Handheld camera

Definition of a handheld camera: A hand-held camera or hand-held shooting is a filmmaking technique where the camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or other base. Hand-held cameras allow a greater freedom of motion during filming.
Hand-held camera shots often result in an image that is perceptibly shakier than that of a tripod-mounted camera. Purposeful use of this technique is called shaky camera and is created by the camera operator during filming, or artificially simulated in post-production. Shaky camera is a cinematographic technique where techniques to keep the camera steady are not used. The camera is held in the hand, or given the appearance of being hand-held.. It suggests unprepared, unrehearsed filming of  and can provide a sense of dynamics, immersion, instability or nervousness. The technique can be used to give a documentary-like appearance to a film.
 Example of a handheld camera shot: A handheld camera was used here to make the film look more like a documentary, so it appeared real. This causes the audience to be more fearful during the whole film as it seems more like it all really happened and could happen to them.