A dental video camera includes a housing which has an elongated cavity with a distal end and a proximal end, an adjustably focusing lens and CCD camera system which is disposed within the elongated cavity of the housing, a fixed focusing lens system and an adjustable iris. The adjustably focusing lens and CCD camera system provides a focusing adjustment between a near field of focus and a far field of focus. The fixed focusing lens system is optically coupled to the adjustably focusing lens and CCD camera system and is disposed in the elongated cavity of the housing adjacent to the distal end thereof. The adjustable iris is optically and mechanically coupled to the adjustably focusing lens and CCD camera system. The adjustable iris is adjusted between a nearly closed opening and a wide open opening in response to the focusing adjustment between the near field of focus and the far field of focus.