--- Forwarded Message from "Harris, Leslie" <[log in to unmask]> ---
>From: "Harris, Leslie" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "'Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum'" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #6049.2 Document Camera (!)
>Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 14:11:43 -0400
------------------
Hi, Folks.
We have three different document camera models in use here at Goucher.
The basic, bread-and-butter document camera--place the object or document on
the "stage" (or platform), zoom in or out, and show it to the screen via an
S-Video connection to the LCD projector--is the Canon RE-350 Video
Visualizer. That one is popular with some of our faculty members, since
it's easy to use, and it automatically auto-focuses when you zoom in or out.
It doesn't work very well with small text on an 8 1/2 by 11" sheet of paper,
though, so faculty who use it to replace an overhead projector are often
disappointed. The Canon is cheaper than an Elmo, but of comparable quality.
You can find out about the RE-350 at Canon's Web site:
http://www.usa.canon.com/corpoffice/viscommeq/re350.html.
We also have a Canon Digital Document Camera (DZ-3600U). That one gives
excellent resolution, but I think it's actually too confusing to use for
most people. It actually allows you to do digital capture of images, and it
connects to the projector in two ways: through a USB connection to the
instructor's computer, and through S-Video output straight to the projector.
My sense is that faculty get confused by those two ways to demonstrate what
you put on the projector, and it takes something of a technological epiphany
to realize that even though you're using the document camera, you choose the
computer as your main input when using the digital capture software to show
the object/document on the stage. (See--it's even hard to explain.) :-)
You can find out more about that device at:
http://www.usa.canon.com/corpoffice/viscommeq/dz3600u.html
There's another digital document camera produced by Samsung: the SVP-6000.
That one is something of a compromise between the two Canons I've mentioned.
The digital quality means that the output is much sharper than an S-Video
document camera. For best resolution, it connects to an LCD projector using
a VGA cable. That could be a problem if you have two computers in the room,
both of which have straight connections to the projector (since there
wouldn't be another VGA input on the projector). You can connect the
SVP-6000 through S-Video, but the output is less sharp. You can also
connect a computer to an "input" VGA port on the document camera and then
connect the camera to the LCD projector. That would require something like
a Crestron or AMX system for the room, though, because most people won't
remember to push the button that allows you to see the connected computer's
output, rather than the document cameras. For more information, you can
check out the following Web site:
http://www.samsungtechwin.com/products/svp/tech_info/index.html (click on
the PDF file for the SVP-6000).
I think the Samsung is probably the best choice right now, although I don't
think any document camera does a good job with 8 1/2 x 11" documents
containing 12-point text.
Good luck upgrading your lab.
Leslie D. Harris
Decker Chair of Instructional Technology
Goucher College
[log in to unmask]
> > --- Forwarded Message from "Nancy K. Jentsch" <[log in to unmask]> ---
> >
> >> Date: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 07:46:34 -0500
> >> From: "Nancy K. Jentsch" <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Subject: Document Camera
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > Hello!
> > I am new to the list, but have checked the archives before
> posting this. We
> > have received a grant to purchase equipment to upgrade our
> language lab.
> > One of the items we will be purchasing is a document
> camera. I would like
> > to know what features you all think are important to look
> for and if you
> > can give me some recommendations of where to look for
> product descriptions
> > on the web. I have found a little information on my own,
> but would greatly
> > appreciate your input.
> >
> > Nancy K. Jentsch
> >
> > Northern Kentucky University
> > E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> > Phone: (859) 572-5416
> > FAX: (859) 572-6093
> > Homepage: http://www.nku.edu/~jentsch/
>
> Mary Fetherston
> Interim Supervisor, Language Lab 401-874-4719/20
> University of Rhode Island fax: 874-4694
> 60 Upper College Road, Suite 3 [log in to unmask]
> Kingston, RI 02881
> ?º°`°º?ø,$FC$FC,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,$FC$FC,ø?º°`°º?ø?º°`°º?ø,$FC
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> "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
> from magic."
>
> -- Arthur C. Clarke
>
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