixels in the picture to 6,553,600 (6.5 megapixels), a factor of 1.6, but the pixels per cm in the picture (at the same image size) increases by only 1.25 times. A measure of the comparative increase in linear resolution is the square root of the increase in area resolution, i.e., megapixels in the entire image.
Resolution in pixels is not the only measure of image quality; a larger sensor with the same number of pixels will generally produce a better image than a smaller one. One of the most important differences is an improvement in image noise. This is one of the advantages of digital SLR cameras, which have larger sensors than simpler cameras of the same resolution.

Dynamic range

Practical imaging systems, digital and film, have a limited dynamic range which can be reproduced accurately. Highlights of the subject which are too bright will be rendered as white, with no detail; shadows which are too dark will be rendered as black. The loss of detail is not abrupt with film, or in dark shadows with digital sensors: some detail is retained as brightness moves out of the dynamic range. "Highlight burn-out" of digital sensors, however, can be abrupt, and highlight detail may be lost. And as the sensor elements for different colors saturate in turn, there can be gross hue or saturation shift in burnt-out highlights.
Some digital cameras can show these blown highlights in the image review, allowing the photographer to re-shoot the picture with a modified exposure. Others compensate for the total contrast of a scene by selectively exposing darker pixels longer. A third technique is used by Fujifilm in its FinePix S3 Pro digital SLR. The image sensor contains additional photodiodes of lower sensitivity than the main ones; these retain detail in parts of the image too bright for the main sensor.
High dynamic range imaging (HDR) addresses this issue by increasing the dynamic range of images by either
increasing the dynamic range of the image sensor or
by using exposure bracketing and post-processing the separate images to create a single image with a higher dynamic range.
HDR images curtail burn-outs and black-outs.

Movie Camera

Movie camera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, searchThe Arricam ST, a popular 35 mm film camera currently used on major productions.
This article is about motion picture film cameras. See video camera for cameras which record images electronically. The movie camera is a type of photographic camera which takes a rapid sequence of photographs on strips of film. In contrast to a still camera, which captures a single snapshot at a time, the movie camera takes a series of images, each called a "frame". This is accomplished through an intermittent mechanism. The frames are later played back in a movie projector at a specific speed, called the "frame rate" (number of frames per second). While viewing, a person's eyes and brain merge the separate pictures together to create the illusion of motion.[1]

Technical details

Most of the optical and mechanical elements of a movie camera are present in the movie projector. The requirements for film tensioning, take-up, intermittent motion, loops, and rack positioning are almost identical. The camera will not have an illumination source and will maintain its film stock in a light-tight enclosure. A camera will also have exposure control via an iris aperture located on the lens. Also, there is a rotating, sometimes mirrored shutter behind the lens, which alternately passes the light from the lens to the film, or reflects it into the viewfinder. The righthand side of the camera is often referred to by camera assistants as "the dumb side" because it usually lacks indicators or readouts and access to the film threading, as well as lens markings on many lens models. More recent equipment often has done much to minimize these shortcomings, although access to the film movement block by both sides is precluded by basic motor and electronic design necessities.The standardized frame rate for commercial sound film is 24 frames per second. The standard commercial (i.e., movie-theater film) width is 35 millimeters, while many other film formats exist. The standard aspect ratios are 1.66, 1.85, and 2.39 (anamorphic). NTSC video (common in North America and Japan) plays at 29.97 frames/s; PAL (common in most other countries) plays at 25 frames/s. These two television and video systems also have different resolutions and color encodings. Many of the technical difficulties involving film and video concern translation between the different formats. Video aspect ratios are 4:3 for full screen and 16:9 for widescreen.

Multiple cameras

Multiple synchronized cameras may be used and the films then projected simultaneously, either on a single three-image screen (Cinerama) or upon multiple screens forming a complete circle, with gaps between screens through which the projectors illuminate an opposite screen. (See Circle-Vision 360°.)
Sound synchronization

