Why can digital cameras shoot video in, say, 60fps, but can’t take 60 pictures in one second? What’s makes video different?
The way a photo file is compressed is different than a way a video is compressed. Please note that there are many expensive cameras that shoot videos as a "series" of individual photos. These are often referred to as Prores videos, raw videos, or sometimes just a pile of 24 individual pictures pe…
The Short Answer
The way a photo file is compressed is different than a way a video is compressed. Please note that there are many expensive cameras that shoot videos as a "series" of individual photos. These are often referred to as Prores videos, raw videos, or sometimes just a pile of 24 individual pictures per second of video plus an separate audio file. But these files are very large, and require a very fast, very expensive memory card (often a solid state hard drive). On the order of needing 100mb-300mbps write speed. It would be impractical for an inexpensive video camera to require a very expensive hard drive to use a feature that 90% of it's users probably don't care about. So it preprocesses and compresses the video before writing it to a less expensive (slower) memory card, often only 20-30mbps (which also needs to include audio). To compress data that much, you sacrifice image quality.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Video, expensive, videos
This explanation focuses on video, expensive, videos and spans 154 words across 8 sentences. At 105% above the average Technology explanation (75 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “The way a photo file is compressed is different than a way a video is compressed.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 8 connected points.
How This Compares in Technology
Ranked #29 of 500 Technology questions by answer depth (top 7%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why digital cameras shoot video in, say, 60fps, but can't take 60 pictures in one second? what's makes video different?
The way a photo file is compressed is different than a way a video is compressed. Please note that there are many expensive cameras that shoot videos as a "series" of individual photos. These are often referred to as Prores videos, raw videos, or…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Technology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 154 words, ranked #29 of 500 Technology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are video, expensive, videos.
What approach does this answer take to explain digital cameras shoot video in, say, 60fps, but can't take 6?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 154 words. It is categorized under Technology and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.