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Used instruments: LM CAM-Adapter for Sony Camcorder, Zeiss Standard-Microscope, Sony DV Camcorder DCR PC 120E, Notebook Gericom Webboy XL 1000
 

	Modern DV camcorders have a digital video input/output to transfer high quality data to the computer and vice versa without any loss of quality. Unlike analog camcorders, digital camcorders do not have to digitalize the video data. Your computer just needs the standardized IEEE 1394 (FireWire®, ILINK®) interface. The images are transferred in digital quality, realtime, without any delay, to the computer and can be watched directly on the big monitor. It is also possible to control the DV camcorder from your computer.
	If your computer is not equipped with a standardized IEEE 1394 (Firewire®, ILINK®) interface, you can connect an external interface card (PCI-card for desktop use or PCMCIA card for mobile computers).
	This picture shows a PCMCIA card inserted in a notebook. Please note that the requirements for your CPU system are quite high: The lower limit of your CPU should be at 800 MHz and a Windows® system. If your computer can´t manage the effort, there occur so-called "frame drops" which cause a lack of several images in the video sequences. It is also recommended to use a hard disc with sufficient disc space, since you need 3,6 MB per second to transfer a video sequence in full DV quality (one hour = 13 GB).
	The DV camcorder can be controlled from the computer. This enables watching the recorded sequences on the computer monitor by using the video software as well as saving the video on the hard disc. By using a program for cutting your video like "Pinnacle® Studio 7", you can edit your sequences and watch them in the window in the right top corner.

Using DV Camcorders and digital cameras with digital adapters in the microscopy