How does a video camera work?

How Does an 8 mm Video Camera Work?

• Answer:

  The Lens One of the most important aspects of an 8mm film camera is the lens. The lens specifically directs the amount of light onto the film for exposure. It also allows the user to "zoom in" on an image, which is the process of appearing closer to an object without having to actually move closer to it. Most 8mm film cameras also have a "through-the-lens" viewing system. This means that when you look through the viewer window at the image the lens is seeing, you are going to see exactly the image that is going to be exposed. Certain cameras have what is known as a "Parallax" viewing system, which by the nature of the construction of the camera means that when you look through the viewer window you see a slightly skewed perspective on what is actually getting exposed. Film Speeds Film runs through a camera and is exposed at 24 frames per second. This is normal speed, which gives the appearance of regular motion when projected. An 8mm camera has a variety of options built into it that will allow the user to change film speeds for a few different effects. A small switch can adjust the speed of the film. Exposing at 9, 12, or 18 frames a second mimics fast motion. Recording at 32 frames per second mimics slow motion, as there are more frames than normal to view during one second of time. An 8mm film camera also has the option to expose one frame of film at a time. This is incredibly beneficial when working with stop-motion animation, an optical printer or animation stand, or when employing pixelation (stop-motion animation using the human body). Exposure The actual process of exposing film is easy with an 8mm camera. By adjusting the F-Stop, which is a reading of how "open" or "closed" the lens has to be to expose light and have an image appear normal. By turning the aperture ring around the lens to a smaller number, you can open up the lens to let in more light. In a normally lit environment, this will cause the image to appear brighter than normal. By turning the number to a larger number, this closes the lens, causing less light to make it through to the film, thus making the final exposed image appear darker.