One of continuing problems in film is synchronizing a sound recording with the film. Most film cameras do not record sound internally; instead, the sound is captured separately by a precision audio device. This is called double-system. The exceptions to this are the single-system news film cameras, which had either an optical --or later-- magnetic recording head inside the camera. For optical recording, the film only had a single perforation and the area where the other set of perforations would have been was exposed to a controlled bright light that would burn a waveform image that would later regulate the passage of light and playback the sound. For magnetic recording, that same area of the single perf 16 mm film that was prestriped with a magnetic stripe. A smaller balance stripe existed between the perforations and the edge to compensate the thickness of the recording stripe to keep the film wound evenly.
The clapper board which typically starts a take is used as a reference point for the editor to sync the picture to the sound (provided the scene and take are also called out so that the editor knows which picture take goes with any given sound take). It also permits scene and take numbers and other essential information to be seen on the film itself. Aaton cameras have a system called AatonCode that can "jam sync" with a timecode-based audio recorder and prints a digital timecode directly on the edge of the film itself. However, the most commonly used system at the moment is unique identifier numbers exposed on the edge of the film by the film stock manufacturer (KeyKode is the name for Kodak's system). These are then logged (usually by a computer editing system, but sometimes by hand) and recorded along with audio timecode during editing. In the case of no better alternative, a handclap can work if done clearly and properly, but often a quick tap on the microphone (provided it is in frame for this gesture) is preferred.
Some cameras have low-accuracy ("non-sync" or MOS) film-advance systems. One of the most common uses of these cameras in commercial films are the spring-wound cameras used in hazardous special effects, known as "crash cams". Scenes shot with these have to be kept short, or resynchronized manually with the sound. MOS cameras are also often used for second-unit work or anything involving variable or non-standard speed filming. Due to their non-sync nature, some designs forgo traditional low-noise considerations for a studio camera and thus are quite noisy.
The most popular 35 mm cameras in use today are Arriflex, Moviecam (now owned by the Arri Group), and Panavision models. For very high speed filming, PhotoSonics are used.

Home movie cameras

Movie cameras, although available before the Second World War, had an upsurge in popularity in the immediate post-war period giving rise to the creation of home movies. Compared to the pre-war models, these cameras were small, light, fairly sophisticated and affordable. While a basic model might have a single fixed aperture/focus lens, a better version might have three or four lenses of differing apertures and focal lengths on a rotating turret. A good quality camera might come with a variety of interchangeable, focusable lenses or possibly a single zoom lens. The viewfinder was normally a parallel sight within or on top of the camera body. In the 1950s and for much of the 1960s these cameras were powered by clockwork motors, again with variations of quality. A simple mechanism might only power the camera for some 30 seconds, while a geared drive camera might work for as long as 75 - 90 seconds (at standard speeds). Even today there is a market among collectors for these types of camera, as the engineering and materials were of a very high standard and no battery is required. While film stock and the ability to process it exists, these cameras can still be used.
The common film used for these cameras was termed Standard 8, which was a strip of 16 millimetre wide film which was only exposed down one half during shooting. The film had twice the number of perforations as film for 16mm cameras and so the frames were half as high and half as wide as 16mm frames. The film was removed and placed back in the camera to expose the frames on the other side once the first half had been exposed. Once the film was developed it was spliced down the middle and the ends attached, giving 50 foot of Standard 8 film from a spool of 25 foot of 16 mm film. 16 mm cameras, mechanically similar to the smaller format models, were also used in home movie making but were more usually the tools of semi professional film and news film makers.
In the 1960s a new film format, Super8, coincided with the advent of battery operated electric movie cameras. The new film, with a larger frame print on the same width of film stock, came in a cassette which simplified changeover and developing. Another advantage of the new system is that they had the capacity to record sound, albeit of indifferent quality. Camera bodies, and sometimes lenses, were increasingly made in plastic rather than the metals of the earlier types. As the costs of mass production came down, so did the price and these cameras became very popular. This type of format and camera was more quickly superseded for amateurs by the advent of video cameras, although some professionals continued to make use of its visual characteristics alongside larger format film and video cameras.

Digital Camera Pictures

DIGITAL CAMERA PICTURES

Video Cameras

Video Cameras & Filming

This lesson will present a few basics for using a video camera to record a scene for inclusion in a multimedia presentation.
We will be using a Panasonic camcorder (analog) and a Sony Handicam (digital) . Take the time to become familiar with their basic operation before you begin shooting.

Basic Steps:

Following a few simple rules when filming for desktop video will improve the quality of the shot:
Keep the background simple to focus attention on the subject.
Make sure that your lighting is adequate. More light will help you keep the subject in focus and make colors look better too.
Avoid large differences in brightness between background and subject to prevent washing out detail in the subject. If the background is brighter than the subject and the camera angle can't be changed, a backlight setting may help.
Use a tripod. A steady image is essential for better compression and for a more professional look.
Double check the sound level. It is often better to avoid using an internal microphone because camera vibrations generate a lot of noise. If you need to use in internal microphone, test it first and compare the quality to the sound from an external microphone to be sure you are satified. However, external microphones can sometimes pick of radio interference. Get the microphone as close as possible to the subject. Shoot in a quiet environment, and monitor the sound during filming if possible.
The smaller the image size of the final product, the closer you should zoom in on the subject to create a close-up shot for your video frame.
Keep it short and keep up the pace. Beginners tend to make shots too long. Long videos with little content take up space and time and slow down the rhythm without adding much to the overall quality of the presentation.
Remember to check the focus.
If you use auto-focus, test it to make sure it works well. On some cameras, auto-focus can cause sudden unintentional changes in focus when something moves in your frame.
Avoid changing the zoom, panning, or tracking while shooting for desktop video.
On some cameras it may be necessary to set white balance, check for indoor/outdoor settings, turn off any date stamp. When all else fails, read the manual.

