The television camera changes light into an electronic signal that can be stored (using video tape, optical disks, or computer memory, transmitted, and displayed on a television receiver or monitor. Whether digital or analog, and regardless of their size, cost, and quality, all video cameras operate on the same basic principle: they transduce (translate) the optical image that the lens sees into a corresponding video picture. More specifically, the camera converts an optical image into electrical signals that are reconverted by a television receiver into visible screen images. To fulfill this function, each video camera needs three basic elements: the lens, the imaging device, and the viewfinder.
The video camera translates the optical light image as seen by the lens into a corresponding picture on the screen. The light reflected off an object is gathered and transmitted by the lens to the beam splitter, which splits the white light into red, green, and blue (RGB) light beams. These beams are then transformed by the imaging device into electric energy, which is amplified and processed into a video signal. It is then reconverted into video pictures by the viewfinder.
TYPES OF CAMERAS
We normally classify video cameras by how they are used: shoulder-mounted (large) and handheld (small) camcorders, ENG/EFP (electronic news gathering/electronic field production) cameras, studio cameras, and digital cinema cameras.
Studio camera
Most television studio cameras stand on the floor, usually with pneumatic or hydraulic mechanisms called pedestals to adjust the height, and are usually on wheels. Any video camera when used along with other video cameras in a multiple-camera setup is controlled by a device known as CCU (camera control unit), to which they are connected via a Triax, Fibre Optic or the almost obsolete multicore cable. The CCU along with genlock and other equipment is installed in the production control room (PCR)