Sometimes, teaching a class can be done with nothing but the help of a whiteboard or projector. Other times, however, it’s necessary to zoom in on something small, and that’s where a document camera can help. Professionals everywhere are in search of the best document camera for teachers.
These compact, easily movable cameras can focus on worksheets, experiments, and anything else you might need to show your class up close for the purposes of immersion and instruction. If you’re going to buy a document camera as a teacher, it’s worth making sure your purchase is one of the best.
That’s because, while some other document cameras are daily basic, with limited uses, the best document cameras out there have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, scan documents, and digitize text.
To help you improve both the learning and teaching experience in your classroom, we’ve found the 5 best document cameras for teachers, and we’re going to tell you about our experiences with each one today. This should help you to decide which document camera will add the most to your lesson plans.
Best Document Camera For Teachers
Today, we will be introducing you to the 5 best document cameras for teachers. These are the top 5 cameras you should be considering buying for your classroom. We’ve tested many document cameras, and we can confirm that these 5 products are a cut above the rest. (See also ‘Best Laptop For Teaching Online!’)
Aver U50 Document Camera
The Aver U50 Document Camera is one of the most popular choices for teachers because it comes with many features that make showing an image of a document on screen easy and intuitive. This is a USB-powered camera, which means it’s easy to connect to most devices.
It’s also compatible with Mac, Chrome, and Windows devices, so no matter what kind of device you’re working with, you shouldn’t encounter any issues with connectivity.
The zoom on this camera is really powerful, zooming in up to 8 times, which should be more than enough to focus on small images. Even in dark lighting conditions, the six LED lights built into the camera will help to make your images clearly visible when you want to capture images.
Admittedly, if most of the documents you want to display on screen are A4 size, you may have to put up with having margins around the edge of the document because the frame is too narrow to fit the whole page without moving the camera back slightly.
Pros
- USB connectivity – Easy to connect to devices
- 8x zoom – Excellent focus
- LED lighting – Clear images
- Compatible with Chrome, Windows, and Mac – Wide device compatibility
Cons
- Won’t fit A4 page exactly – Zooming out is required to show the whole page
Also available at:
- B & H Photo Video
- CDW
- Walmart
- Touchboards
- Colamco
- Today’s Classroom
- Nisewonger
- PSSAV
- The Visualiser
- Connection
- Go Education
- Camcor
INSWAN INS-1 USB Document Camera
Another very popular choice of document camera among teachers is the INSAWN INS-1 USB Document Camera. As the name of the product indicates, the INSWAN INS-1 connects to other devices by USB, which means that connecting your camera couldn’t be easier. (Check out ‘Best Headset For Teaching Online!’)
Additionally, you won’t be limited in terms of which devices you can connect to because this camera is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Chrome devices.
You can rely on this camera to provide you with the best-quality images because the image quality is full HD (1080p), and the camera also has an 8MP CMOS sensor that works in conjunction with LED lighting to provide you with the sharpest and brightest images ever.
Operating at 30 frames per second, this camera has minimal lag and should always work smoothly. The only minor issue we found with this camera is that adjusting it can be tricky without causing the camera to wobble since the buttons to zoom in and out are on the head.
Pros
- HD imaging quality – Excellent clarity
- USB connectivity – Easy and intuitive to use
- Chrome, Mac, and Windows compatible – Optimal device compatibility
- 8MP CMOS sensor – Sharp and bright images
Cons
- Buttons positioned on head – May cause wobbling when adjusting
Also available at:
IPEVO Do-Cam Document Camera
Many teachers recommend the IPEVO Do-Cam as the number one document camera for classroom use. With so many incredible features and a really portable and user-friendly design, this camera is definitely worth considering.
The first thing to note about this camera is the fact that considering how many great features it has and how practical it is to use, it’s actually quite affordable. Bearing in mind that some high-end document cameras can be over $300, the price of this camera is fairly reasonable.
This affordable document camera has a folding design with a storage slot for the cable, meaning it can easily be packed away and moved from classroom to classroom, or easily stored away when it’s not in use. The image quality is full HD, so you don’t have to worry about grainy or unfocused images.
