Chapters 5, 6, 7 Quiz
What is a normal lens? What is its notable difference compared to a wide angle lens?
offers a field of view that approximates that of normal vision has a considerably shallower depth of field than the wide angle lens under similar conditions
What is a zoom lens?
a variable-focal-length lens that can gradually change from a wide shot to a close-up and vice versa in one continuous move
What is a range extender?
an optical attachment to the zoom lens that extends its focal length
What is the normal zoom range for ENG/EFP lenses?
between 11x and 20x
What are 3 disadvantages of small camcorders?
built in lens audio inputs often limited to a single external mic smaller battery and lower capacity memory card
How do you establish depth on the 2D plane of the screen?
by articulating the z-axis to show a foreground, middle ground, and background
How is the basic television image created? Where does it happen?
by converting the light image that the camera lens captures into a video signal in the sensor of the imaging device
What is compression?
crowding effect achieved by a narrow-angle lens wherein object proportions and relative distances seem shallower
What is zoom range?
degree to which you can change the focal length of the lens during a zoom often stated as a ratio
What does a bust shot do?
frames the subject from the upper torso to the top of the head
What is the 16 x 9 aspect ratio ideal for?
framing wide horizontal vistas
What are 2 advantages of the binary system?
great resistance to data distortion and error extreme flexibility in manipulating data
What are the 6 different types of standard camera mounts?
handheld shoulder-mounted monopod tripod tripod dolly studio pedestal
What is a narrow angle lens? What are its 2 most notable characteristics?
has a narrow field of view and magnifies the objects in the background seems to compress the space between objects at different distances from the camera slows the perception of object speed toward and away from the camera
What does the normal lens do?
has a zoom position toward the midrange of the zoom and approximates the angle of human vision
What are filter wheels?
have one or more neutral density (ND) filters to cut excess light and reduce contrast as well as color-correction filters to facilitate white balancing
What are all TV cameras and camcorders?
high definition
What is a studio camera? What are the 2 main criteria for it?
high-quality camera with a large zoom lens that cannot be maneuvered properly without the aid of a studio pedestal or camera mount picture quality and control
What are ENG/EFP camcorders?
high-quality portable field production cameras with the recording device built-in
What are EFP cameras?
high-quality, portable, shoulder-mounted field production camera that must be connected to an external video recorder
What happens as the gain gets higher? What if the gain is too high?
higher the gain, the lower the light level and picture quality too high of a gain causes video noise
What is minimum object distance?
how close the camera can get to an object and still focus on it
What is field of view?
how much of a scene you show in the viewfinder
What are the 5 electronic features that every professional camera or camcorder includes?
imaging device (sensor) gain electronic shutter white balance audio channels
What is an imaging device? What does it do?
imaging element in a television camera uses its sensor (CCD or CMOS) to transduce light into electric energy that becomes the video signal
What is a charge-coupled device (CCD)? What does it do?
imaging sensor in a television camera consists of pixels that translate the optical (light) image into an electric charge that eventually becomes a signal
What is a window?
in stereo 3D production, a TV or movie screen
What are the 3 main parts that all television cameras consist of?
lens camera itself with the imaging device viewfinder
What are factors that ensure quality in studio cameras? (3 things)
lens zoom and focus controls the viewfinder
What is macro position? What is it used for?
lens setting that allows the camera to be focused at very close distances from an object used for close-ups of small objects
What does a shallow depth of field contain in regard to focal length, aperture, f-stop, light level and subject to camera distance?
long (narrow-angle) focal length large aperture small f-stop number (ex: f/2) low (dim light) light level near subject to camera distance
What is a refresh rate?
number of complete digital scanning cycles (frames) per second
What is frame rate?
number of complete frames the video system is producing each second
How is temporal resolution measured?
number of frames per second
How is spatial resolution measured? What determines it?
number of pixels and lines pixel density of a raster line and the number of lines in the raster stack
What are the 4 major optical characteristics of lenses?
focal length focus light transmission (aperture, f-stop, iris) depth of field
What does a variable focal length lens do?
focal length can be changed continuously from wide angle to narrow angle and vice versa
What are the 6 operational features of studio cameras, EFP cameras, and ENG/EFP camcorders?
