在 Windows 8开始(Start)屏幕上，您会发现一个名为Camera的小图块。它是Windows 8小应用程序的快捷方式，可用于录制视频或拍照。尽管它的界面非常简单，但要理解如何设置它并使用它来录制视频或拍照并不容易。这就是我决定编写本教程并帮助您的原因。
如何启动相机应用程序
在您第一次运行相机(Camera)应用程序之前，请安装您的网络摄像头。然后，在“开始”屏幕上找到(Start)“相机”(Camera)磁贴，然后单击或点击它。
如果找不到，请在“开始”(Start)屏幕上搜索“(screen and click)相机(camera)”一词，然后单击或点击相应的搜索结果(search result)。
该应用程序将询问它是否可以使用您的网络摄像头和麦克风(webcam and microphone)。单击(Click)或点击允许(Allow)以使用该应用程序。
如果您的网络摄像头安装不正确，相机(Camera)应用程序将返回如下错误：“相机有问题”("There's a problem with the camera")。
如果您的网络摄像头一切正常，您将看到它前面的图像以及右下角的三个小按钮。
现在您可以开始配置和使用该应用程序了。
如何(How)配置相机应用程序(Camera App Works)的(How)工作方式
如果您转到“相机”应用程序的(Camera)“设置”(Settings)超级按钮，您会注意到没有什么可设置的。您只能查看隐私声明(privacy statement)、设置访问网络摄像头和麦克风(webcam and microphone)的权限以及在商店(Store)中对应用程序进行评分。
如果要配置其工作方式，请单击或点击右下角的“相机选项(Camera options)”按钮。这将打开一个菜单，您可以在其中设置将要录制的视频的分辨率以及用于录制声音的音频设备。您还可以启用视频稳定(Video stabilization)等附加功能（如果它们可用于您的网络摄像头）。
根据您的网络摄像头，您可能还会在“相机选项(Camera options)”菜单中看到一个名为“更多”的链接。(More)如果您单击或点击它，它将打开特定于您的网络摄像头型号的其他配置选项。您可以在下面看到可用于Microsoft LifeCam Studio的选项。
在右下角，您还会找到Timer。单击或点击(click or tap)它将激活 3 秒计时器。此计时器在录制视频和拍照之前应用。不幸的是，目前无法更改其持续时间。希望(Hopefully)Microsoft将发布启用此配置的应用程序更新。
右下角的最后一个按钮名为Video mode。启用后，相机(Camera)应用程序会录制视频。没有时，它会拍照。您可以在下面看到启用定时器(Timer)和视频模式(Video mode)按钮时的外观。
请注意(Notice)此屏幕截图与上一个屏幕截图之间的区别。当这样设置时，相机(Camera)应用程序会录制视频并在每次录制开始前等待三秒钟。
如何使用相机应用程序录制(Camera App)视频(Video)或拍照
但是，当右侧的按钮仅用于配置其工作方式时，您如何使用“相机”应用程序录制视频或拍照？(Camera)
要录制视频，请确保启用了视频模式。(Video mode)然后，单击或点击(click or tap)网络摄像头显示的图像中间的某处。录制开始，右下方显示秒表，显示自开始录制以来经过的时间。
要停止录制，请单击或点击正在显示的图像，相机(Camera)应用程序会花费一些时间将录制内容保存在硬盘上。保存录制文件后，唯一表明它已存储且可用的线索是屏幕左侧显示一个后退(Back)箭头这一事实。
单击(Click)或点击它以查看录制的视频。
要拍照，请禁用视频模式(Video mode)。然后，单击或点击(click or tap)显示图像中间的某处。立即拍摄并保存照片。
如何在相机应用程序中(Camera App)浏览录制的视频和图片(Browse Recorded Videos & Pictures)
要查看您使用“相机”应用拍摄的(Camera)视频和照片(videos and pictures)，请点击或单击屏幕左侧的返回箭头。(Back)然后会在右侧显示一个前进(Forward)箭头，同时加载最近拍摄的视频或照片。(video or picture)
使用箭头浏览您录制的内容。在具有触控功能的设备上，您还可以用手指左右翻转。
要播放您录制的视频，只需单击或点击它。如果您在播放时从底部滑动或右键单击它，相机(Camera)应用程序会显示导航控件，可用于在视频中来回跳转。
您应该注意的一件事 - 您可以使用相机(Camera)应用程序仅查看由它创建并存储在其文件夹中的媒体文件。要浏览 Windows 8计算机或设备(computer or device)上其他文件夹和库中的媒体文件，您需要使用其他应用程序。
如何使用相机应用裁剪图片或(Camera App)修剪视频(Trim Videos)
起初这可能很难弄清楚，但相机(Camera)应用程序有一些基本的编辑工具可用：裁剪图片和修剪视频。
要裁剪图片，请在“相机”(Camera)应用中打开它。然后，右键单击或从底部滑动，以调出上下文菜单。(click or swipe)在右下角，您将看到Crop按钮，然后是Delete。
单击或点击裁剪(Crop)并使用视觉指南设置您希望如何裁剪图片。完成后，单击或点击(click or tap) 右下角的确定。(OK)
要修剪视频，请在相机(Camera)应用程序中打开它。然后，右键单击或从底部滑动，以调出上下文菜单。(click or swipe)在右下角，您将看到Trim按钮，然后是Delete。
单击或点击修剪(Trim)并使用时间轴上的边距来设置要修剪记录的位置。完成后，单击或点击(click or tap) OK。
相机(Camera)应用程序会根据您的设置修剪视频并保存。
相机应用商店的视频和图片(Camera App Store Videos and Pictures)在哪里？
