Operating a Camera

1
Operating a Camera

• Television Production
• COM 112 Volunteer State College

2
Overview

• Basic Camera Movements
• Camera Mounts and How to Use Them
• Operational Features

3
Basic Camera Movements

• Pan - Turning camera horizontally left to right
  or right to left

4
Basic Camera Movements

• Tilt - Pointing the Camera up or down

5
Basic Camera Movements

• Cant - Tilting the Camera Sideways, left or right
  (the horizon is slanted)

6
Basic Camera Movements

• Pedestal - Raising or lowering the camera on the
  tripod or studio pedestal center column

7
Basic Camera Movements

• Dolly - Moving the camera and pedestal/tripod
  toward or away from the subject in a fairly
  straight line.

8
Basic Camera Movements

• Truck or Track - Using a mobile camera mount to
  move the camera laterally keeping camera pointing
  at a right angle to the move

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Basic Camera Movements

• Arc - Slightly curved truck movement

10
Basic Camera Movements

• Crane or Boom - Up or Down movement on a camera
  crane or jib arm.

11
Basic Camera Movements

• Tongue - Moving whole camera left to right or
  right to left with boom of a camera crane or jib
  arm

12
Basic Camera Movements

• Zoom - Changing focal length of lens by zoom
  control while camera remains stationary.

13
Camera Mounts and Use

• Handheld and Shoulder Mounted Camera
• Small Camcorder
• Steadied with both hands and elbows pressed
  against your body

14
Camera Mounts and Use

• Handheld and Shoulder Mounted Camera
• Small Camcorder
• Lean against a solid surface when possible

15
Camera Mounts and Use

• Handheld and Shoulder Mounted Camera
• Small Camcorder
• Pan by moving at knees and uncoiling body

16
Camera Mounts and Use

• Handheld and Shoulder Mounted Camera
• Small Camcorder
• Walking backwards is a steadier picture than
  waling forward

17
Camera Mounts and Use

• Shoulder Mounted ENG/EFP Camera
• Carried on Shoulder
• Typically right hand slips through strap attached
  to lens with finger control on zoom lens
• Left Hand typically steadies camera and operates
  focus ring

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Key Concept 1

• Keep the handheld or shoulder mounted camera as
  steady as possible and zoomed out when moving.

19
Tri pod Supported Camera

• When ever possible mount the camera. A tri pod
  or some other camera mount is always more steady
  than hand held
• Even a sand bag on a car hood is more
  consistently steady.

20
Tri pod Supported Camera

• Tri-pod has 3 adjustable pods (legs) often
  secured by a spreader.
• Tri-pod legs dont have to be the same length.
  (stadium bleachers)
• Good tri-pods have an air bubble for leveling.

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Tri pod Supported Camera

• Mounting head is important part of tripod
• Sometimes call pan-and-tilt head
• Camera operator uses pan/tilt handle to
  accomplish moves
• You move the handle opposite the direction needed
• Push down to tilt up and push up to tilt down
• Push right to pan left and push left to pan right

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Mounting Head

• Operator should un-lock pan and tilt when
  operating camera
• Lock pan and tilt when finished

23
Mounting Head

• Operator should adjust pan and tilt drag
• Drag is resistance to your pan and tilt movement
  to allow smooth moves

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Tri-Pod Advantages

• Steady camera when zoomed in or out
• Smoother pans and tilts
• Limits excessive camera movement
• Less fatiguing for operator

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Key Concept 2

• Whenever possible, the camcorder or ENG/EFP
  camera should be on a tripod.

26
Tri-Pod Dolly

• Allows movement of camera on the tripod
• Trucks and arcs
• Typically a 3 wheel unit to which tri-pod legs
  attach

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The Field Dolly

• Four wheels similar to a wagon with plywood
  platform
• Handles at each end
• One end steers the pneumatic tires

28
The Studio Pedestal

• Most complex and expensive camera mounting
• Has both parallel and tricycle steering
• Pneumatic telescoping column to raise and lower
  camera

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Parallel and Tricycle Steering

• Parallel steering - all three casters steer in
  the same direction
• Used for normal camera moves
• Tricycle steering - only one wheel is steerable
• Used to rotate the pedestal to move it closer to
  scenery or a wall

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CAM Friction Head

• Typically found on studio pedestal to handle
  weight of studio camera and teleprompter
• Still has pan and tilt drags and locks
• Two panning handles too allow camera movements
  combined with zooms

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CAM Friction Head

• Usually has Wedge mount plate to accommodate
  quick removal or attachment to camera head.
• A slide and lock assembly

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Key Concept 3

• Always lock the mounting head when leaving the
  camera un-attended

33
Special Camera Mounts

• Robotic Pedestal - computer controlled
• Steady Cam- Gyroscopically or Spring Balanced
• Collapsible Jib Arm - for high shots and extended
  reach

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Special Camera Mounts

• Short Jib Arm - Counterbalanced and clamps to
  other structure
• Bean or Sand Bag - provides steady cushion in
  stationary spot and can be tied down

35
Operational Features

• White Balancing - adjustment of red, green and
  blue chroma channels to that white looks like
  white in the light you have

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White Balancing

• Usually automatic on camcorders
• Operator induced on ENG/EFP cameras
• Accomplished by focusing on white surface and
  pressing the white balance trigger or button.
  Viewfinder notes completion.

