A document camera works a bit like an overhead projector in that it projects an image onto a display screen. It can project anything printed on paper, in fact. But you aren’t limited to projecting images from a book or other pieces of paper. You can use a document camera almost like a webcam, shooting photos or video and projecting them onto a screen during your presentation.
Here are some key components of document cameras.
- Arm: The arm connects the lens with the base of the document camera. Some document cameras have a flexible arm that makes it easy to adjust the lens quickly. Others have a rigid vertical arm; with this type, you slide the lens up and down to reposition it.
- Image sensor: As with any type of digital camera, a document camera’s image sensor is key to good image quality. Resolution is measured in megapixels; a greater number of megapixels equals sharper images. For displaying text, a resolution of about five megapixels is an adequate number. If you need to display photos or high-resolution graphics, a greater megapixel count works better.