An animation camera, a type of
rostrum camera, is a
movie camera
A movie camera (also known as a film camera and cine-camera) is a type of photographic camera that rapidly takes a sequence of photographs, either onto film stock or an image sensor, in order to produce a moving image to display on a screen. In c ...
specially adapted for
frame-by-frame shooting of
animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
. It consists of a camera body with lens and film magazines, and is most often placed on a stand that allows the camera to be raised and lowered above a table often having both top and underneath lighting. The artwork to be photographed is placed on this table.
For
stop motion
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
photography, the camera can also be mounted on a tripod or other support, pointing in any desired direction.
Since most animation is now produced digitally, new animation cameras are not widely manufactured.
Image scanner
An image scanner (often abbreviated to just scanner) is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object and converts it to a digital image. The most common type of scanner used in the home and the office is the flatbe ...
s,
video camera
A video camera is an optical instrument that captures videos, as opposed to a movie camera, which records images on film. Video cameras were initially developed for the television industry but have since become widely used for a variety of other ...
s and
digital SLRs have taken their place.
Examples of professional animation cameras (16 and 35 mm)
A partial list of manufacturers of animation cameras includes:
*
Acme Tool and Manufacturing (USA)
*
Crass
Crass was an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977 who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a lifestyle, and a resistance movement. Crass popularized the anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, ...
(Germany)
*
Neilson-Hordell (UK)
*
Oxberry (USA)
*
Double M Industries (USA)
*
A.I.A. Productions (USA)
*
Mechanical Concepts (USA)
The
Bell & Howell
Bell and Howell is a United States brand of cameras, lenses, and motion picture machinery. It was originally founded as a company in 1907, and headquartered in Wheeling, Illinois. The company was acquired by Böwe Systec in 2003. Since 2010, the ...
2709 (design 27, first made in 1909) is the prototype of the Acme, and the Acme is the prototype of the Oxberry. Each employs a fixed pin and shuttle
movement mechanism for film registration and film advancement, respectively. Other names associated with Acme were Producer's Service Corporation and Photo-Sonics, both of which firms manufactured Acme products at various times.
16 mm
The 16 mm
Bolex camera is often used for amateur and semi-professional single frame filming, either using its built-in spring drive, or an attached electric single-frame motor.
Stop Motion Motor for Bolex
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See also
*Multiplane camera
The multiplane camera is a motion-picture camera that was used in the traditional animation process that moves a number of pieces of artwork past the camera at various speeds and at various distances from one another. This creates a sense of pa ...
References
External links
Animation camera movement mechanisms
from the personal website of a Finnish animator
Animation technology
Cameras by type
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