Camcorder

From ArticleWorld

A camcorder is a portable camera used for recording audio and video.

History

Earlier cameras were very large and used to be connected to separate recorders located elsewhere. With the advancement of technology, their sizes reduced enabling the creation of portable cameras and recorders.

However, even these were quite large and bulky consisting of two separate devices: one was the camera itself and the other the recorder (known as the VCR). This would require two persons to shoot and take a recording.

The camcorder, which combined these two devices into one, was first introduced in the 1980s by Sony. At this time, camcorders were large and bulky and they consisted of a video camera combined with a VHS recorder. Their cost was more than 1500 USD.

A few years later, two new smaller tape formats appeared, the VHS-C format and the 8mm format. The VHS-C was similar to the VHS, except that it had a smaller tape size.

The 8mm Handycam, introduced by Sony, was the first camcorder small enough to be operated using only the palm. Although it was not compatible with VHS-VCRs, it become popular due to its better recording quality and rendered the VHS format obsolete.

The 8mm format was soon followed by the miniDV format, which boasted of smaller camera size and even better quality recordings in digital format. MiniDVs are currently available from $300 onwards.

Components

There are three main components in a camcorder: the lens, the imager, and the recorder.

• Lens

This is used for focussing light onto the imager. The lens has a zoom, aperture and shutter which are usually controllable, either manually or automatically.

• Imager

The imager consists of a photosensitive device like a CCD and converts the light signals from the image into electronic signals. Modern camcorders use an ADC (Analogue to digital converter) to convert analogue waveforms (used by older cameras) into digital format.

• Recorder

The recorder stores the video signals onto the storage medium such as a videotape or flash drive. The camera may also store information about the date, time, model and location in the image.

Uses

Camcorders are widely used by journalists reporting from far off locations and are transmitted electronically to the studio. It is also used by families at home, by human rights activists and for entertainment and movies.