Before You Buy a Document Camera

JVC Digital Presenter AV-P950

Know what you're hooking up to.
Connections on document cameras vary as much as their designs do. Make sure the model you're considering has the inputs and outputs you need. Also, most do not come with adequate cabling, so be prepared to plunk down a few bucks more.

Do you need to show transparencies? Or 35mm slides?
Most stage units come with light tables built in. However, a slide tray in the camera head is a nice feature if you show a lot of 35mm slides.

What are the lighting conditions in the room?
Document cameras perform well in ambient light, which often helps with color saturation and contrast. Bright fluorescent lights overhead or side lights that are too bright can wash out images.

Do you need to show detail?
Though most have good zoom and focus controls, the better a model's optical zoom, the better it displays ultrafine details. A digital zoom tends to pixelate on close-ups.

Do you need to record video or do videoconferencing?
Document cameras are meant to show objects, but you may wish to use it for video too. If so, consider the frame rate. Of the units we tested, only the Elmo EV-4400AF and Sony PCS-DS150 had full-motion video (30 frames per second), but 15-20 fps is adequate for some situations.

Do you need to move it?
For a document camera that can travel from room to room or across the country, look at portable models, which come with or without a stage.


Julie Hill is managing editor of Presentations magazine.


BACK to main article – Seeing Is Believing


Document camera reviews:

AVerMedia AVerVision300