How Does a Pan Tilt Zoom Camera Work?

Using a tripod avoids shaky camera movements.

Panning, tilting and zooming are camera movements allowing a wider viewing area or better focus on a video coverage. It also provides more room for a camera operator's preferred spacing and distance when capturing specific subjects in a shot. These camera movements are used for any type of camera from professional film cameras to web and security cameras.

A single shot is not limited to just a fixed composition. Most video cameras can employ these movements by using grip equipment like a tripod, a camera stand for web cameras or even when plainly using the camera hand-held by a camera operator.

Panning

Panning refers to the horizontal movement of a camera from left to right or right to left while maintaining a fixed axis. This motion is similar to a person shaking his head from left to right or right to left while the head maintains its position from the neck.

As the camera points up or down from a stationary location, the tripod of a regular camera or the stand of a web camera allows the panning movement to cover more space in one shot.

Tilting

Tilting refers to the vertical movement of a camera from top to bottom or bottom to top while maintaining a fixed axis. This motion is similar to a person using his head when approving or saying yes by moving the head up and down. Tilting allows a shot to extend upwards or downwards and have more shot coverage for a specific space, location and subject.

Zooming

Zooming in refers to the camera function where the zoom button is used to magnify what is seen by the camera, as if the shot looks nearer than it actually is in reference to the camera's distance from its subject. For instance, a shot originally showing a house from a distance can be zoomed in to just show on screen a larger shot of the house's door, window or roof. Zooming in farther makes the shot closer to the door knob, part of the glass window or the dirt on the roof. Zooming out works the opposite way.

Panning and tilting can also be combined with zooming in or out to reframe or emphasize or de-emphasize elements in a moving shot.

Using a Tripod

The tripod generally works as a stand for the camera. It has locks and handles to fix and control the camera movements and angles, along with three extendable legs that control the height of the camera. When panning, the camera maintains a fixed axis while the tripod handle is used to move the camera from left to right or right to left. This allows for a smooth horizontal movement to extend the shot's coverage from one side of the frame to the other.

When tilting, the camera maintains a fixed axis while the tripod handle is used to move the camera upwards or downwards. This allows for a smooth vertical movement to extend the shot's coverage from the upper portion to lower portion of the frame.

As the tripod fixes the camera securely in place, when pressing the camera's zoom in or out button, it allows for a smooth movement when going nearer or farther a particular subject without moving the camera from its place.

Handheld Shots

Using a camera hand-held provides more versatility for the camera operator's movements. While the movements of a hand-held shot have similar functions for panning and tilting, the movement made in a hand-held shot is technically called a "tracking shot." In production work, a camera operator may be asked to do panning or tilting even in a hand-held camera operation. He can stay in place and just use the natural movements of his wrist and/or shoulders, or he can run around as directed. This is advantageous to shots intended to look shaky and jerky.

References

• ePhotozine: Camera Panning
• Cameras UK: Zoom Lenses for Digital Cameras
• Media College: Camera Tilt
• Videomaker: Basic Training-Camera Movement Techniques-Tilt, Pan, Zoom, Pedestal, Dolly and Truck