tricolor camera: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low / TechnicalTechnical / Specialist
Quick answer
What does “tricolor camera” mean?
A camera that uses three separate colour filters (typically red, green, and blue) or sensors to capture a full-colour image.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A camera that uses three separate colour filters (typically red, green, and blue) or sensors to capture a full-colour image.
Originally referring to a specific type of colour photography or video camera technology that separates light into its primary colour components for superior colour fidelity. In modern digital imaging, the term is less common but may refer to cameras using a three-sensor design (e.g., in professional broadcast or cinema cameras) to avoid the interpolation required by a single sensor with a Bayer filter.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in technical meaning. British English may occasionally hyphenate the compound ('tri-colour camera'), but this is inconsistent. The word 'colour' itself is spelled differently ('colour' vs. 'color'), but this spelling difference is typically retained within the term itself when used in the respective dialects.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes professional, high-end, or historical imaging equipment.
Frequency
Equally rare in both varieties, found almost exclusively in technical photography, cinematography, or engineering literature.
Grammar
How to Use “tricolor camera” in a Sentence
The [MODIFIER] tricolor camera [VERB]A tricolor camera for [PURPOSE]to capture [OBJECT] with a tricolor cameraVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tricolor camera” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The studio decided to tricolor-scan the archive film.
- We need to tricolor-correct the footage.
American English
- They tricolor-captured the event for the documentary.
- The system is designed to tricolor-separate the image.
adverb
British English
- The image was captured tricolourly.
- The signal is processed tricolour-wise.
American English
- The scene was filmed tricolourly.
- The data is read out tricolor-fashion.
adjective
British English
- They used a tricolour-camera system.
- The tricolour-capture process is more complex.
American English
- It was a tricolor-camera rig.
- The tricolor-imaging technique dates back decades.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare. Might appear in a procurement list for a television studio or post-production house.
Academic
Found in papers on the history of colour photography, imaging science, or optical engineering.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The primary context. Used in manuals, specifications, and discussions among cinematographers, broadcast engineers, and photography historians.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tricolor camera”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tricolor camera”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tricolor camera”
- Confusing 'tricolor' (three-colour) with 'tricycle'.
- Using it as a general term for any modern colour camera.
- Misspelling as 'tricolour camera' in American English contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Most consumer digital cameras have a single image sensor. A tricolor camera uses three separate sensors, one for each primary colour, which is a more complex and expensive design found in high-end professional equipment.
While the three-sensor principle is still used in top-tier equipment, the specific term 'tricolor' is somewhat dated. Modern terminology favours more descriptive terms like 'three-sensor', 'three-CCD', or 'three-chip' camera.
In the context of cameras, 'tricolor' is the established term. 'Trichromatic' is a broader scientific term relating to three-colour vision or theory. While related, they are not perfect synonyms in technical writing.
The main drawbacks are cost, size, and complexity. Requiring three precisely aligned sensors and a beam-splitting prism makes these cameras significantly more expensive, larger, and heavier than single-sensor designs.
A camera that uses three separate colour filters (typically red, green, and blue) or sensors to capture a full-colour image.
Tricolor camera is usually technical / specialist in register.
Tricolor camera: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪˌkʌl.ə ˈkæm.rə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtraɪˌkʌl.ɚ ˈkæm.ər.ə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As rare as a working tricolor camera.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a flag with three colours (a tricolour flag). A tricolor camera captures the world by splitting it into three primary colours.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRECISION IS SEPARATION (A specialised tool achieves accuracy by dividing a complex whole into its pure, constituent parts).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary advantage of a tricolor camera design?