相机(Camera)应用程序将您录制的所有视频和您拍摄的照片存储在名为“相机胶卷”(Camera Roll)的文件夹中。
你会在你的图片(Pictures)库中找到它。图片仅存储为.jpg文件，视频录制为.mp4文件。
相机应用程序(Camera App)的问题和局限性
在我经常使用相机(Camera)应用程序的过程中，我遇到了一个烦人的限制以及您可能会遇到的两个问题。
首先，相机(Camera)不能在后台运行。在多任务处理的时代，这是一个令人不快的惊喜。这是什么意思？如果相机(Camera)应用程序未在您的屏幕上打开并处于活动状态，则不会录制视频。如果您开始录制并最小化应用程序，录制将停止。如果您希望它完成录制，请将其窗口保持打开并在屏幕上处于活动状态。
然后，如果您的网络摄像头未正确插入或安装方式有问题，相机(Camera)应用程序会提示“相机有问题”("There's a problem with the camera")。验证网络摄像头是否正确插入以及 Windows 8 是否检测到它并为其安装驱动程序。
应用程序中可用的视频分辨率可能远低于您的网络摄像头的分辨率。这仅意味着一件事：您必须为您的网络摄像头下载并安装Windows 8特定驱动程序。它们丢失了，Windows 8安装了一些不适用于您的网络摄像头的通用驱动程序。
转到您的网络浏览器(web browser)，找到它们，下载然后安装它们。只有这样，相机(Camera)应用程序才会显示可用于录制视频的适当分辨率。
结论
相机(Camera)非常基本，如果您只需要快速录制视频或拍照，它就(video recording or picture taking)可以很好地工作。如果您需要更多，那么您应该寻找更复杂的替代方案，以更好地满足您的需求。
如果您正在寻找有关Windows 8和Windows 8应用程序的其他提示，请不要犹豫，阅读下面推荐的文章。
Introducing Windows 8: How to Use the Camera App to Record Videos
On the Windows 8 Start screen you will find a small tile named Camera. It is a shortcut to a little Windows 8 app that can be used to record videos or take pictures. Even though its interface is very simplistic, it is not that easy to understand how to set it up and use it to record videos or take pictures. That's why I decided to write this tutorial and help you out.
How to Start the Camera App
Before you run the Camera app for the first time, install your webcam. Then, find Camera tile on the Start screen and click or tap on it.
If you can't find it, search for the word camera on the Start screen and click or tap the appropriate search result.
The app will ask if it can use your webcam and microphone. Click or tap Allow in order to use the app.
If your webcam is not installed correctly, the Camera app will return errors like the one below: "There's a problem with the camera".
If everything is OK with your webcam, you will see an image of what it is in front of it and three small buttons on the bottom-right.
Now you can start to configure and use the app.
How to Configure How the Camera App Works
If you go to the Settings charm for the Camera app, you will notice that there's nothing to set. You can only view the privacy statement, set the permissions for accessing your webcam and microphone and rate the app on the Store.
If you want to configure the way it works, click or tap the Camera options button on the bottom right. This opens a menu where you can set the resolution for the videos that will be recorded and the audio device used to record the sound. You can also enable additional features like Video stabilization, if they are available for your webcam.
