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How are the Nobel Prize, a night vision camcorder and telescopes all alike? We found out this year when the co-inventors of the CCD were awarded the Nobel Prize.

night vision video camera

In the past, those who were awarded the Nobel Prize have usually been more known for research they have been doing research in their fields. But the Nobel Prize originally was set up to reward those who created inventions more so than research. And this year’s award to both men who worked together to invent the CCD returns the prize to inventors once again.

CCD stands for charge-coupled device. This is the inside unit that digital cameras and camcorders use to gather the light from a scene and store it inside in the camera. George E. Smith and Willard S Boyle worked at Bell Labs in 1969 where they did their original research on the technology and made their efforts to incorporate it into an actual working model. After their first attempts, they had a working video camera approximately one year later. This was the first video camera that worked to record an image digitally rather than using film.

Since the time the CCD was invented, it has totally revolutionized all the areas which depend on image capture.

In addition to quick adoption in cameras and camcorders, CCD technology was also incorporated into such items as telescopes and medical imaging devices. It wasn’t long before the CCD was riding on rockets and is used in space probes, spy satellites and astronomical telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope. Ground based telescopes also quickly converted to CCDs. Viewing film plates taken in long exposures by telescopes is a thing of the past. Now images are captured electronically and viewed and processed on computers.

The tremendous change in how we record images has been the change we are all most familiar with. Modern digital cameras and camcorders have quickly switched over to using technology that is a direct descendant of the CCD. Digital photography has quickly replaced film with it’s ease of use and matching or better quality.

In addition, other uses such as night vision technology for a camcorder with night vision and the night vision video cameras all use the Nobel prize winner’s technology to collect and amplify the light. Uses such as this were not heard of a few decades ago.

Smith and Boyle’s work in inventing the CCD has truly changed the world in a very short time. Their contribution to technology will be long remembered and applauded. If the granting of the Nobel Prize were to be graded by the actual number of human beings affected by the discovery, the invention of the CCD would assuredly rank near or at the top of the list.

Camera Feature night vision camcorder, night vision camcorders, night vision video camera

When you walk into your favourite electronics store to decide on a your next night vision camcorder you will find many different options. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the best night vision video camera that is right for you. Features include deciding on video format, how it will connect with your other devices, the image quality, accessrories that are included and many other extras.

One of the main choices that you will have to make is what type of recording format your night vision camcorder will use. And the recording media is usually tied to the individual video format that the camera has been built to record. Here’s a look at some of the most common modern formats to help you make your choice.

Video Cassette Tapes: This is the oldest format and it seems that it will not be an option for much longer since many manufacturers have discontinued making cameras that use tapes. The MiniDV format remains the most common format and you can get tapes that will record in both standard and HDV video. Tapes are a relatively inexpensive option but you should be aware that this format may not be around much longer.

Mini DVD or DVD Discs: This format allows your camcorder to record right on a DVD disc. While this makes it convenient to easily play your footage on regular DVD players, this format is also being superceded by the newer digital formats.

Memory Cards: Smaller compact video cameras are being made that use SD cards or memory sticks to record your footage. These allow the camera to be made extremely small in size. One of the more commonly known types of compact camcorders that use this method is the popular Flip camera. In higher quality camcorders you need to make sure that the cards you are using are fast enough to keep up with the speed of the video stream that is being sent to the card.

Built In Hard Disk Drives: Just like your computer, some camcorders are being made with built in internal hard drives. Most of these types of cameras allow you to record in either standard or high definition quality. Both Hard Disk Drive and Memory Card units require that you download the information onto your computer or other media to store it permanently.

While there are a number of choices in choosing the type of storage your night vision camcorder will use, your main decision is whether you want to use a removeable media like tapes or disks, or have a system to download and store your media from units that use memory cards or internal hard drives. Knowing in advance what options are available will help you make your best choice.

Camera Feature night vision camcorder, night vision camcorders, night vision video camera