37
White Balancing

• In Studio White Balancing usually accomplished by
  video operator or engineer.

38
Key Concept 4

• Unless the camera has fully automatic white
  balance system, you need to white balance every
  time you enter a new lighting environment.

39
Focusing

• Accomplishing a sharp and clear picture
• Most ENG/EFP cameras have manual focus
• Some camcorders have Auto to Manual Focus
  switching

40
Presetting or Calibrating a Zoom Lens

• Adjusting lens to maintain focus throughout a
  wide to close zoom
• In handheld ENG/EFP operation front ring on lens
  is focus ring

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Key Concept 5

• To preset (calibrate) a zoom lens
• 1. Zoom in as closely as possible on target
  object and bring it into focus
• 2. All subsequent zooms will remain in focus as
  long as camera and target object dont move
• 3. Every time camera or subject moves you need
  to re-calibrate

42
Auto Focus

• Found on most camcorders
• Work well most times unless the wrong subject is
  chosen by camera to measure distance for focus
• For artistic moves youll need to switch to manual

43
Depth of Field

• Area within z-arc in focus
• Shallow depth of field makes focus critical
• Narrow angle (zoomed in) and low light level
  lessen the depth of field
• Wide angle (zoomed out) and high light level
  increase depth of field

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Key Concept 6

• Depth of field is dependent on focal length of
  lens, the aperture, and the distance from camera
  to object.

45
Zooming

• Rocker switches found on Camcorders ENG/EFP
  units.
• Some have speed controls
• Others control zoom speed by pressure of rocker
  switch
• Similar rocker switch on studio camera panning
  handle

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Key Concept 7

• Keep your zooming to a minimum.

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Check list for CamCorders ENG/EFP Cameras

• Dont expose the camera to the elements
• Leave the camera with care
• Use the lens cap
• User fully charged batteries

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Check list for CamCorders ENG/EFP Cameras

• Verify the video tape format
• Examine all Connections
• Test the Camera
• Set the Switches

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Checklist for CamCorders ENG/EFP Cameras

• Set the Switches
• Perform a White Balance
• Always capture audio
• Heed the warning signs

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Checklist for Studio Camera

• Get in touch and in control
• Tame the cables
• Test zoom and focus
• Practice your moves

51
Checklist for Studio Camera

• Move gracefully
• Dont jump the red light
• Avoid nervous camera movements
• Let the director direct

52
Checklist for Studio Camera

• Be observant and attentive
• Anticipate
• Put all tools away properly

53
Camera Movements Review

• Pan - Tilt - Cant - Pedestal - Dolly - Truck or
  Track - Arc - Crane or Boom - Tongue
• Zoom

54
Camera Mounts Review

• Tripods - Studio Pedestals - Special Mounts ie
  jib arm or crane

55
Camera Mounting Head Review

• Connects to tri pod or studio pedestal
• Allows for smooth pan and tilt
• Has pan/tilt lock and drag

56
White Balancing Review

• Adjust chroma channels to various light
  conditions
• Should be done whenever light changes

57
Presetting the Zoom Lens Review

• Also called calibrating
• Zoom all the way in and focus
• Will remain focused throughout zoom if camera and
  subject dont move
• Must be re-set if either moves.

58
Key Concepts

• Keep hand held or shoulder mounted camera as
  steady as possible and zoomed out when moving

59
Key Concepts

• Whenever possible, put camcorder or ENG/EFP
  camera on a tripod

60
Key Concepts

• Always lock the mounting head when leaving the
  camera un-attended

61
Key Concepts

• Unless the camera has fully automatic white
  balance system, you need to white balance every
  time you enter a new lighting environment

62
Key Concepts

• To preset (calibrate) a zoom lens, zoom in as
  closely as possible on target object and bring
  into focus. All subsequent zooms will remain in
  focus. Every time the camera or subject moves,
  you need to re-calibrate

63
Key Concepts

• Depth of field is dependent on the focal length
  of the lens, the aperture and the distance from
  camera to object.

64
Key Concepts

• Keep your zooming to a minimum

65
Next Session

• Light, Color, Lighting