# Video camera

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Camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition

A video camera manufactured by [Sony](/source/Sony), part of [Handycam](/source/Handycam) line.

A **video camera** is an [optical](/source/Optics) instrument that captures [videos](/source/Video), as opposed to a [movie camera](/source/Movie_camera), which records images on [film](/source/Film_stock). Video cameras were initially developed for the [television](/source/Television) industry but have since become widely used for a variety of other purposes.

Video cameras are used primarily in two modes. The first, characteristic of much early broadcasting, is [live television](/source/Live_television), where the camera feeds [real time](/source/Present) images directly to a screen for immediate observation. A few cameras still serve live television production, but most live connections are for [security](/source/Security_camera), military/tactical, and industrial operations where surreptitious or remote viewing is required. In the second mode the images are recorded to a storage device for archiving or further processing; for many years, [videotape](/source/Videotape) was the primary format used for this purpose, but was gradually supplanted by [optical disc](/source/Optical_disc), [hard disk](/source/Hard_disk), and then [flash memory](/source/Flash_memory). Recorded video is used in television production, and more often [surveillance](/source/Surveillance) and monitoring tasks in which unattended recording of a situation is required for later analysis.

## Types and uses

Modern video cameras have numerous designs and use:

- [Professional video cameras](/source/Professional_video_camera), such as those used in [television production](/source/Television_production), may be [television studio](/source/Television_studio)-based or mobile in the case of an [electronic field production](/source/Electronic_field_production) (EFP). Such cameras generally offer extremely fine-grained manual control for the camera operator, often to the exclusion of automated operation. They usually use three sensors to separately record red, green and blue.

- [Camcorders](/source/Camcorder) combine a camera and a [VCR](/source/VCR) or other recording device in one unit; these are mobile, and were widely used for television production, [home movies](/source/Home_movie), [electronic news gathering](/source/Electronic_news_gathering) (ENG) (including [citizen journalism](/source/Citizen_journalism)), and similar applications. Since the transition to digital video cameras, most cameras have in-built recording media and as such are also camcorders. [Action cameras](/source/Action_camera) often have 360° recording capabilities.

- [Closed-circuit television](/source/Closed-circuit_television) (CCTV) generally uses [pan–tilt–zoom cameras](/source/Pan%E2%80%93tilt%E2%80%93zoom_camera) (PTZ), for security, surveillance, and/or monitoring purposes. Such cameras are designed to be small, easily hidden, and able to operate unattended; those used in industrial or scientific settings are often meant for use in environments that are normally inaccessible or uncomfortable for humans, and are therefore hardened for such hostile environments (e.g. [radiation](/source/Radiation_hardening), high heat, or toxic chemical exposure).

- [Webcams](/source/Webcam) are video cameras that stream a live video feed to a computer.

- Many [smartphones](/source/Smartphones) have built-in video cameras and even [high-end smartphones](/source/Camera_phone) can capture video in 4K resolution.

- Special camera systems are used for scientific research, e.g. on board a [satellite](/source/Satellite) or a [space probe](/source/Space_probe), in [artificial intelligence](/source/Artificial_intelligence) and [robotics](/source/Robotics) research, and in [medical](/source/Medical) use. Such cameras are often tuned for non-visible radiation for [infrared](/source/Infrared) (for [night vision](/source/Night_vision) and heat sensing) or [X-ray](/source/X-ray) (for medical and [video astronomy](/source/Speckle_imaging) use).

## History

The earliest video cameras were based on the mechanical [Nipkow disk](/source/Nipkow_disk) and used in experimental broadcasts through the 1910s–1930s. All-electronic designs based on the [video camera tube](/source/Video_camera_tube), such as [Vladimir Zworykin](/source/Vladimir_Zworykin)'s [Iconoscope](/source/Iconoscope) and [Philo Farnsworth](/source/Philo_Farnsworth)'s [image dissector](/source/Image_dissector), supplanted the Nipkow system by the 1930s. These remained in wide use until the 1980s, when cameras based on solid-state [image sensors](/source/Image_sensors) such as the [charge-coupled device](/source/Charge-coupled_device) (CCD) and later [CMOS](/source/CMOS) [active-pixel sensor](/source/Active-pixel_sensor) (CMOS sensor) eliminated common problems with tube technologies such as [image burn-in](/source/Screen_burn-in) and streaking and made [digital video](/source/Digital_video) [workflow](/source/Workflow) practical, since the output of the sensor is digital so it does not need conversion from analog.