power supply cables and connectors filter wheel viewfinder and monitor tally light intercom
What does a sync generator do?
produces electronic synchronization pulses that keep in step the scanning of various pieces of equipment (ex: cameras, monitors)
What does a close up shot show?
object or any part of it seen at close range and framed tightly
What does a medium shot show? (2 things) What is another name for it?
object seen from a medium distance covers any framing between a long shot and a close up Also called a waist shot
What does a long shot show? What is another name for it?
object seen from far away or framed loosely also called establishing shot or full shot
What are the 2 principal scanning modes?
progressive and interlaced
What does framing for both 4 x 3 and 16 x 9 aspect ratios require?
proper headroom, nose room, and lead room
What does a wide angle lens do?
provides a short focal length and gives a wide vista because it is zoomed out
What are 2 advantages of digital television systems?
quality and flexibility
How does an interlaced scanning mode work?
reads all odd-numbered raster lines on its first sweep, then all even-numbered ones on its second sweep
What is raster? What do image rasters consist of?
scanning pattern of a video image many vertically stacked lines, each of which comprises 1,000 or more pixels
Where is the most stable placement of an object within the frame?
screen-center
What does the standard camera chain consist of?
the camera head (the actual camera), camera control unit, the sync generator and the power supply
What is f-stop?
standard scale indicating how much light passes through a lens
When classified by function, what are the 3 types of television cameras?
studio cameras, EFP cameras and EFP/ENG camcorders
How are studio cameras powered? What about large EFP cameras and camcorders? Small camcorders?
studio cameras: powered by a camera cable large EFP cameras and camcorders: a 12 volt DC battery small camcorders: batteries that supply between 7 and 8 volt DC
What happens the faster an object moves?
the faster the exposure must be
What is rule of thirds? Where does good composition place a subject?
the screen is divided into three horizontal and three vertical fields good composition places a subject where a vertical line and a horizontal line intersect
What does it mean when there are more pixels per line and more lines that a sensor has?
the sharper the picture will be
What is a beam splitter? What is another name for it?
system of prisms within a TV camera that separates the entering white light into the three additive light primaries: red, green and blue prism block
What are HDTV cameras?
video cameras that deliver high-definition video of superior resolution, color fidelity, and light and dark contrast
What is aspect ratio? What is the ratio for standard TV picture? What about HDTV?
width-to-height proportions of the standard TV screen standard TV picture: 4 units wide x 3 units high HDTV: 16 units wide x 9 units high
What is digitization?
when digital processing changes the continuous signal into discrete values
What is additive color mixing?
when red, green and blue are combined in various proportions, all other colors can be reproduced
What are the 2 basic operational controls for the zoom lens?
zoom control and focus control
What is servo zoom control?
zoom control that activates motor-driven mechanisms
What does a narrow angle lens do?
zooms in and provides a long focal length that gives a narrow vista but magnifies the object so it appears closer to the camera than it actually is
How many audio channels do good HDTV cameras/camcorders have?
2 channels for high quality sound or 4 audio channels of lower quality sound
What do you need in order to record stereo-3D? (2 ways)
2 identical camcorders mounted side by side to view and record the scene from slightly different angles OR: put the 2 in a single housing with twin lenses
What is the NTSC standard of traditional American television in regard to frames per second?
30 frames per second
What is typically the frame rate for 480p and 720p scanning systems? What about standard 1080i HDTV?
480p and 720p: 60 fps standard 1080i HDTV: 30 fps
What are the 2 HDTV spatial resolutions?
720 x 1280 1080 x 1920
Which cables use BNC connectors? Which use XLR connectors?
BNC: longer coaxial cables XLR: professional audio cables, which are especially resistant to interference
What are 3 types of special purpose cameras?
