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What is the best resolution for a web camera?

I'm looking for a tiny video camera to use with a robotics project

  • I'm looking for a tiny video camera to use with a robotics project. The camera needs to be digital, have a digital connection (preferably USB, not wireless), support a minimum resolution of 1024x768 at 30fps and weigh as little as possible — maybe as much as 120g but hopefully lighter. And it must be affordable: less than $500 including lens. I have looked at consumer web cams, but I have not found any that match my requirements (web cams are typically low resolution/low frame rate); also they are all in enclosures so I would need to pry them open. And they are not that light-weight. I have looked at various RC sites, but they tend to do analog cameras or ones that record to an SD card; I want a live feed to my microcontroller. I found a company called http://oemcameras.com/ that have several digital ones for sale, but the model that I would prefer (which has a standard CS mount) is an incredible $800, and that's without a lens!

  • Answer:

    A company calledhttp://www.vrmagic.com/en/image_processing_img/makes a bunch of different cameras and they should have a few that meet your specs. Unfortunately, if they have pricing info on their website it is well-hidden.

gentle at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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katrielalex

I think you misunderstood. I am not looking for a hand-held consumer camera. What I am looking for probably looks more like this: For one, I need a live digital feed (not S-video like consumer cameras tend to provide), and secondly, I need to control the shutter programmatically, and thirdly, I need something that runs off an external power source of my choice (typically 5V). I could buy a consumer camera and dismantle it in order to control the shutter, but it would only be useful for taking still shots since these cameras don't provide a live feed, and consumer cameras use their own power source. It wouldn't be worth the effort.

gentle

Metafilter ate my image even though it looked fine on preview? Oh well. What I am looking for probably looks more like http://www.orteches.com/Acroname%20Products/Images/R245-CMUCAM2-PLUS.jpg.

gentle

I don't have any direct links, but maybe it'd be worth it to check out arduino forums?

aeighty

Lazlo Hollyfeld

I have a friend who does robotics programming - he recommended the http://www.ptgrey.com/products/fireflymv/index.asp which seems to meet all of your criteria except resolution and comes in a standard CS mount config.

namewithoutwords

I love the products from http://www.theimagingsource.com/en_US/products/cameras/, but I have also heard go things about the http://www.ptgrey.com cameras. (both of which are, apparently, mentioned above)

tip120

ahem. "... heard good things ..."

tip120

Thanks! I wonder why my Google searches didn't pick up those sites. Finally some rationally designed web sites that provide lots of guidance and yummy technical information. I had lost my faith in the Internets for a while there. The Point Grey cameras look particularly impressive. Probably expensive. Most of these sites still require that you contact them to get a price quote. What is this, the Middle Ages?

gentle

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