# System camera

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/System_camera
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/System_camera.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_camera
> Source revision: 1345615490
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Camera with interchangeable components}}
{{Use MDY dates |date=August 2025}}
{{Expand German|topic=scitech}}
[[Image:Nikon F SLR camera with NIKKOR-S Auto 1,4 f=5,8cm.JPG|thumb|220px|[Nikon F](/source/Nikon_F) chrome with eyelevel prism and NIKKOR-S Auto 1:1.4 f=5.8cm lens (1959) – an early SLR system camera.]]
thumb|A Nikon F body and viewfinder
thumb|Nikon F with interchangeable photomic TTL metering prism

A '''system camera''' is a [camera](/source/camera) whose body is designed to support interchangeable components, most importantly an [interchangeable lens](/source/interchangeable_lens), as well as other accessories.

Components may use different physical sockets, electrical contacts, and digital protocols, so not all are compatible with each other. A set of compatible components is referred to as a ''system''. Systems are usually named for the [lens mount](/source/lens_mount), such Nikon F-mount, [Canon EF mount](/source/Canon_EF_mount), and [M42 mount](/source/M42_lens_mount) (a non-proprietary mount using a {{val|42|x|1|u=mm}} screw thread).

Early system cameras include [Leica I Schraubgewinde](/source/Leica_Camera) (1930), [Exakta](/source/Exakta) (1936) and the [Nikon F](/source/Nikon_F) (1959). System cameras are often [single-lens reflex](/source/Single-lens_reflex_camera) (SLR) or [twin-lens reflex](/source/Twin-lens_reflex_camera) (TLR) but can also be [rangefinder camera](/source/rangefinder_camera)s or, more recently, [mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera](/source/mirrorless_interchangeable-lens_camera)s. [Voice coil](/source/Voice_coil) motors (VCMs) or [piezoelectric motor](/source/piezoelectric_motor)s are used to control the lens movement to achieve fast and accurate autofocus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stanfordmagnets.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-voice-coil-motor.html |title=Everything You Need to Know About Voice Coil Motors |last=Marchio |first=Cathy |website=Stanford Magnets |date=Aug 30, 2024 |access-date=Oct 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Canon USM vs STM Lenses: What's The Difference? | website=ExpertPhotography | date=2022-07-21 | url=https://expertphotography.com/canon-usm-vs-stm/ | access-date=2025-08-13}}</ref> These motors move the lens elements to focus the light onto the sensor with high precision.<ref>{{cite patent |country=US |number=9134503B2 |status=patent}}</ref>

At the minimum, a system camera includes a camera body and separate, [interchangeable lens](/source/interchangeable_lens)es. Other accessories are also available:
* [Electronic flash](/source/Flash_(photography)) units matching the camera's capabilities.
* [PC socket](/source/Prontor-Compur) or tripod-adapter mounts for external flash units, rather than just a hot shoe
* [Mechanical](/source/Bulb_(photography)), electric, or [IR](/source/Infrared_Data_Association)/[RF](/source/Radio_frequency) remote shutter release.
* Extensive supplementary equipment for [macro photography](/source/macro_photography) and [photomicrography](/source/photomicrography).
* Adapters for third-party or legacy lenses, including [tilt-shift](/source/Tilt-shift_photography) adapters
* For film cameras, a [motor drive](/source/motor_drive) to advance the film automatically.
* For film cameras, different camera backs, e.g. large capacity for bulk film, or data back or datebacks for recording exposure and date information.
* Add-on correction or magnifying lenses to help focusing or composition through the viewfinder.
* Interchangeable [viewfinder](/source/viewfinder)s, including interchangeable [focusing screen](/source/focusing_screen)s in the case of [SLRs](/source/Single-lens_reflex_camera). Viewfinders and focusing screens could give different metering options.
* Extra-capacity battery packs, often in the form of a "battery grip" (a second, [portrait](/source/Page_orientation)-oriented handgrip), but also including fully external packs with cable interface
* [AC adapters](/source/AC_adapters) with dummy-battery interfaces for studio or other stationary work
* Sockets and matching cables for direct output, e.g., to a [television](/source/HDMI)
* [Depth of field](/source/Depth_of_field) preview
* [Global navigation satellite system](/source/Global_navigation_satellite_system) receivers, e.g. (GPS) for [geotagging](/source/geotagging)
* [Bluetooth](/source/Bluetooth) or [Wi-Fi](/source/Wi-Fi) networking modules

While some early mechanical interfaces are standardized across brands, optical and electronic interfaces are often [proprietary](/source/Proprietary_hardware). [Hot shoe](/source/Hot_shoe)s have a common interface for basic flash functions, but often contain proprietary contacts inside for advanced flashes and data modules.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Category:Cameras by type
Category:Technology systems
Category:System cameras

{{camera-stub}}
{{Systemstheory-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [System camera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_camera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_camera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.