Need to know....

Professional Tape formats
DVC Pro , Beta , 3/4 inch , DV-Cam Mini DV, 3/4 inch (U-matic)

Viewfinder
A small "television set" that shows the operator the picture the camera is getting

Tally Light
Red light on the camera and/or the inside of the viewfinder, indicating when the camera is "on the air"

Filter Wheel
located behind the lens on the left side of the camera, selects proper color temperature and neutral density settings (if needed)

Gain Control
keeps the camera operational in low light levels, gain can be set in low, medium, and high, low being optimal, medium being acceptable, and high for emergency situations involving extreme low light. gain selector switch can be found on the left side of the camera, below the filter wheel.

White Balance
adjusts color (reddish and bluish temperatures) of the white light in which the camera is shooting. If you tell the camera what white is and what black is (black is constant, white will vary) in the shooting area, it can judge every other color in the spectrum based on those two pieces of information.

VTR Switch
Starts and stops recording on ENG/Field cameras.

Audio Level Control
allows operator to adjust the incoming level on external audio, whether it be a camera-mounted microphone, an external microphone used by a reporter, or a XLR feed from an external source such as a sound board or Mult Box.

Audio Monitor
allows operator to monitor the quality of incoming audio. Headphones can be used to bypass the on-camera speaker. Headphones provide a more accurate reading on the quality of incoming audio and should be worn whenever possible in ENG/EFP situations. On some cameras, the audio monitor may be located in the viewfinder and/or flip out LCD.

VTR Controls basic VCR controls (play, stop, rewind, fast forward, pause, eject)located on the top side of ENG/EFP cameras usually used for playback and quality control. .

Iris
adjustable lens-opening mechanism that controls the amount of light passing through a lens. Think of it just like the iris of your eye; closed in brighter situations, and open in darker ones. Iris can be operated in automatic or manual mode.

BNC
Standard video signal carrying cable. (Bayonet Nut Connector)

CCU
“Camera Control Unit”. External control unit used by a video engineer to adjust an in-studio camera. Can control white and black balances, gain control, iris opening etc.