This article proposes a combined theoretical and experimental approach to assess and
quantify the global uncertainty of a high-speed camera velocity measurement. The study is
divided in five sections: firstly, different sources of measurement uncertainties
performed by a high-speed camera are identified and quantified. They consist of
geometrical uncertainties, pixel discretisation uncertainties or optical uncertainties.
Secondly, a global uncertainty factor, taking into account the previously identified
sources of uncertainties, is computed. Thirdly, a sensibility study of the camera set-up
parameters is performed, allowing the experimenter to optimize these parameters in order
to minimize the final uncertainties. Fourthly, the theoretical computed uncertainty is
compared with experimental measurements. Good concordance has been found. Finally, the
velocity measurement uncertainty study is extended to continuous displacement measurements
as a function of time. The purpose of this article is to propose all the mathematical
tools necessary to quantify the individual and global uncertainties, to highlight the
important aspects of the experimental set-up, and to give recommendations on how to
improve a specific set-up in order to minimize the global uncertainty. Taking all these
into account, it has been shown that highly dynamic phenomena such as a ballistic
phenomenon can be measured using a high-speed camera with a global uncertainty of less
than 2%.