The basis for [solid-state](/source/Solid-state_electronics) image sensors is [metal–oxide–semiconductor](/source/Metal%E2%80%93oxide%E2%80%93semiconductor) (MOS) technology,[1] which originates from the invention of the [MOSFET](/source/MOSFET) (MOS field-effect transistor) at [Bell Labs](/source/Bell_Labs) in 1959.[2] This led to the development of [semiconductor](/source/Semiconductor) image sensors, including the CCD and later the CMOS [active-pixel sensor](/source/Active-pixel_sensor).[1] The first semiconductor image sensor was the charge-coupled device, invented at Bell Labs in 1969,[3] based on [MOS capacitor](/source/MOS_capacitor) technology.[1] The [NMOS](/source/NMOS_logic) active-pixel sensor was later invented at [Olympus](/source/Olympus_Corporation) in 1985,[4][5][6] which led to the development of the CMOS active-pixel sensor at [NASA](/source/NASA)'s [Jet Propulsion Laboratory](/source/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory) in 1993.[7][5]

Practical digital video cameras were also enabled by advances in [video compression](/source/Video_compression), due to the impractically high [memory](/source/Computer_memory) and [bandwidth](/source/Bandwidth_(computing)) requirements of [uncompressed video](/source/Uncompressed_video).[8] The most important compression algorithm in this regard is the [discrete cosine transform](/source/Discrete_cosine_transform) (DCT),[8][9] a [lossy compression](/source/Lossy_compression) technique that was first proposed in 1972.[10] Practical digital video cameras were enabled by DCT-based video compression standards, including the [H.26x](/source/H.26x) and [MPEG](/source/MPEG) [video coding standards](/source/Video_coding_standards) introduced from 1988 onwards.[9]

The transition to [digital television](/source/Digital_television) gave a boost to digital video cameras. By the early 21st century, most video cameras were [digital cameras](/source/Digital_cameras).

With the advent of digital video capture, the distinction between professional video cameras and movie cameras has disappeared as the intermittent mechanism has become the same. Nowadays, mid-range cameras exclusively used for television and other work (except movies) are termed professional video cameras.

## Recording media

Early video could not be directly recorded.[11] The first somewhat successful attempt to directly record video was in 1927 with [John Logie Baird](/source/John_Logie_Baird)’s disc based [Phonovision](/source/Phonovision).[11] The discs were unplayable with the technology of the time although later advances allowed the video to be recovered in the 1980s.[11] The first experiments with using tape to record a video signal took place in 1951.[12] The first commercially released system was Quadruplex videotape produced by [Ampex](/source/Ampex) in 1956.[12] Two years later Ampex introduced a system capable of recording colour video.[12] The first recording systems designed to be mobile (and thus usable outside the studio) were the [Portapak](/source/Portapak) systems starting with the Sony DV-2400 in 1967.[13] This was followed in 1981 by the [Betacam](/source/Betacam) system where the tape recorder was built into the camera making a camcorder.[13]

## Lens mounts

A lens with a Sony E mount

While some video cameras have built in lenses, others use interchangeable lenses connected via a range of mounts. Some like [Panavision PV](/source/PV_mount) and [Arri PL](/source/Arri_PL) are designed for movie cameras while others like [Canon EF](/source/Canon_EF) and [Sony E](/source/Sony_E-mount) come from still photography.[14] A further set of mounts like [S-mount](/source/S-mount_(CCTV_lens)) exist for applications like CCTV.

## See also

- [Digital movie camera](/source/Digital_movie_camera)

- [Digital single-lens reflex camera](/source/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera)

- [FireWire camera](/source/FireWire_camera)

- [Professional video camera](/source/Professional_video_camera)

- [Super 8 film camera](/source/Super_8_film_camera)

- [Recording at the edge](/source/Recording_at_the_edge)

- [Television production](/source/Television_production)

- [Three-CCD](/source/Three-CCD)

- [Video camera tube](/source/Video_camera_tube)

- [Videograph](/source/Videographer)

- [Videotelephony](/source/Videotelephony)

- [Webcam](/source/Webcam)

