Per BeeJ:
Has anyone had recent experience using a point and shoot camera as a
webcam? Or is it only the expensive cameras with additional overpriced
software that are capable?
Define "Capable".
I've got an eighty-dollar EdiMax electrical-taped all to
hell-and-back with an old photographic skylight filter stuck over
the lens with bathtub caulk. The whole enchilada stuffed/taped
in a plastic bag here:
http://ExtremeSurfcam.DynDNS.org:8080 (click on "Extreme Beach")
It's mounted in a cupola atop a gazebo behind a hotel. It's been
through at least three major storms and it's till ticking.
The pitiful motion (or lack thereof...) is due to a 45 kB/s DSL
connection, not the camera.
OTOH, here's a $1,000 Sony aimed across the bay at the same hotel
(leftmost large building): same link, click on "Toledo Ave".
You may see a little more motion here bc it's on a Comcast Cable
connection but, again, any lack of motion is not the camera,
strictly bandwidth.
I'm thinking about replacing the Sony with one that has a longer
lens, fewer features, and lower cost - the idea being to be able
to see how well windsurfers are planing across the bay, and this
one's field is a bit wide for that.
Yeah, the muy-expensivo one has a better pic and yeah, the POS
cam is probably gonna bite the big one over the winter.... but
these things are getting cheaper/better almost by the month so
there's something tb said for getting the most el-cheapo one that
will do the job.
