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Old 28-08-2008, 11:59 AM
thestarman
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Recommendations for a new webcam OR a 'cheaper' DSLR

Hi all,

I am after suggestions for a new webcam OR a 'cheaper' DSLR which will let me upload images quickly (once every 40 secs would be good) to my website.

I have been successfully using a Philips ToUcam Pro II 840 to webcast images of the Moon. I recently have experimented with trying to get the whole disc captured on the chip and it is just too small.

Following a separate conversation on this site, I ended up improvising an adaptor on my telescopes finderscope WITH a focal reducer and it still only got (maybe?) a third of the disc on the chip!

My research has uncovered webcams with 2m pixel chips for $130. Alternatively I could afford a DSLR but I don't have any experience with them. Is it easy to upload images quickly to a website? Do any of the cameras come with software that let you do that automatically?

Many thanks,

Paul Floyd.
www.paulfloyd.id.au
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Old 28-08-2008, 12:06 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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Hi Paul
You'll find the 2mp webcams are interpolated and aren't true 2mp. The 2mp is probably a "still" image as well, and that the "video" is probably still 640x480.

You can get 1280x1024 webcams from The Imaging Source - the DMK41AF04. It can do 15fps.

Otherwise, something like a Canon 300d or 350D, controlled through a laptop, can take a picture, download to computer (which could then trigger an upload to a website). But you'll want to resize the image first as it would be quite large.
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Old 28-08-2008, 12:23 PM
thestarman
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Is anti-blur important on a DSLR?

Mike,

Thanks for replying.

I suspect I will be going the DSLR way providing I know I can quickly upload images. The reason I like the webcam I use at the moment is that I can get the computer to upload images automatically without me having to be there.

Do you know if it is worth getting a camera with a built in 'antiblur' facility. I seem to recall seeing an Olympus DSLR being advertised as having the anti-blur mechanism built into the body rather than the lens. I have noticed the multiple discussion about Canon DSLRs being better.

Any thoughts.

Regards,

Paul Floyd.
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Old 28-08-2008, 12:48 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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What do you need the anti-blur for?

What exactly does it do?
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  #5  
Old 28-08-2008, 12:58 PM
thestarman
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Anti-blur...

My understanding is that it stops you taking fuzzy pictures.

That would be of interest to my partner, who would want to take photographs of things non-astronomical. In fact, if I buy a DSLR I will have trouble getting hold of it to use it... :-)

Paul.
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Old 28-08-2008, 06:22 PM
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kinetic (Steve)
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Paul,
http://www.thefirmament.nl/astro/wb-5400.html

this guy has had reasonable success with a Trust WB webcam
that has true megapixel capture at 5 fps.
1280x1024 pixels.
Some driver issues apparently, but it is supported now in
WcCtrl.
The model however might be hard to get in Oz.

regards,
Steve B.



Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman View Post
You'll find the 2mp webcams are interpolated and aren't true 2mp. The 2mp is probably a "still" image as well, and that the "video" is probably still 640x480.
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Old 29-08-2008, 08:26 AM
TrevorW
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Anti blur or anti shake or shake reduction is offerred on a lot of DSLR's it doesn't stop you taking out of focus images, as I understand it, it's primarily to reduce minor camera shake from the shutter release activation but only works in conjunction with dedicated camera lens but not when a camera is attached to a telescope, shake should be negligible if camera attached to a mount and is tracking.

Cheers
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  #8  
Old 29-08-2008, 06:01 PM
thestarman
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Thanks for everyones help

I have come up with a possible solution.

Experimenting showed that afocal projection would allow me to show the whole disc of the Sun/Moon.

I purchased a Logitech Quickcam 9000 which upon checking does have a 2M pixel sensor (at native resolution).

Regards,

Paul Floyd.
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