- [Smart camera](/source/Smart_camera)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Williams_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Williams_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Williams_1-2) Williams, J. B. (2017). [*The Electronics Revolution: Inventing the Future*](https://books.google.com/books?id=v4QlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA245). Springer. pp. 245–8. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-49088-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-49088-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-computerhistory_2-0)** ["1960: Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) Transistor Demonstrated"](https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/metal-oxide-semiconductor-mos-transistor-demonstrated/). *The Silicon Engine*. [Computer History Museum](/source/Computer_History_Museum). Retrieved August 31, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** James R. Janesick (2001). [*Scientific charge-coupled devices*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3GyE4SWytn4C&pg=PA3). SPIE Press. pp. 3–4. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8194-3698-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8194-3698-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Matsumoto, Kazuya; et al. (1985). "A new MOS phototransistor operating in a non-destructive readout mode". *Japanese Journal of Applied Physics*. **24** (5A): L323. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1985JaJAP..24L.323M](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1985JaJAP..24L.323M). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1143/JJAP.24.L323](https://doi.org/10.1143%2FJJAP.24.L323). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [108450116](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:108450116).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-fossum93_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-fossum93_5-1) [Fossum, Eric R.](/source/Eric_Fossum) (12 July 1993). "Active pixel sensors: Are CCDS dinosaurs?". In Blouke, Morley M. (ed.). *Charge-Coupled Devices and Solid State Optical Sensors III*. Vol. 1900. International Society for Optics and Photonics. pp. 2–14. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1993SPIE.1900....2F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993SPIE.1900....2F). [CiteSeerX](/source/CiteSeerX_(identifier)) [10.1.1.408.6558](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.408.6558). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1117/12.148585](https://doi.org/10.1117%2F12.148585). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [10556755](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:10556755). {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: |journal= ignored ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#periodical_ignored))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Fossum, Eric R.](/source/Eric_Fossum) (2007). ["Active Pixel Sensors"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190309065505/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f510/d40cfe0556392bb2d34981f7158327dec169.pdf) (PDF). *[Semantic Scholar](/source/Semantic_Scholar)*. [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [18831792](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:18831792). Archived from [the original](http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f510/d40cfe0556392bb2d34981f7158327dec169.pdf) (PDF) on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Fossum2014_7-0)** [Fossum, Eric R.](/source/Eric_Fossum); Hondongwa, D. B. (2014). ["A Review of the Pinned Photodiode for CCD and CMOS Image Sensors"](https://doi.org/10.1109%2FJEDS.2014.2306412). *IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society*. **2** (3): 33–43. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2014IJEDS...2...33F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014IJEDS...2...33F). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1109/JEDS.2014.2306412](https://doi.org/10.1109%2FJEDS.2014.2306412).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Belmudez_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Belmudez_8-1) Belmudez, Benjamin (2014). [*Audiovisual Quality Assessment and Prediction for Videotelephony*](https://books.google.com/books?id=ULTzBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA13). Springer. pp. 11–13. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-14166-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-14166-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Huang_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Huang_9-1) Huang, Hsiang-Cheh; Fang, Wai-Chi (2007). [*Intelligent Multimedia Data Hiding: New Directions*](https://books.google.com/books?id=67W5BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA41). Springer. p. 41. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-540-71169-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-540-71169-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Ahmed_10-0)** [Ahmed, Nasir](/source/N._Ahmed) (January 1991). ["How I Came Up With the Discrete Cosine Transform"](https://www.scribd.com/doc/52879771/DCT-History-How-I-Came-Up-with-the-Discrete-Cosine-Transform). *[Digital Signal Processing](/source/Digital_Signal_Processing_(journal))*. **1** (1): 4–5. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[1991DSP.....1....4A](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991DSP.....1....4A). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/1051-2004(91)90086-Z](https://doi.org/10.1016%2F1051-2004%2891%2990086-Z).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McLean_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McLean_11-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-McLean_11-2) ["'Phonovision': 1927-28 « the Dawn of TV"](http://www.tvdawn.com/tv1strx.htm).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-marsh_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-marsh_12-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-marsh_12-2) Marsh, Alex (27 July 2017). ["A History of Videotape, Part 1"](https://blogs.library.duke.edu/bitstreams/2017/07/27/history-videotape-part-1/). *Bitstreams*. Duke University. Retrieved 11 February 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Buckingham_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Buckingham_13-1) Buckingham, David; Willett, Rebekah; Pini, Maria (2011). [*Home Truths?: Video Production and Domestic Life*](https://books.google.com/books?id=KA13kssIGmEC&pg=PA9). University of Michigan Press. p. 9. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-472-05137-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-472-05137-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-rhodes_14-0)** Rhodes, Phil (4 February 2018). ["The RedShark Guide to Lens Mounts"](https://www.redsharknews.com/production/item/4689-the-redshark-guide-to-lens-mounts). *RedShark*. Retrieved 3 March 2022.

## External links

- Media related to [Video cameras](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Video_cameras) at Wikimedia Commons

- The dictionary definition of [*video camera*](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Special:Search/video_camera) at Wiktionary

Authority control databases International GND National Japan Czech Republic Spain Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Video camera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_camera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_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.