Plus, the camera doubles as a document scanner, and you can easily switch from camera to scanner mode with the push of a single button. Unfortunately, the camera only connects to other devices via USB-A, which means that it won’t work with Macbooks because these devices only have USB-C ports.
Pros
- Relatively affordable – Reasonably priced
- Full HD quality – Amazing clarity
- Folding design – Easy storage and transport
- Doubles as a scanner – Simple one-button switch
Cons
- Only USB-A connection – Not compatible with Macbooks
Also available at:
- IPEVO
- ACP Direct
- B & H Photo Video
- Encore Data Products
- VSC
- School Specialty
- Channel Online
- The Douglas Stewart Company
Lumens DC125 Ladibug Document Camera
The Lumens DC125 Ladibug Document Camera is one of the best on the market for teachers. It has both USB and HDMI connections, which makes it great for classroom use since the power cord allows it to be connected directly to a PC, while the USB makes it possible to connect to other devices.
The gooseneck adjustment on this camera allows you to move the camera around smoothly. It is very flexible, so you won’t feel limited in how you can adjust your camera.
Unfortunately, there’s no digital zoom feature on the Ladibug document camera, so if you need to display an image more closely, you will need to physically adjust the gooseneck to bring the camera itself closer to the image.
With that being said, the HD resolution, when coupled with LED lighting, means that you can enjoy amazing-quality images, even when the lighting conditions in your classroom aren’t the best.
Pros
- HDMI and USB connectivity – Excellent for classroom use
- Gooseneck adjustment – Flexible and smooth
- HD resolution – Clear and crisp imaging
- LED lighting – Enhances clarity
Cons
- No zoom feature – Closer focus only possible with manual adjustment
Also available at:
OKIOLABS OKIOCAM T USB Document Camera
Our final recommendation is the OKIOLABS OKIOCAM T, which comes highly recommended by teachers as well as professionals in numerous other industries. Compared to most high-quality document cameras on the market, this camera is very affordable.
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In fact, it’s one of the most budget-friendly options out there for teachers who still want to project images in decent quality. You can use this camera with Mac, Chrome, and Windows devices. It’s also compatible with most major video and conference apps, including Zoom, Skype, and many more.
Weighing less than 1 lb, this is an extremely portable document camera. It’s lightweight and compact, so you can easily carry it around in your bag. Plus, when the camera is in use, it’s easy to adjust thanks to the multijoint arm, which allows for various camera angles.
The QHD resolution of this camera ensures that any images you project will be displayed in great quality. However, just be aware that the autofocus feature, designed to make viewing different document sizes effortless, only works if the camera is quite close to the document in question. If it’s too far away, the autofocus does not automatically work.
Pros
- Very affordable – Budget-friendly
- Compatible with major video apps and devices – Mac, Windows, Chrome, Zoom, Skype, and more
- Weighs 0.8 lbs – Portable, compact design
- Multi Joint arm – Easy to reposition
- QHD resolution – Extremely high-quality images
Cons
- Autofocus sometimes fails – Needs to be close up for autofocus to work
A Teacher’s Guide To The Best Document Cameras
Any of the 5 cameras we’ve reviewed in this guide will enhance your teaching experience as well as the learning experiences of your students. However, depending on what exactly you’re looking for from your classroom document camera, one might suit you more than the others. Here’s everything you should consider before you buy a document camera for teaching:
Connectivity And Device Compatibility
The most important thing when buying a document camera, whether you’re a teacher or not, is making sure it will actually work with the device you use on a daily basis. Most of the document cameras we’ve reviewed today work with Windows, Mac, and Chrome devices, so compatibility shouldn’t be a major issue.
However, if your device only has a USB-C port, make sure that this USB connection is enabled on the document camera you’re thinking about buying.
Similarly, if you’d like to connect your camera to your device via HDMI, make sure that your chosen camera either comes with a power cable or at least has the ability to connect to devices this way with the right cable. Some document cameras will require you to download specific software in order to use the camera properly.
