Cameras have been around for hundreds of years. There are many different styles and brands of cameras. There are analog cameras and digital cameras. In this context those terms refer to the way an image is captured. Analog cameras use film, digital cameras use memory cards. There are still cameras that take momentary snapshots. However, video cameras record many frames of still images that are stitched together to create motion.
We now live in a social media centered world. Still cameras can capture moments and instantly share them with the world outside of your event. This can create FOMO or fear of missing out. It can extend your events reach beyond the 4 walls surrounding it. Most importantly moments like this can mean your event lives on past the end of that day. It can indefinitely extend the conversations started.
Of course there are many other uses for cameras in AV. Document cameras work similar to the old transparency projectors. They take a camera and a little light and you can focus it on top of a desk or podium. Document cameras specifically capture what a person is writing or drawing. Drones and wire cam setups are great for capturing a unique view of outdoor events. Action cameras and other micro cameras mean you can get a shot from any angle and incorporate it in your event.
The most common use of cameras when we talk about AV is for image magnification or IMAG. Image magnification is using a video camera to display a subject on a screen using a camera’s zoom lens or position to display them larger than life. This allows people in the back of the room to have as good of a view as someone in the front row.
Depending on the size of the room you may need special lenses. If there is a lot happening on stage you may need more than one type of camera to fully capture the event. I will go more in depth about IMAG and other uses for cameras and how it all connects to AV at another time.
Come back soon for more articles where we will break down Cameras into more digestible bites and explain it for you. What was your first experience with a camera? Are you old enough to have used cameras that still used tapes to record with? Leave your reply in the comments below. Don’t forget to tell us what you want to know more about and we will add it to the list of future topics!