2Creating a Video Image

Video starts with a camera, as does all picture taking. In still and motion-picture film photography, there is a mechanical system that controls the amount of light falling on a strip of film. Light is then converted into a pattern of varying chemical densities on the film. In digital photography, the light from an object goes through a lens, as it does in film photography. On the other side of the video camera lens, however, light is converted to an image by an electronic process as opposed to a mechanical or chemical process. The medium for this conversion has changed over the years. It began with tube cameras and has progressed to completely electronic components.

Tube Cameras

While the tube pickup has been replaced ...

Get How Video Works, 3rd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.