Be sure that your subject is centered and well lit. A good shooting environment will yield a better result.
Video creates large files, so avoid occupying screen area with unnecessary background. Stable backgrounds compress better than moving backgrounds, so try to avoid any camera motion. Moving the camera or changing the frame in any way (zooming in or out) makes file compression more difficult because it generates a greater difference between video frames.
Sound is actually harder to do well than images, so don't underestimate the attention that you need to devote to getting a good sound track. The environment is full of sounds. Human hearing is all about filtering out the things that are not important and paying attention only to the important details of what we hear. In a recording, we can hear all of the noises that we normally do not notice because our perception filters them out. Make sure that the sound track includes only the sounds that you want.
The larger the screen, the easier it is to see facial features and the more screen area may be occupied by background. Cinema, television, and computer screen video formats must take relative size into consideration when determining the best framing for the subject. Which of the following frames is a better choice for digital video?

Other Video Capture products

In our previous lesson on video capture, we looked at using Adobe Premiere to capture a video.
There are numerous tools that allow us to capture video. Some video cards have a built-in video capture function, there are video capture devices that connect to a computer through a USB or Firewire connector, one might have a separate card that only does video capture, or a digital video camera might transfer the digital video as a file directly to your computer.
The photo at the right shows the interface for capturing video using the Matrox Marvel G400 video card. This card is designed to capture video in MPG format, so that is the CODEC (compression / decompression algorithm) that we would use with this device. Once the video is captured, we use video editing software to make any changes needed. Because there are so many different tools on the market, and because they behave so differently, it is necessary to follow the directions that come with the software and hardware that you have purchased.

Web camera

Webcam

Webcams (web cameras) are small cameras, (usually, though not always, video cameras) whose images can be accessed using the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC video conferencing application. The term webcam is also used to describe the low-resolution digital video cameras designed for such purposes, but which can also be used to record in a non-real-time fashion.
Web-accessible cameras involve a digital camera which uploads images to a web server, either continuously or at regular intervals. This may be achieved by a camera attached to a PC, or by dedicated hardware. Videoconferencing cameras typically take the form of a small camera connected directly to a PC. Analog cameras are also sometimes used (often of the sort used for closed-circuit television), connected to a video capture card and then directly or indirectly to the internet.
History
Started in 1991, the first webcam was pointed at the Trojan room coffee pot in the computer science department of Cambridge University. This webcam is now defunct, as it was finally switched off on August 22, 2001. The final image captured by the camera can still be viewed at the webcam's homepage [1].
The oldest webcam still operating is FogCam at San Francisco State University, which has been running continuously since 1994[1].
As with many new technologies, webcams and webcam chat found early commercial adoption and aggressive technology advancement through use by the pornography industry.[citation needed] The adult industry required 'live' images and requested a Dutch developer to write a piece of software that could do this without requiring web browser plugins.[citation needed] This led to the birth of the 'live streaming webcam', which is still available in various forms today.[citation needed]
One of the most widely reported-on webcam sites was JenniCam, started in 1996, which allowed Internet users to constantly observe the life of its namesake, somewhat like reality TV series Big Brother, launched three years later[2]. More recently, the website Justin.tv has shown a continuous video and audio stream from a mobile camera mounted on the head of the site's star.

Web-accessible cameras

In addition to use for personal videoconferencing, it was quickly realised that World Wide Web users enjoyed viewing images from cameras set up by others elsewhere in the world. While the term "webcam" refers to the technology generally, the first part of the term ("web-") is often replaced with a word describing what can be viewed with the camera, such as a netcam or streetcam. Educators can use webcams to take their students on virtual field trips.
Today there are millions of webcams that provide views into homes, offices and other buildings as well as providing panoramic views of cities (Metrocams) and the countryside. Webcams are used to monitor traffic with TraffiCams, the weather with WeatherCams and even volcanoes with VolcanoCams. Webcam aggregators allow viewers to search for specific webcams based on geography or other criteria.
Software
Webcams connected to PCs can act as web-accessible cameras with certain software. The software uploads pictures to an internet server (via FTP or HTTP), from which they can be made accessible to anyone over the web.
Usually, this kind of software works with almost every webcam. Webcam software can be configured in many ways and will often include options for image size and quality, overlaying logos, and time stamping images. Many different programs are available, some of them are free and open source

