Name

Cameras
by Meg Leonard
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1 2 Cameras
 Draw a picture of your favorite photograph.

How do we save important images for years

to come? How are we able to see things that
are millions of miles away? How do we
record memories so that we can look back at
them at another time?

The answer to these questions involves a

single invention. This invention is the camera.
Cameras let us record images of people,
places, and things. The images can be saved
as photographs or movies. They can last for
many years. The person, place, or thing may
change, but the image can be permanent.

3 4 Cameras
 Draw a picture of each of the three cameras
described on this page.

There are different types of cameras. One is a

film camera. This type of camera uses
photographic film to capture images. Special
chemicals that are sensitive to light record
the image on the film. Another type is a
digital camera. Digital cameras record
images by using small computers. The
desired image is captured by an image sensor.
The small computer transfers the signals
from the sensor to a digital code. The digital
code tells another computer what the image
looks like. It can be printed or saved on a
disc or hard drive. A third type of camera is a
motion picture or video camera. This type of
camera records movies. Many record sound
at the same time.

5 6 Cameras
How does a camera work? All cameras work
in much the same way. A camera is a
light-tight box. A light-tight box is a
chamber that keeps out unwanted light. The
word camera comes from a Latin word for
chamber. When certain amounts of light are
let into the box, the photograph is being
taken.
Draw a picture of a chamber with a little
light in it.

When light is allowed into the chamber, it is

called an exposure. The light comes in
through a lens. The lens has one or more
curved pieces of glass or plastic. It bends the
light. It focuses the light onto the film or
image sensor. When it does this, the image is
upside-down.

7 8 Cameras
Draw a picture to show an upside-down
image that may have come through a camera
lens.

There are two devices that control the

amount of light that enters a camera when it
is time to take a photograph, or photo. One is
the shutter. The shutter opens to let light in
and closes again to block out light. The speed
with which this happens is called the shutter
speed. The shutter speed can be adjusted on a
camera so that it matches the type of photo
you are trying to take. A slow shutter speed
is used to take photos of still objects, such as
landscapes. It can also be used at night when
there is not as much light. Faster shutter
speeds are used during the day. They are also
used to take photos of a person or object that
is moving.

9 10 Cameras
Draw a picture that would need a slow
shutter speed. Draw a second picture that
would need a fast shutter speed. Label each
picture with "slow" and "fast."

The other device that lets light in a camera is

the aperture. An aperture is the opening
inside the lens. Its size can be made bigger or
smaller to match the type of photo being
taken. The aperture helps to focus your
image. Aperture size is described using a
number called an f-stop. A large f-stop
number means the opening is small. Less
light is allowed into the camera. This is what
you would use if you were taking a
landscape photograph and wanted most of it
to be in focus. A small f-stop number means
the opening is large. More light is allowed
into the camera. This is what you would use
if you were taking a close-up photo and
wanted the main subject to be in focus.

11 12 Cameras
Draw a picture of a landscape. Tell if you
would use a large f-stop or small f-stop.

Sometimes, you may want to take a

photograph when it is dark. Many cameras
have a flash unit. The flash gives a short
burst of light at the same time the shutter is
open. This provides even more light so that
the image can be recorded.

13 14 Cameras
Draw a picture that shows a scene that would
need a flash in order for the photograph to
turn out.

There are many different types of cameras.

Film cameras were the most common from
the late 1800s to the late 1900s. This changed
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Today,
most people take photos using digital
cameras. Digital cameras have some
advantages over film cameras. You can see
your photo immediately with a digital
camera. This lets the photographer, or person
taking the photo, know if he or she has
recorded the image as he or she wanted. If
not, the photo can be retaken. With a film
camera, the photographer has to wait until
the film is taken out of the camera and
developed. If the photo does not turn out, it
may be too late to retake it. Digital cameras
can save the photographer money, too. Only
photos that turn out need to be printed. With
a film camera, all photos are printed, even
those that do not turn out.

15 16 Cameras
Draw a picture of a photo that did not turn
out. It could be that the photo is out of focus
or that part of the subject is missing or cut
off.

Movie cameras take a series of pictures. The

pictures are taken one right after another.
The motion is recorded in each picture.
When we watch these images on a screen,
our eyes remember the previous picture for
part of a second. Our brain allows us to see
these pictures as if we are watching
something that is moving in real life.

Movie cameras work in a similar way to

digital and film cameras. One big difference
is that movie cameras take many pictures per
second. Digital and film cameras do not take
pictures as quickly. Some movie cameras
also record sound. Movie cameras used for
big motion pictures usually do not record
sound. Another machine is used to record the
sound. It is matched with the video at another
time.

17 18 Cameras

Draw three pictures that show a series of
movements. Try to make each picture similar
to the one before it, changing one small thing
to show motion.
19
The camera is a wonderful invention. It
allows us to record images so we can see
them again and again. It allows us to share
experiences with people who are far away.
There are different types of cameras. They
all work in similar ways. Different cameras
are used to take different types of pictures.
Anyone can learn to take photographs. It can
be a very enjoyable hobby.
Draw a picture of yourself using one of the
cameras described in this book.
20 Cameras
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