The best document cameras are the modern-day equivalent of a device some older lecturers (and their students) may remember: the overhead projector, though they are a more flexible alternative. Most can not only plug directly into a USB socket to display live footage of paper, books, or small objects using the display equipment in your classroom (or conference room) – going a long way to beating PowerPoint fatigue – but most can also capture images or video.
Whether you are presenting for education or commercial purposes, it’s well known that a more active connection with your audience yields better engagement, which is why these cameras are often know as visualizers.
Because the cameras typically connect like webcams, they are recognised by conferencing tools like Zoom and Google Meet, as well as being useful for live streamers using tools like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). A live feed of your visuals makes tweaking a presentation on-the-go easier than with presentation software, helping you manage unexpected questions from students or colleagues and avoiding an ill-prepared mess.
If they are high enough resolution, they can also be used as a convenient document scanner potentially a lot more portable than a flatbed scanner. Some are supplied with software which will sequence pages automatically, and the resolution is often good enough for emailing contracts. Archivists will also appreciate the ability to capture uneven documents – handy for running OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on bound books.
When choosing the best system for you, you need to look at where you will be displaying your image. In cases like video conferencing it’s more convenient to use USB, so it appears like a webcam in the software. This is great for software like Zoom which allows for second webcams in video conferences. Some conference and classroom setup are better equipped for connecting using HDMI, which can be plugged straight into a video projector(opens in new tab) with no logging into computers or admin passwords.
Like any camera, size and resolution play a part. To capture a larger document, the lens typically needs to be higher up, and to get the same detail you’ll need more megapixels. On the flip side, smaller cameras can be more portable, so it’s a decision you’ll need to assess for yourself.
AVerVision M5 – Best document scanner overall
With an 8-megapixel CMOS camera, the M5 offers plenty of resolution for the HD video (at a slick 60fps), but its real power comes in AVerVision’s software, which makes it comfortably able to take on an area larger than A3 (tabloid) or address rotation (not just 90˚ by ‘Curve Flattening’) and sharpening on the fly. The app, AVerTouch, also offers cloud storage – a potentially useful function provide a useful function for some, though of course not from the goodness of their hearts!
For normal use, it isn't required though; it is straightforward enough to connect via USB (not least because that’s the only option available). On the plus side, the camera and 10-LED lamp array can draw their power via the USB lead so you really are looking at a very convenient device.
This isn’t the most expensive camera in the list, and lacks the HDMI option that the AVer M11 offers, but if you are able to use your computer to route your display there is a lot to like here.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Resolution: 1080p
- Frame rate: 60fps at 1080p
- Max Resolution: 3264 x 2448 (USB mode)
- Zoom: Digital
- Size: 447 x 248 x 390 mm
- Footprint: 259 x 163 x 39 mm (folded)
- Max Shooting Area: 483 x 362 mm (but 360 x 203 at 1080p)
- Connectivity: USB
- Built-in battery: No
- Weight: 780g
AVerVision M11-8MV – Best document camera for frame rate
With an image sensor of 1/3.06” CMOS and 8-megapixels, M11-8MV a high quality and pleasingly compact (when folded) document camera which is boosted by some extra thought for teachers & presenters. If you flick through a book on camera, the 60fps will ensure it looks smooth; if you’re teaching card tricks (or spotting scams) this could come in very handy! That pixel count also affords decent digital zoom (though to be fair the 20x available is probably pushing it). An especially nice touch is that a USB mouse can be plugged directly into the device’s socket to add annotations on the presentation screen, no computer needed; shade and thickness of drawing line can be adjusted too.
The base is weighted, so the camera is unlikely to topple, and the camera can be rotated 180 degrees so it’s easy to get your subject in shot without obstruction. The device can also record video up to 120 images internally, though you’ll want to add a MicroSD card to beat the 2MP resolution. There is an embedded LED lamp and built-in microphone, though if you want portable power you’ll need a laptop power bank(opens in new tab).
SPECIFICATIONS
- Resolution: 1080p
- Frame rate: 60fps at 1080p
- Max Resolution: 3168 x 2376 (USB mode)
- Zoom: Digital
- Size: 360 x 303 x 116 mm
- Footprint: 116 x 143 mm
- Max Shooting Area: 420 x 315mm (A3)
- Connectivity: HDMI/VGA/USB/MiniUSB
- Built-in battery: No
- Weight: 0.83kg
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