Still video camera
Encyclopedia
A still video camera is a type of electronic camera
that takes still images and stores them as single frames of video
. They peaked in popularity in the late 1980s and can be seen as the predecessor to the digital camera
. The best known models include the Sony
Mavica and Canon
's Ion and Xapshot cameras.
The most common design has an image sensor and basic processing hardware similar to that of a domestic analog camcorder. However, instead of storing consecutive frames on tape to form a moving image, a single frame is extracted from the output video signal and saved on a rotating magnetic disk
(such as a video floppy
). In playback, the disk is spun at the frame rate
of the video system with the frame being read repeatedly. This produces a conventional video signal that can be viewed on a normal television
.
The obvious limitation is that the playback system is roughly equivalent to the operation of a pause
d video recorder
. Since the video is stored as a conventional video frame in a format such as NTSC
or PAL
, the resolution is limited to that of any other video. And since the images are not stored digitally, transferring the photos to a computer requires a video capture card.
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
that takes still images and stores them as single frames of video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
. They peaked in popularity in the late 1980s and can be seen as the predecessor to the digital camera
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
. The best known models include the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Mavica and Canon
Canon Inc.
is a Japanese multinational corporation that specialises in the manufacture of imaging and optical products, including cameras, camcorders, photocopiers, steppers and computer printers. Its headquarters are located in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan.-Origins:...
's Ion and Xapshot cameras.
The most common design has an image sensor and basic processing hardware similar to that of a domestic analog camcorder. However, instead of storing consecutive frames on tape to form a moving image, a single frame is extracted from the output video signal and saved on a rotating magnetic disk
Magnetic storage
Magnetic storage and magnetic recording are terms from engineering referring to the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage uses different patterns of magnetization in a magnetizable material to store data and is a form of non-volatile memory. The information is accessed using...
(such as a video floppy
Video Floppy
A Video Floppy is a analog recording storage medium in the form of a 2" magnetic floppy disk used to store still frames of composite analog video. A video floppy, also known as a VF disk, could store up to 25 frames either in the NTSC or PAL video standards, with each frame containing 2 fields of...
). In playback, the disk is spun at the frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
of the video system with the frame being read repeatedly. This produces a conventional video signal that can be viewed on a normal television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
The obvious limitation is that the playback system is roughly equivalent to the operation of a pause
Pause
Pause may refer to a rest, hesitation, or temporary stop.Examples:* Fermata, a musical pause of indefinite duration* Pause key, the Pause/Break key on computer keyboards...
d video recorder
Video recorder
A video recorder may be any of several related devices:*Digital video recorder ; Personal video recorder *DVD recorder*Videocassette recorder *Video tape recorder...
. Since the video is stored as a conventional video frame in a format such as NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
or PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
, the resolution is limited to that of any other video. And since the images are not stored digitally, transferring the photos to a computer requires a video capture card.