DSLR cameras digital cinema cameras stereo 3D camcorders
What do low f-stop numbers indicate?
large apertures (lens is relatively wide open)
What is a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)? What does it do?
a camera imaging sensor similar to a CCD but which operates on a different technology translates light into an electronic video charge that eventually becomes the video signal
What are studio pan and tilt heads?
a camera mounting head for heavy cameras that permits extremely smooth pans and tilts
What is a digital cinema camera? What type of sensor do they normally use?
a high-definition TV camera with sensors that can produce extremely high-resolution pictures exceeding 4,000 (4K) pixels per line single 35 mm CMOS sensor
What is a fast lens? When can it be used?
a lens that allows a relatively great amount of light to pass through at its maximum aperture can be used at low-light conditions
What is a slow lens? When can it be used?
a lens that allows a relatively small amount of light to pass through at its maximum aperture can be used only in well-lighted areas
What is a quick release plate?
a mounting plate used to attach camcorders and ENG/EFP cameras to the mounting head
What is binary?
a number system with the base of 2
What is focus? What does it depend on?
a picture is in focus when the projected image is sharp and clear depends on the distance from the lens to the front part of a camera's imaging device
What is a wide angle lens? Why is it ideal for camera movement?
a short focal length lens that provides a broad vista of a scene it minimizes camera wobbles and makes it easy to keep the picture in focus during camera movement
What is analog?
a signal that fluctuates exactly like the original stimulus and is also continuous
What is standard television (STV)?
a system based on the NTSC scanning system of 525 (480 visible) interlaced lines
What is iris? What does it consist of? What is another name for it?
adjustable lens-opening that controls the amount of light passing through the lens consists of an aperture or lens opening of variable size diaphragm or lens diaphragm
What is digital video? (2 things)
all data are presented in the binary on/off system sample the original signal and are coded into a series of discrete values, expressed as 0's and 1's
What is the z-axis?
an imaginary line representing an extension of the lens from the camera to the horizon -- the depth dimension
What is depth of field? What does it depend on?
area in which all objects located at different distances from the camera are in focus depends on the focal length of the lens, the aperture (f-stop) and the distance from camera to object
What is z-axis blocking?
arranging the event (people and things) along the z-axis or in close proximity to it
When moving an object off-center, where is the placement most pleasing?
at the ⅓ or ⅔ mark of the screen width
What is auto-focus? Where does the camera tend to auto-focus?
automated feature where the camera focuses on what it senses to be the target object an object in the center of the frame and closest to the camera
What is a camera stabilizing system?
camera mount whose mechanism holds the camera steady while the operator moves
What are 4 types of special purpose camera mounts?
camera stabilizing systems mobile field mounting devices jib arm robotic pedestal
When shooting for wide-aspect ratio, large-screen HDTV, what types of shots do you use?
can use more medium shots and long shots
What do triax and fiber-optic cables do?
carry video and audio information over relatively long distances
What is a zoom?
changing the focal length of the lens while the camera is stationary
What are the 2 types of sensors within an imaging device?
charge-coupled device (CCD) CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
What is a mounting head? What is another name for it?
connects the camera to the tripod or studio pedestal and allows the camera to be smoothly tilted or panned also called pan-and-tilt head
What is focal length? How is it measured?
distance from the optical center of the lens to the front surface of the imaging device where the image is in focus measured in millimeters or inches
What is gain? How is it measured?
electronic amplification of the video signal, boosting primarily picture brightness measure in decibels
What is selective focus? When is the only possible time to use it?
emphasizing an object in a shallow depth of field through focus while keeping its foreground and/or background out of focus possible only in a shallow depth of field
What does the focus-assist feature do?
enlarges the center of the image to facilitate focusing
What is a camera control unit? What are its 2 major functions?
equipment, separate from the camera head, that contains various video controls, including camera fidelity, color balance, contrast and brightness setup and control
How does a progressive scanning mode work?
every raster line is scanned by light or an electric charge sequentially from top to bottom
What are the 5 steps of field of view?
extreme long shot long shot medium shot close up extreme close up
What do performance characteristics of wide-angle, normal, and narrow-angle lenses include? (4 things)
field of view object and distance distortion movement depth of field
What is aperture? How is it measured?
iris opening of a lens usually measured in f-stops
What does a wide angle lens do in regard to distance and object distortion?
it distorts objects close to the lens and exaggerates proportions
What is resolution? What is it influenced by?
measurement of picture detail that depends mainly on the number of pixels per scanning line and the number of visible scanning lines the imaging device, the lens and the TV set that shows the camera picture
What is closure?
