5. Digital video camera

Many digital cameras can also take short video footage as well as photographs. In this mode, you point the camera and start recording a movie.

This is stored on the memory card in a suitable digital movie format such as MOV. Video clips can very rapidly use up all the memory, so they tend to be just short clips. Movies are uploaded in the same way as standard photographs.

For better quality and longer movies a digital video camera is needed.

A digital video camera uses similar technology to a digital camera, it can even take still images just like a digital camera. A good digital video camera can take HD (High Definition) video footage and store much longer clips. They either use an internal hard disk, or a large solid state memory card.

The input devices on a video camera include

• Optical lens and sensor to capture moving images
• Microphone to capture sound

The output device on the camera is the preview screen that is used directly whilst recording or you can play back recorded video.