Epson’s new DC-13 Document Camera was designed specifically for K-12 classrooms and includes a wide range of beneficial classroom features. I had the opportunity to spend the last week reviewing the DC-13, and I am incredibly impressed with the collection of features the camera offers, paired with its simplicity of use. The camera currently runs at $449 through Epson’s Brighter Futures program.
It offers the ability to capture images, and even audio/video recordings of what teachers and students are sharing on the camera, as well as a variety of additional features we’ll explore.
It offers the ability to capture images, and even audio/video recordings of what teachers and students are sharing on the camera, as well as a variety of additional features we’ll explore.
For those who have ever used a traditional document camera, you know it can be a helpful tool in many K-12 classrooms. From being able to show steps to solve a problem, to quickly broadcasting anything paper-based, to sharing out non-digital student projects with the rest of the class, document cameras have a wide range of uses.
That being said, with Epson’s new DC-13, the possibilities for what a document camera can be used for have been expanded on significantly.
That being said, with Epson’s new DC-13, the possibilities for what a document camera can be used for have been expanded on significantly.
The DC-13 has all the functionality from a document camera you would expect. You can plug it into your display or projector through a VGA or HDMI port, you can adjust the lighting with a built in LCD light, you can use the included remote to interact with the document camera without having to stand right next to it, and you can even hit the “freeze” button to freeze the image currently being shown.
The remote and freeze capability can also allow the teacher to more easily walk around the room, without being tied down to the camera at all times. For example, the teacher could put a problem under the document camera, freeze it, put the answer under the camera and then walk around to work with students. When the teacher is ready to show the answer, they can use the remote to show it from wherever they’re standing.
The focus button also allows for easy adjustment of items being shown on the camera. I tested it out with both flat objects and 3D objects, and the focus was always immediately on point. The zoom button also comes in handy if a teacher needs to enlarge whatever they’re showing.
But beyond that, my absolutely favorite feature of the DC-13 is the ability to save images and audio/video recordings. The DC-13 has a built-in mic to record audio. You can hit the “Record” button on the camera to record a video of whatever is being shown and said.
I think this is absolutely awesome for teachers who might want to create videos for blended/flipped learning situations, as well as for creating video resources for students who are absent, or who might need to go back and review material at a later date. Everything that’s recorded is automatically saved to the SD card (not included), so you can easily access it later.
Overall, it’s been a long time since I was excited by a document camera. It was always a useful tool if I wanted to show students something paper-based, but I never found much use for it beyond that.
With Epson’s DC-13’s capture and record functionality, I see an exciting new range of possibilities for how a document camera like this could be used in the classroom. During my testing, I was consistently impressed with the ease of use of the camera, but also its extended functionality.
In short, if your classroom or school is in the market for a new, innovative document camera, one where teachers can also easily create recordings to share with students, I absolutely recommend Epson’s new DC-13.
The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I was not compensated for writing this review.
I received a review DC-13 unit for the duration of the reviewing process.
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