Quote:
Originally Posted by Cloudy
I know there are webcams specifically made for this now. But I'm unsure which ones are best these days. I do have a good computer web cam. Should I just modify that? I saw a youtibe video of this but its 7 years old.
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Ditch the webcam and go for a made-to-purpose video camera. The Gstars from MyAstroShop are my recommendation as well for an entry level camera. There are several options there, I can't comment on the colour version but the you wont loose much by getting of the B&W versions.
You will probably also need a framegrabber dongle, like the one in the picture I've attached (other people might give it other names) to get the image from the camera onto a computer. I got that one from Jaycar.
If you get a Gstar the Gstar capture program works a treat to display it on screen and you can control the settings from within there remotely if you get the extra cable for it. Saves you mucking around the back of the camera with the buttons and shaking everything up.
As to the result of using one - well, I've always thought its a great idea. You can point out what's on the screen and then hopefully people have a better idea of what they are looking at and a greater appreciation of what they are seeing. In reality I've got the mixed response; some people love it, others are like Jon and can't see the point and think its a pain. Perhaps what I'm trying to say is don't expect that it will fix everything and be the bees knees.
But these cameras are very versatile and once you have it you can probably find several uses for it. They can be used to image or be used to create a still image as well, not just for video.
There are other brands out that are more or less the same thing, so don't be afraid to go for another if looks better to you. Astro-video is still a rapidly developing field and from what I've seen no one product stand out above others yet. Just look for something that has an integrating or stacking ability and you should be right. I know they are more expensive than a webcam but they are also cheaper and easier to use than a CCD.