Cheers everyone for the input.
I've decided against security cams due to the excellent response here........you blokes know your stuff!
Here's something of interest..............an Astrophotographer's swear word...............CMOS
After seeing a low end Microsoft VX2000 in action in our IT department, my jaw dropped to the ground!!!
For the hell of it, I looked up various webcam reviews and discovered that the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 was a ''killer cam''.
As it was on special everywhere at this time of the year, I bought one for $49 ..............spent more on a lousy dinner/night out!
Now I'm aware that CMOS has a reputation for being ''less sensitive than CCD, but this particular Microsoft model has a new chip under the hood that collects 2.4 times more light due to larger pixel area/light gathering etc.
Anyhow, as a straight webcam, this thing has a massive reputation amongst professional reviewers, and when I connected it up last night, I was BLOWN AWAY by the quality of the image......low light capability was superb and in general the picture was a great leap ahead of most Logitech stuff and others that I have seeni n the past.Even the noise level was very low...........impressive!.
I'm hoping that it can be modded as some CMOS webcams have for imaging.
On the other hand it may image as is without any fiddling?
Planetary imaging is what I'm trying to eventually capture, so it will be interesting to see what goes with this cam?