My kit - what does your's look like?

DonaldG · 01-16-2008, 12:19 AM

My home brew webcam; a marriage of the zoom lens from an old Canon video camera and a Logitec webcam guts.

The plastic lens on many web cams are limited and relatively poor photographic quality. I stripped the lens assembly from the video camera and was pleased to find that the sensor of the video cam and the webcam were virtually the same size.

The zoom lens also has 2 servo motors. One for zoom and one for focus. At the moment, I have not wired them up but they do seem to work with the voltage available on the usb hub.

DonaldG · 01-16-2008, 12:27 AM

My homebrew computer:

Spec as per 'My System'. The big heatsink has 6 heat pipes to try and keep the QX6800 quad core cool. 4x1gig 800mhz ram sticks

To help keep the machine cool, I run it with the Jeantech case open and an extra fan resting inside to aid the cpu fan

**scathe30** · 01-16-2008, 04:20 AM

Did you make pictures of your homebrew camera with your homebrew camera?=)

DonaldG · 01-16-2008, 11:13 AM

No they were done with a Canon 20D SLR

**EnglishPaul** · 01-16-2008, 12:01 PM

Have you been able to get a clean image on your webcam? I would have thought that getting the focal point of the lens to coinside with the webcam chip would be quite tricky.

Your wireing work is very neat on the computer. Was the heatpipe/fans an off the shelf item?

DonaldG · 01-16-2008, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnglishPaul

Have you been able to get a clean image on your webcam? I would have thought that getting the focal point of the lens to coinside with the webcam chip would be quite tricky.

In fact the focal point was quite close. That and the fact that there was a 'trimming' lens that I could fine-tune the focusing.. The following 2 shots were taken with the camera wide angle and full zoom... Not bad quality!

Quote:

Your wireing work is very neat on the computer. Was the heatpipe/fans an off the shelf item?

Yes, It was a stock item, off the shelf in PC World!

**EnglishPaul** · 01-16-2008, 04:23 PM

I spent several years trying to hate pcworld, but this christmas discovered that they have become quite well priced.

Cannon always did make good optics, even if some of their attempts at video cameras were a bit odd.
Good pictures. Well perhaps the image more than the content.

DonaldG · 01-17-2008, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnglishPaul

I spent several years trying to hate pcworld, but this christmas discovered that they have become quite well priced.

Me too... I hate the 'box shifters' who have no interest in the subject other than to sell as many 'boxes' as possible and push the 'extended warranty' pitch.

However, my local PCW has a couple of guys who are real enthusiasts and a joy to deal with...

Quote:

Cannon always did make good optics, even if some of their attempts at video cameras were a bit odd.
Good pictures. Well perhaps the image more than the content.

Generally I have been happy with Canon cameras, ever since I converted from medium format film Rollieflex 2.8e planar (IMHO it had the best lens ever produced at that time) to 35mm. I use the Canon 'L' series lens when I can, but my standard lens is the bog standard 18-55mm lens that does a reaasonable job.

**ashumann12** · 01-17-2008, 09:40 AM

OOO! scary. Don't do that again!

Did it not break your camera taking a picture of yourself!

DonaldG · 01-17-2008, 02:43 PM

Who said it was me?

You didn't notice the camera when you sat at my desk!

DonaldG · 01-17-2008, 02:45 PM

Come on folks - post a pic of your wierd and or wonderful kit - home brew or otherwise...

**carsey** · 01-17-2008, 03:05 PM

**this thread is now broken**

hehe

ive nothing wonderful:

DonaldG · 01-18-2008, 02:03 PM

I love the blue... All it needs is 4 mag wheels, a kilowatt amplifier and a 3 litre blown motor & she would have massive street cred!

**carsey** · 01-18-2008, 02:09 PM

haha..... it would be like a boy racer computer lol......but I would have to teach it to be a cruiser as boy racers thrash their cars....cruisers dont.

^^police take note of that lol^^

HawMan · 01-20-2008, 07:35 PM

Haha well said Chris, Its the same up here. Everytime a Cruiser Gets caught by the police its classed as 'Boy Racers'. Although we are just people who enjoy Car projects.

I have no kit other than my PC, ill post a pic tomorrow

**1 g0t 0wn3d** · 01-20-2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carsey

**this thread is now broken**

hehe

ive nothing wonderful:

Thats like a van engine in a porsche

**ashumann12** · 01-20-2008, 09:08 PM

Be nice!

For those who have not seen my new laptop skin, here it is:

**carsey** · 01-21-2008, 03:38 AM

Cool.