Depending on your webcam, you may also see a link named More in the Camera options menu. If you click or tap on it, it will open additional configuration options, specific to your webcam model. Below you can see the options available for a Microsoft LifeCam Studio.
On the bottom right you will also find the Timer. A click or tap on it will activate a 3 seconds timer. This timer is applied before recording video and taking pictures. Unfortunately, its duration cannot be changed at this time. Hopefully, Microsoft will release an update to the app which enables this configuration.
The last button on the bottom right is named Video mode. When enabled, the Camera app records videos. When not, it takes pictures. Below you can see how the Timer and Video mode buttons look like when they are both enabled.
Notice the difference between this screenshot and the previous one. When set like this, the Camera app records videos and waits three seconds before each recording is started.
How to Record Video or Take Pictures with the Camera App
But how do you record videos or take pictures with the Camera app when the buttons on the right are used only to configure the way it works?
To record video, make sure the Video mode is enabled. Then, click or tap somewhere in the middle of the image displayed by your webcam. The recording starts and a stopwatch is displayed on the bottom right, showing the time that has passed since you started the recording.
To stop recording click or tap the image being displayed and the Camera app spends some time to save the recording on your hard drive. When the recording is saved, the only clue that it is stored and available is the fact that a Back arrow is displayed on the left side of the screen.
Click or tap on it to view the recorded video.
To take pictures, disable Video mode. Then, click or tap somewhere in the middle of the image displayed. A picture is taken and saved immediately.
How to Browse Recorded Videos & Pictures in the Camera App
To view the videos and pictures you've taken with the Camera app, tap or click the Back arrow on the left side of the screen. A Forward arrow is then displayed on the right, while most recent video or picture taken is loaded.
Use the arrows to browse through your recorded content. On a device with touch you can also flip left and right with your finger.
To play a video that you recorded simply click or tap on it. If you swipe from the bottom or right click on it while it plays, the Camera app shows navigational controls that can be used to skip back and forth through the video.
One thing you should note though - you can use the Camera app to view only the media files created by it and stored in its folder. To browse through media files from other folders and libraries on your Windows 8 computer or device, you need to use other apps.
How to Crop Pictures or Trim Videos with the Camera App
This might be hard to figure out at first but the Camera app has some basic editing tools available: crop for pictures and trim for videos.
To crop a picture, open it in the Camera app. Then, right click or swipe from the bottom, to bring up the contextual menu. On the bottom right, you will see the Crop button followed by Delete.
Click or tap Crop and use the visual guidelines to set how you want the picture to be cropped. When done, click or tap OK on the bottom right.
To trim a video, open it in the Camera app. Then, right click or swipe from the bottom, to bring up the contextual menu. On the bottom right, you will see the Trim button followed by Delete.
Click or tap Trim and use the margins on the timeline to set from where to where you want to trim the recording. When done, click or tap OK.
The Camera app trims the video and saves it according to your settings.
Where Does the Camera App Store Videos and Pictures?
The Camera app stores all the videos your record and the pictures you take in a folder named Camera Roll.
You will find it in your Pictures library. The pictures are stored only as .jpg files and the video recordings as .mp4 files.
Problems and Limitations of the Camera App
In my regular use of the Camera app I encountered one annoying limitation and two issues that you might encounter as well.
First of all, the Camera is not capable of running in the background. In the era of multitasking, this is an unpleasant surprise. What does this mean? If the Camera app is not opened and active on your screen, it won't record videos. If you start a recording and minimize the app, the recording will stop. If you want it to finish recording, leave its window open and active on the screen.
Then, if your webcam is not plugged in correctly or there is a problem with the way it was installed, the Camera app will say that "There's a problem with the camera". Verify if that the webcam is plugged in correctly and that Windows 8 detects it and installs the drivers for it.
It may happen that the video resolutions available in the app are much lower than what your webcam is capable of. This means only one thing: you must download and install Windows 8 specific drivers for your webcam. They are missing and Windows 8 installed some generic drivers that don't work well with your webcam.
Go to your web browser, find them, download and then install them. Only then the Camera app will display the appropriate resolutions as being available for recording videos.
Conclusion
The Camera is very basic and can work well if all you need is quick video recording or picture taking. If you need more than that, then you should search for more complex alternatives that better meet your needs.
If you are looking for other tips about Windows 8 and Windows 8 apps, don't hesitate to read the articles recommended below.
