Classifying television cameras, video cameras and still digital cameras

Unlike photographic cameras, which are covered in Chapter 90, television, video and digital cameras don't use light-sensitive film or plates. Instead, they form images through a lens and convert them into an electrical signal. This is then transmitted or saved electronically.Cameras covered in Chapter 85 are classified under heading code 8525 and fall into one of three broad categories:Television cameras - including webcams. These don't record or save the image they form, but convert it into an electrical signal that's transmitted to other apparatus by either line or radio.

Television cameras:Television cameras with three or more camera tubes are classified under subheading code 8525 80 11 00.Other television cameras - including those using charge coupled devices (CCDs) or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors - are classified under subheading code 8525 80 19 90. Examples of the types of camera that are classified under this subheading code include webcams and cameras with a single camera tube.

Video cameras and camcordersVideo cameras that can only record the sound and images taken by the camera itself are classified under subheading code 8525 80 91 00. These types of video camera don't have any input jacks or ports, so they can't record sound or images from other external sources.


Video cameras and camcorders that do have some sort of external input facility - for example a DV-in connector - are classified under subheading code 8525 80 99 00.Still image digital camerasStill image digital cameras with video capture capabilities (using the maximum storage capacity) of recording with a quality at or exceeding 800x600 pixels at 23 frames per second, at least 30 minutes in sequence .