focusing webcam ?

[Charlie_132]

how would i put these settings into sharpcap ?

(wxastrocapture)

brightness = 63

gam = 63

gain = 57

shutter = 1/50

fps = 30

WCCTRL:

brightness = 100

gamma = 100

gain = 56

shutter = 1/100

fps = 30

[JamesF]

The settings should appear as sliders on the right hand side of the sharpcap display once you have selected the camera.

James

[Charlie_132]

is it these options ?

Video Formal

Colour Space / Compression

Frame Rate

Resolution

Frame Divisor

If it is this ... what do i have to set these to ?

i have a Logitech Quickcam 4000 CCD With Astro Adapter fitten

[brucen]

No, further options should show when you select the webcam. Try clicking 'Options' from the top toolbar then 'Video Capture Filter'. Then click 'Setting' and 'Device Setting'. You should then get the required sliders in a new window. Not as user friendly but might work for you.

[JamesF]

Really? When I kick off SharpCap with my SPC900 I get all of those sliders on the right hand side automagically. There are sliders for exposure, gain, gamma, contrast, brightness and a few others. I think earlier versions might have them in a separate options window though.

I assume you'll be running a recently-downloaded SharpCap since you're just starting out with the webcam, but it's worth checking.

It's possible there might be some sort of option(s) to put the camera into "auto" mode, too. I think I get that with the Xbox cam, but not with the SPC900. When that's set you can't adjust some (or all) of the above settings.

If all else fails, posting a screenshot may help.

James

[Charlie_132]

ive just gone to options - video capture filter .. but then i cant see settings anywhere, can someone post a screenshot of where it is because i cant see it anywhere

[Charlie_132]

Really annoying me now ... I've used the recomended settings by the previous owner ... But I can't see a thing during the day ... Trying to focus onto a telephone pole quite a distance away ... All I can see is white through the webcam .. Crystal clear through the telescope

[brucen]

I get the options with the SPC900 but not when I get the program to use the laptop webcam so I assume not all are fully recognised. I can however get the options using the above path. Screen shot attached of what I get. If Sharpcap doesn't recognise the camera at all I suppose you won't get the options this way either though.

Just a thought - is the lens still in the webcam by any chance? It has to be removed before you can get an image.

[Charlie_132]

nope ive taken the lens out, put the webcam in, aiming the telescope at a far away object, cant see a thing, completely white screen, tried moving the focuser from alll the way out to all the way in and no change atall.

think im just going to put the cam back on ebay .... obviously isnt going to work

[Rattler]

I have the SPC900 and on the 200p the focus was in further than the eyepiece holder allowed so I bought a low profile eye piece holder.

[Charlie_132]

I don't get effects or settings show up

I can't find properties either

I go into video capture filter and propities isn't there, there's only the options of camera controlls (with no propities button there) and zoom/face tracking

Even if I do find this I doubt sharpcam will magically be able to make my webcam pick up objects atall

[brucen]

I expect you have already tried it but reinstalling Sharpcap might help if it is corrupted in some way?

[Charlie_132]

Yep I tried that

I'm just going to put it back on ebay ... It was silly of me to even buy it, previous owner got some fantastic photos with it ... I can't pick up anything atall

[Tiddles]

What have you done to modify the webcam?

[Charlie_132]

It was already modified by the previous owner and he took pictures with it that were good quality

[Tiddles]

can you post a picture of the front of the camera?

When you look into the front of the camera is the sensor exposed or is there a lens still attached.

If there is a lens then you will need to mount the camera to "look" through an EP.

With no lens, it should be mounted in the focuser without an EP.

[Charlie_132]

I can post a picture later, but it has a telescope piece mounted to it, so the webcam is acting as my eye looking through the ep if that makes sense ?

[Tiddles]

If you can see the sensor it needs mounting without an EP. If the sensor is hidden behind a lens then you will need to have it looking through an EP. A picture will help sort this out.

[Mr TamiyaCowboy]

sounds like you do not have enough inwards travel. try unscrewing the eyepiece holder and removing it. slip the webcam back into the focuser tube ( be careful and DO NOT let it all down the focuser tube).

plug in webcam, then start sharpcap.

untick auto exposure and move it down to -11

untick auto white ballance and move it all way down

move brightness all way down.

move sharpness all way upto 50

now check screen and image. is it in focus.

no : slowly move focuser out see if you gain focus. if not slowly focus in see if you gain focus.

the eyepiece holder is roughly 5+mm thick so will give you an extra 5mm+ infocus. do not give up keep trying different things. but to me sounds like you are not getting enough infocus.

another note: digital zoom is sometime enabled, turn this down to 0. the brightness is sometimes tied direct to the gain control. ( gain option is grey an cannot be selected) lowering the brightness also lowers the gain

[JamesF]

This is what the SharpCap screen looks like when I start it up with my SPC900 plugged in and select the camera once it has started. All the controls are on sliders down the right hand side.

If you're not seeing anything there after selecting your camera that suggests some sort of driver problem to me, so perhaps it would be worth uninstalling the driver and reinstalling it, though it seems odd that SharpCap would find the camera at all if there is a driver problem.

You could also check that the camera is responding to light at all, I guess, by covering the nosepiece with your hand when sharpcap is displaying the image. The image displayed should go dark.

As others do, I suspect the problem is that you don't have sufficient inwards focus travel to get the camera sensor to the point of focus. Using a barlow may move the focus position sufficiently that it is then possible, but the only way to find out is to try it.

James

[Charlie_132]

nope i dont get any of those come up on the right .. i only get a few

i ll try installing it again

heres some pics of my webcam

[Cornelius Varley]

Is that a webcam lens inside the adapter? (lefthand picture)

Peter

Ignore that, I can see the sensor

[Charlie_132]

i just reinstalled sharpcam, still only have video format, compression, fps, resolution, frame divisor, still cant find propities ....

dark now so cant go outside andsee if it works as its cloudy.

surely i should be able to pick up planets with this if someone with a less powerful scope got pictures ...

[JamesF]

Can you post a capture of the SharpCap display? Perhaps there may be clues elsewhere.

James

[jflowers]

Silly question, but you are using SharpCAP not SharpCam? as SharpCAM is an AutoCAD tool so would not work...