intersting thread......I spose the next step if you wanted something a little better then a modded Toucam is something like the Stellacam or SAC/Minitron with a Sony 1/2 ex-view monochrome chip..... for $399 USD... go to products then down to the sac minitron.
hmm...may buy 1 just for the hell of it.
http://www.sac-imaging.com/main.html