If that’s the case, make sure that your device supports the updated version of whatever software is required. While we’re on the subject of compatibility if you intend to use your document camera for online classes or online teacher conferences, check which video call apps the camera is compatible with.
Some of the best document cameras are compatible with Zoom, Teams, Skype, and many more apps to make your life easier.
Image Quality
Ideally, you should be looking for HD image quality when choosing a document camera. After all, the point of a document camera is to make things easier to see, not more difficult! It’s also worth checking whether the camera you’re looking at has built-in LED lighting. This is especially important if you don’t feel that your classroom has the best lighting.
Zoom
Not all document cameras come with a zoom function, but some do, so if this is important to you, make sure you double-check what kind of zoom a specific camera has before buying it. If you really want as much zoom power as possible, look for a camera with an 8x zoom.
If there’s no zoom, but you like everything else about the camera, it’s worth looking into what kind of adjustability the camera has. For example, if the camera has a very flexible gooseneck, you might be able to zoom in manually this way.
Additional Features
The best document cameras for teachers often have additional features that make them even more useful and better able to meet all your teaching needs. For example, if you frequently need to scan documents, we recommend looking for a document camera that also doubles as a scanner.
It’s possible to find document cameras that can transition between camera and scanner mode at the touch of a button, which is very convenient. If you’re also regularly switching between A4 and A3 documents, for example, it can be really helpful to have an autofocus feature.
This just means that you don’t have to manually change the focus every time you need to show a document in a different size.
Just bear in mind that when it comes to different document sizes, some cameras may not have the necessary frame width to show every single page size exactly, so you might have to physically move the camera out a little and show some of the background at times.
Portability And Storage
If you’re a teacher who often needs to move from classroom to classroom, or you want to be able to bring your camera to and from school, you should be prioritizing highly portable designs. First of all, your document camera should be lightweight.
Anywhere between 1 and 3 lbs should be light enough to carry around in your bag without issues, but you can find document cameras that are as lightweight as 0.8 lbs. Additionally, a foldable design is desirable so that you can make the camera as compact as possible when you need to put it in your bag or put it away in storage.
Some document cameras have a convenient slot for cable storage, which means you don’t have to clumsily wrap the power cable or USB cable around the camera arm or have it loose in your bag.
Price Range
Document cameras vary a lot in terms of price. If you’re a teacher buying a document camera for your professional needs, you should probably avoid the really low-end document cameras because these don’t tend to produce high-quality images and don’t have as many useful features.
With that being said, it’s possible to find high-quality document cameras for reasonable prices. Although some document cameras do cost more than $300, there’s no need to spend this much if you don’t have the budget for it.
You can find decent-quality document cameras for as little as $70, and there are plenty of mid-range document cameras around the $150 mark. Just bear in mind that the more you pay for a document camera, the more features and the better resolution you’re likely to get.
Final Thoughts
Document cameras are incredibly valuable teaching tools, both for classroom and distance learning. Using one of our top 5 best document cameras for teachers, you can project documents in your classroom or share them with your students over Zoom or Skype.
Remember to check whether your chosen document camera has a zoom or autofocus function before buying. It’s also essential to note which devices and apps a document camera is compatible with to avoid any issues after unboxing your new camera.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Difference Between A Document Camera And A Webcam?
If you are a teacher, a document camera will be more useful to you than a webcam. That’s because document cameras are higher-resolution, more compact, able to work remotely, and are more adjustable. It’s much easier to show a document’s scanned pages using a document camera compared to a webcam.
Are Document Cameras Good For Distance Learning?
Document cameras are great tools for distance learning because, as long as they are compatible with apps such as Zoom, Skype, and Teams, they can be used to share documents online and read as a class without having to be in the same room with multiple copies of the same resource.
How Do I Install A Document Camera?
Most document cameras often require you to install specific software on your computer or device. Once you have downloaded and installed the software, you can plug in your camera using a USB port or HDMI cable, run the software, and follow the prompts you receive from there.
