3 Levels of Cameras
Professional
Consumer
Prosumer
Lens
interchangeable in professional, but not other types. Three main functions: light management, focal length, and focus.
Light
enters through lens and is changed into electrical energy (digital) or pattern is etched onto film (film)
Focal length
determines field of view; from the center of the lens to where camera catches light inside
Types of focus
front focus: subject in focus, behind is not
back focus: back in focus, subject is not, calibration between camera lens and camera body
Color filters
can change color of light or the amount of light coming in
Lens hood/barn door
protects lens from rain and lens flares (bright light ruins shot)
Matte box
used in digital cinema, used to put color filters in front of lens
Neutral density filters
reduces light coming in, not changing color
Fog filter
fogs up shot
Lens iris
composed of diaphragm made up of tiny metal plates that are moved in to control amount of light coming in
Aperture
where light passes through, the hole on the iris that opens
F-stops
measurement of the size of the aperture; 1.4-22; the bigger the number, the smaller the aperture
Fast vs. Slow lens
fast because of how wide open lens can get; slow because of lack of range of lens
Focal plane
imaging surface
Inclusive view
smaller the number, shorter the lens, wider angle of view, more light
Exclusive view
bigger the number, longer the lens, narrow angle of view, less light
Prime lenses
fixed focal length
Zoom motor (servo)
allows smooth zoom; electronically changes focal length
Light transduction
the process of light entering the lens, hitting the image sensor, and converting into electrical energy
Image sensors
charge-coupled devices (CCD) and complementary metal oxide conductor (CMOS)
Prism block
light passes through and gets divided into red, green, and blue light
Chips
bigger the chip, better the image quality
Single chip professional
twice as big as other chips
Mosaic mask
used to catch light and divide it into specific spaces, used as a replacement to prism blocks in digital cinema/single chip cameras
Studio Camera
-view finder
-panhandles
-teleprompter
-camera control unit (master control) for multi-cam production
-chroma (color) and shading (exposure) controlled by CCU
-lens not exposed
-pedestal supports camera
Field Camera
-lens exposed
-view finder covered so operator can see through with right eye
-mic on top and shoulder rest
-viewfinder is electronic (EVF) with image delay; basically a TV image
-optical
Types of Viewfinders
electronic (EVF): image delay; looking at TV image
optical: sharper, clearer image because operator is looking at light; less eye fatigue; does not use any power to look through lens
Spreader (tripod)
spreads legs to stabilize; "sticks" is an old term for tripods with wooden legs
Pan handle (tripod)
used to move camera
Head (tripod)
top of tripod that holds camera; viscosity
Types of Tripod Heads
friction: uses friction to give resistance for panning and tilting
geared: move wheels and gears for smooth panning; large mechanism; not portable; used mostly in digital cinema
fluid: portable; reduces friction
Batteries
-ni-cad: nickel-cadmium; brick-size
-Lithium-ion: used for smaller cameras
Robotic cameras
no operator; move themselves; mostly used in news
Advantages of Digital Cinema
cost and workflow, RAW format
Red Camera System
pioneer of digital cinema
Kinescope
the first and most primitive form of recording motion; made possible to record video, but not play it back; done live
Quadruplex
2 inch-wide tape; first practical analog recording videotape format
Videotape composition
Mylar
Ferrous oxide particles (metal pieces of iron)
Degausser/bulk eraser (electromagnetic machine that pulls memory out of VHS)
Videotape tracks
video (largest track)
audio
time code (progressive series of numbers for each frame; each frame has own number
Alternatives to videotape
onboard hard drives (portable and removeable)
dockable hard drives (Red Camera System)optical disk drives (like DVD, but erasable)
memory card drives (Panasonic made first)
Hot head
rotates camera
High hat
put head on and gives ground-level view
Baby legs
small tripod legs to give ground-level view
Dolly tracks
smooth motion; huge operation; train tracks
Dolly camel
operator sits on this to operate camera
Jib
a long, highly maneuverable, crane-like device with a mounted camera at the end
Steadicam
type of stabilizer that gives completely clean shots; road bumps or moving around does not affect shot; (gimbal is like a Steadicam)
Which company pioneered memory card storage systems with their p2 format?
Panasonic
The process of taking film footage, transferring it to a non-linear computer for editing, then transferring the finished product back to film is called
DI (Digital intermediate)
How many FPS is film?
24 fps
How many FPS is video?
30 fps