Student Computing Services (SCS) maintains a collection of digital still and video cameras which students may borrow for academic purposes. We have added new cameras, retired old cameras and updated our policies, so be sure to read this page carefully for answers to the following questions: 

How Do I Reserve a Camera?

Click the following button to use our online reservation system to request a camera for a specific date and time—or, if you prefer, you may call 410-704-5151 or visit CK-35. You will receive an email message confirming your request. Once SCS approves your reservation (usually within 2 business hours), we will send you another email confirming your reservation. If for some reason the camera you have requested is unavailable, we will call or email with advice. For a preview of the camera reservation procedure, check-out our brief movie tutorial: Requesting a Digital Camera from SCS - An Overview.

How Long May I Keep the Camera?
Our standard student loan period for all cameras and accessories is 48 hours. At our discretion and if no student is waiting for a camera to be returned, we may extend this period upon request up to an additional 48 hours. No single reservation may exceed 4 days. If we are unable to extend the loan, you must return the camera on time and make a new reservation for the earliest available slot.

What If I Can't Return the Camera On Time?
We depend on the timely return of cameras when we make reservations. Your delay in returning a camera might very well prevent another student from completing an important assignment; further, it might start a cascading effect and inconvenience many more students. Consequently, we take return times very seriously and ask that you call us immediately should an emergency situation prevent you from returning the camera on time. SCS retains the right to deny future loans to anyone who returns equipment late more than once or returns equipment in an abused state.
What are the pickup and return procedures?
When you arrive to pick-up the camera kit you have reserved, an SCS staff member will run through a transaction form, confirming that all components are present while briefly explaining the purpose of each. We will print two copies of the form and ask that you sign both indicating that you received a complete kit from SCS. You will keep one copy and we, the other. When you arrive to return the camera kit, we will reopen the transaction form and verify that all components are present. We will then close the transaction and print a receipt for your records. If components are missing or damaged, we will require more information to record the the damage and determine whether to hold you responsible for repair/replacement costs. We do expect equipment to fail over time due to normal use, and we only hold the user responsible for damage beyond normal wear and tear. If users do not return borrowed equipment in a timely manner, we do reserve the right to bill for replacement costs.

What Kinds of Cameras are Available?/font>
SCS maintains the following cameras and accessories for TU students.

	VC-2	Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV Digital Camcorder (1 Kit) 2.7" Touchscreen LCD display, 12x Optical Zoom, Firewire & USB Media = MiniDV tape Manuals : :
	PVC-10 PVC-11	Flip UltraHD Pocket HD Camcorder (2 Kits) 8GB of internal flash memory: 120min of 720p @ 30fps H.264 video and AAC stereo audio in MP4 file format 6 inch USB cable, cleaning cloth, LowePro camera case battery charges from USB port Product Page / Manual Eight more coming by mid-April 2011! : :
	PVC-12 PVC-13 PVC-14 PVC-15	Kodak Zi8 Pocket HD Camcorder (4 Kits) 4GB Class-6 SDHC memory card installed (user-supplied SDHC cards may be used for additional recording time) full HD 1080p@30fps / 720p@60fps / 720p@30fps / WVGA / 5.3MP stills H.264 video and AAC stereo audio in MP4 file format external mic jack, HDMI jack 6 inch USB cable, LowePro case battery charges from USB port Product Page / Manual Thirteen more coming by mid-April 2011! : :
	PVP-01 PVP-02 PVP-03	Sony HDR-CX550 "Prosumer" HD Camcorder (3 Kits) 64GB internal memory + installed 8GB Class-6 SDHC card (borrower-supplied SDHC cards may be used for additional time) HD: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 / STD: MPEG-2 PS Inputs: external microphone, USB Outputs: headphones, HDMI, USB, component video+audio Sony NP-FV100 extended battery, AC adapter, USB and AV cables battery charges on camera connected to AC adapter Product Page / Manual   : :
	ARD-02 ARD-03	Samson Zoom H2 Digital Audio Recorder (2 Kits) 4GB Class-6 SDHC card installed NiMH batteries (user-supplied AA batteries may be used to extend recording) AC adapter, tabletop stand, mic clip adapter, windscreen, earbuds, USB cable, AV cable, Tamrac case Product Page / Manual : :
	DC-1 DC-2	Olympus C-3020 Zoom 3.2 MP Digital Still Camera (2 Kits) 7.5x Optical Zoom, 128MB Smartmedia Card Manuals : :
	DC-3	Kodak EasyShare C663 6.1 MP Digital Still Camera (1 Kit) 3x Optical Zoom, 1GB SD Card, QuickTime movie mode w/audio Manual : :
	PTL-03 PTL-04 PTL-05	Video Tripods (3) Sony VCT-R640, Velbon Victory 480, Quantaray QTII-550 with Quick Release Pan/Tilt Heads : :

 

What kind of camcorder is best for me?
Unless you require the advanced features of a prosumer-level camcorder, we recommend that you borrow one of our HD pocket camcorders--the Flip UlraHD or the Kodak Zi8. They are much simpler to use and produce very respectable video recordings that can be much easier to edit/process within the computer. If audio is important to you and you plan to use an external microphone, borrow a Kodak Zi8, the Flip UltraHDs do not have mic jacks. If you determine that the Sony HDR-CX550 is better suited to your purposes, be sure to consult the manual and decide how you will need to set the camera before you start shooting. Also, we highly recommend that you shoot some test video with your selected settings and then import it into your computer to verify that your planned approach to editing and exporting will be compatible with the video you capture. The Sony HDR-CX550s can be set to record in standard definition (STD) as well as high definition (HD).
What Accessories Are Included?
Each camera includes a protective camera bag, batteries and a USB cable for transferring files to a computer.  User guides are linked above and available in print on request. Although not included automatically, three tripods (shown above) are also available for reservation. Tripods provide support invariably leads to sharper images and steadier video. SCS maintains one full-sized tripod and two tabletop tripods.

Will I Need to Supply My Own Tape?

We strongly encourage borrowers of our Sony DCR-HC46 Kit to use their own MiniDV tapes. As a matter of practice, we do keep a tape in the camcorder, but we can offer no assurance that this tape will be reliable and produce quality video recordings. For reliability and image quality, it is best to use a new tape for each recording. Not withstanding that, it is acceptable to record over a used tape; but it is important to know how many times a particular tape has been reused and stop using it well before you lose valuable—even irreplaceable—video. MiniDV tapes are readily available at grocery, photo/electronics, office, and drug stores.

Thanks for your interest in this SCS service!
If you have suggestions toward its improvement, please let us know by emailing scs@towson.edu. As we retire old equipment and add new equipment, we will update this page. Be sure to visit every semester to see what's available.