Videoconferencing

As webcam capabilities have been added to instant messaging text chat services such as AOL Instant Messenger, one-to-one live video communication over the internet has now reached millions of mainstream PC users worldwide. Increased video quality has helped webcams encroach on traditional video conferencing systems. New features such as lighting, real-time enhancements (retouching, wrinkle smoothing and vertical stretch) can make users more comfortable, further increasing popularity. Features and performance vary between programs.
Videoconferencing support is included in programs including Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Windows Live Messenger, Skype, iChat, Ekiga and Camfrog.
Some online video broadcasting sites have taken advantage of this technology to create internet television programs centered around two (or more) people "diavlogging" with each other from two different places. Among others, BloggingHeads.tv uses this technology to set up conversations between prominent journalists, scientists, bloggers, and philosophers.

Video security
Webcams are being used for security purposes. Software is available allowing PC-connected cameras to watch for movement and sound, recording both when they are detected; these recordings can be saved to the computer, e-mailed or uploaded to the internet. In one well-publicised case [3] a computer e-mailed out images as the burglar stole it, allowing the owner to give police a clear picture of the burglar's face even after the computer had been stolen.

As a control input device

Special software can use the video stream from a webcam to assist or enhance a user's control of applications and games. Video features, including faces, shapes, models and colors can be observed and tracked to produce a corresponding form of control. For example, the position of a single light source can be tracked and used to emulate a mouse pointer, a head mounted light would allow hands-free computing and would greatly improve computer accessibility. This can also be applied to games, providing additional control, improved interactivity and immersiveness.
FreeTrack is a free webcam motion tracking application for Microsoft Windows that can track a special head mounted model in up to six degrees of freedom and output data to mouse, keyboard, joystick and FreeTrack supported games.
The EyeToy for the PlayStation 2 and similarly the Xbox Live Vision Camera for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are color digital cameras that have been used as control input devices by some games.
Small webcam-based PC games are available as either standalone executables or inside web browser windows using Adobe Flash.

Non-real-time webcams
A webcam that records to a video file is essentially no different from any other video camera which records directly to hard disk, including hi-def cameras such as the Thomson Viper, which would never be described as webcams. However, webcam is frequently used to describe any footage shot on the digital video cameras designed for real-time webcam use, recognizable by the distinct quality of image such cameras offer. An example of such webcam use would be in the film Dark Night by Justin Hall.

Technology
Webcams typically include a lens, an image sensor, and some support electronics. Various lenses are available, the most common being a plastic lens that can be screwed in and out to set the camera's focus. Fixed focus lenses are also available, which require no adjustment. Image sensors can be CMOS or CCD, the former being dominant for low-cost cameras, but CCD cameras do not necessarily outperform CMOS-based cameras in the low cost price range. Consumer webcams usually offer a resolution in the VGA region, at a rate of around 25 frames per second. The higher resolution of 1.3 Megapixel is also available from the brands Microsoft, Logitech, and HP.
Support electronics are present to read the image from the sensor and transmit it to the host computer. The camera pictured to the right, for example, uses a Sonix SN9C101 to transmit its image over USB. Some cameras - such as mobile phone cameras - use a CMOS sensor with supporting electronics "on die", i.e. the sensor and the support electronics are built on a single silicon chip to save space and manufacturing costs.
Some webcams feature built in microphones to make video conferencing more convenient. Creative Technology has introduced a webcam featuring built in noise cancellation to focus the audio to the speaker who is directly in front of the camera, excluding ambient noise.
The USB video device class (UVC) specification allows for interconnectivity of webcams to computers even without proprietary drivers installed. Microsoft Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.5 have UVC drivers built in and do not require extra drivers, although they are often installed in order to add additional features.

Privacy

Some 'Trojan horse' programs can allow malicious hackers to activate a computer's camera without the user's knowledge, providing the hacker with a live video feed from the unfortunate user's camera. Cameras such as Apple's older external iSight cameras include lens covers to thwart this. Most other webcams have a built-in LED that lights up whenever the camera is active.
In mid-January 2005 some search engine queries were published in an on-line forum[4] which allow anyone to find thousands of Panasonic- and Axis-made high-end web cameras accessible through the web. Many such cameras are running on default configuration, which does not require any password login or IP address verification, making them visible to anyone.