• A document computer is a powerful presentation tool.projector ready for presentation image by Dmitry Goygel-Sokol from Fotolia.com
  
  A document camera, also known as a digital visual presenter or visualizer, is essentially a camera that is elevated on a stand, pointing directly downward, like the old overhead projector. Whatever is placed beneath the camera's lens is displayed in exponential size on a computer, LCD monitor or projection screen. The document camera is an interactive tool that can enhance teaching, training, lecturing and other educational presentations.
  
  

Adjustable Viewing Capability

• A document camera has a head and arm that rotate so that you can easily view a two- or three-dimensional object from different angles. Most document cameras feature a camera lens that you can align to the eyepiece of a microscope without an optical adapter. To view objects from almost any angle, look for a document camera with a curved arm that rotates 180 degrees.
  
  

Detailed Imagery

• Document cameras have a digital zoom that captures the detail of both static and moving objects that would otherwise be unobservable to a large audience. Document cameras that feature at least a 5.2x optical and an 8x digital zoom lens can capture detail and display it on a broad screen device for general viewing.
  
  

Presentation Stages

• The presentation stage is the platform attached to the bottom of the camera. This platform is where you place objects you wish to magnify and display. Some document cameras feature a removable presentation stage, which allows you to remove the bottom platform, or stage, when you want to view larger objects like people, cars or architecture. Other models feature a stationary presentation stage that limits the viewing area to a 12-by-16-inch platform. Models with a stationary stage are generally better for viewing smaller objects like text pages and other objects that do not exceed the perimeters of the viewing area.