01-16-2008, 12:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	My kit - what does your's look like? My home brew webcam; a marriage of the zoom lens from an old Canon video camera and a Logitec webcam guts. The plastic lens on many web cams are limited and relatively poor photographic quality. I stripped the lens assembly from the video camera and was pleased to find that the sensor of the video cam and the webcam were virtually the same size. The zoom lens also has 2 servo motors. One for zoom and one for focus. At the moment, I have not wired them up but they do seem to work with the voltage available on the usb hub. __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-16-2008, 12:27 AM	#2 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? My homebrew computer: Spec as per 'My System'. The big heatsink has 6 heat pipes to try and keep the QX6800 quad core cool. 4x1gig 800mhz ram sticks To help keep the machine cool, I run it with the Jeantech case open and an extra fan resting inside to aid the cpu fan __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-16-2008, 04:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
scathe30 Land of bears and vodka Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Russia, Moscow Posts: 837 OS: MacOs,Windows	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Did you make pictures of your homebrew camera with your homebrew camera?=) __________________ The moving finger writes; and having writ Moves on, nor all thy Piety, nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a line Nor all thy Tears wash out a word of it...

01-16-2008, 11:13 AM	#4 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? No they were done with a Canon 20D SLR __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-16-2008, 12:01 PM	#5 (permalink)
EnglishPaul Still no avatar Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1,314 OS: XP SP2 Blog Entries: 9	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Have you been able to get a clean image on your webcam? I would have thought that getting the focal point of the lens to coinside with the webcam chip would be quite tricky. Your wireing work is very neat on the computer. Was the heatpipe/fans an off the shelf item?

01-16-2008, 04:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
EnglishPaul Still no avatar Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Sheffield Posts: 1,314 OS: XP SP2 Blog Entries: 9	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? I spent several years trying to hate pcworld, but this christmas discovered that they have become quite well priced. Cannon always did make good optics, even if some of their attempts at video cameras were a bit odd. Good pictures. Well perhaps the image more than the content.

01-17-2008, 09:40 AM	#9 (permalink)
ashumann12 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alabama-usa Posts: 3,945 OS: Vista Ultimate SP1 (64bit) My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? OOO! scary. Don't do that again! Did it not break your camera taking a picture of yourself! __________________ Adam Sr.

01-17-2008, 02:43 PM	#10 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Who said it was me? You didn't notice the camera when you sat at my desk! __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-17-2008, 02:45 PM	#11 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Come on folks - post a pic of your wierd and or wonderful kit - home brew or otherwise... __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-17-2008, 03:05 PM	#12 (permalink)
carsey Moderator, TSF Articles Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hunwick, Co. Durham England Posts: 10,693 OS: XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? this thread is now broken hehe ive nothing wonderful: __________________ Submit New Articles Here

01-18-2008, 02:03 PM	#13 (permalink)
DonaldG Manager Home Support, Assistant Manager Articles Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Somerset, UK Posts: 10,178 OS: XPsp2 Laptop & Vista Ultimate Desktop My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? I love the blue... All it needs is 4 mag wheels, a kilowatt amplifier and a 3 litre blown motor & she would have massive street cred! __________________ . Lest we forget... "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them." Submit New Articles Here TSF's Photographer's Corner .

01-18-2008, 02:09 PM	#14 (permalink)
carsey Moderator, TSF Articles Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hunwick, Co. Durham England Posts: 10,693 OS: XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? haha..... it would be like a boy racer computer lol......but I would have to teach it to be a cruiser as boy racers thrash their cars....cruisers dont. ^^police take note of that lol^^ __________________ Submit New Articles Here

01-20-2008, 07:35 PM	#15 (permalink)
HawMan Liam Join Date: May 2006 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 2,943 OS: Win XP My System	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Haha well said Chris, Its the same up here. Everytime a Cruiser Gets caught by the police its classed as 'Boy Racers'. Although we are just people who enjoy Car projects. I have no kit other than my PC, ill post a pic tomorrow __________________ Please Consider Donating to keep the site free.

01-20-2008, 09:08 PM	#17 (permalink)
ashumann12 TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alabama-usa Posts: 3,945 OS: Vista Ultimate SP1 (64bit) My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Be nice! For those who have not seen my new laptop skin, here it is: __________________ Adam Sr.

01-21-2008, 03:38 AM	#18 (permalink)
carsey Moderator, TSF Articles Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hunwick, Co. Durham England Posts: 10,693 OS: XP Pro SP3 My System	Re: My kit - what does your's look like? Cool. __________________ Submit New Articles Here