mentally filling in the spaces of an incomplete picture
What are pixels? What is it short for?
millions of image-sensing elements that are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows picture element
What type of shots do we use since the TV screen is relatively small?
more close-ups and medium shots than long shots
Do field lenses have a lesser or greater zoom range than studio cameras?
much greater zoom range (from 40x to 70x)
What is field?
one-half of a complete scanning cycle, with 2 fields necessary for 1 single frame
What is a jib arm?
permits the jib arm operator to raise, lower and tongue (move sideways) the jib arm while tilting and panning the camera
What are the additive primary colors?
red, green, blue
What does RGB stand for?
red, green, blue (basic colors of television)
What are the 2 disadvantages of using a zoom extender?
reduces the range at the wide-angle end by 2 times cuts down considerably the light entering the camera
What is a robotic pedestal?
remotely controlled studio pedestal and mounting head guided by a computerized system that can store and execute a great number of camera moves
What is the difference between shallow and great depth of field?
shallow: area in which an object is in focus is limited great: almost everything in the camera's field of view is in focus
What does a great depth of field contain in regard to focal length, aperture, f-stop, light level and subject to camera distance?
short (wide-angle) focal length small aperture large f-stop number (ex: f/22) high (bright light) light level far subject to camera distance
What is the 4 x 3 aspect ratio well suited for?
showing close-ups and extreme close-ups
What does an extreme long shot do? What is another name for it?
shows the object from a great distance also called an establishing shot
What does an extreme close up shot do?
shows the object with very tight framing
What is a cross shot?
similar to OTS shot except the camera-near person is completely out of the frame
What is digital zooming? What is the major downfall of it?
simulated zoom that selects the center portion of the long shot and enlarges the cropped area to full-screen size notably reduces the picture resolution
What do high f-stop numbers indicate?
small apertures (lens is closed down considerably)
What is a frame?
smallest picture unit in film, a single picture
What are the 2 types of resolution?
spatial and temporal
What happens when there are more pixels per picture area?
the higher the picture quality and resolution of the video image
What happens as the sampling rate gets higher?
the higher the signal quality
What happens with the more scan lines the raster contains and the more pixels per line?
the higher the spatial resolution
What happens as the sampling rate gets lower?
the more information is missing from the original signals
What happens the faster the shutter speed?
the more light the camera requires
What is a point of convergence?
the point where the index vectors (sight lines) of the 2 lenses of a 3D camera intersect
What is a bit? What is another name for it?
the smallest amount of information a computer can hold and process also called a binary digit
What is headroom?
the space left between the top of the head and the upper screen edge
What is nose room?
the space left in front of a person looking or pointing toward the edge of the screen
What is lead room?
the space left in front of a person or an object moving toward the edge of the screen
What is the single most important piece of production equipment?
the television camera
Why can't you zoom with prime lenses?
they have a fixed focal length
What are triax cables? What is its maximum distance?
thin and have one central wire surrounded by 2 concentric shields allows a maximum distance of about 5,000 feet
What do fiber-optic cables contain? What is its maximum distance?
thin, flexible glass strands can reach up to about 2 miles
How many sensors do cameras normally use?
three CCDs or CMOS (one for each primary light color)
What is the lowest frame rate to avoid video flicker? How many fps is normally used for HDTV acquisition of images and digital cinema?
to avoid video flicker: 30 fps for HDTV acquisition: 60 fps
What is rack focus?
to change focus from one object or person closer to the camera to one farther away or vice versa
What is pedestal?
to elevate or lower a camera via a studio pedestal
What is the basic purpose of picture composition?
to frame a screen event as clearly as possible and to convey its meaning and energy
What is crane/boom?
to move the boom of the camera crane up or down
What is tongue?
to move the boom or jib arm with the camera from left to right or right to left
What is arc?
to move the camera in a slightly curved dolly or truck
What does calibrate mean?
to preset a zoom lens to remain in focus throughout the zoom
What is the primary function of the lens?
to produce a sharp optical image on the front surface of the camera's imaging device
What is cant?
to tilt the shoulder mounted or handheld camera sideways