Philips SPZ6500

[Stargazer33]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience with the Philips SPZ6500 web cam?

I have pretty much given up hope of getting the SPC900NC, so I have been looking at alternatives and found the SPZ6500 had what looks like good specs:

Mechanics

Sensor: 2.0 MP CMOS

Lens view angle: 70 degrees

Lens maximum aperture: F:2.0

White balance: 2600 - 7600 k

Lens construction: 5 elements

Autofocus: Yes

Minimum illuminance: < 2 lux

Data format: YUY2, MJPEG

Colour depth: 16 bit

Resolution

Video resolution: 2.0 MP

Photo resolution: 2.0 MP

Interpolated photo resolution: 8.0 MP

Maximum frame rate: 90 fps

I thought that the < 2 lux minimum illuminance looked pretty good as the SPC900 is < 1 lux, but all the other Philips web cams seem to be either < 5 lux or even < 10 lux.

I know its a CMOS sensor and not a CCD but I have read posts saying that the newer CMOS sensors are not that far away from the old CCD sensors.

Does anyone have any experience/thoughts. In particular, can you fit a nose piece to this cam?

Bryan

[Stargazer Jack]

Would like to know if these are good as well.

[Cornelius Varley]

I would suspect the camera will need to be rehoused in a project box similar to this conversion Instructions for Converting Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Webcam for Telescope Use -by Gary Honis. The camera has an auto focus lens which will need to be removed completely from the pcb so a normal nosepiece won't fit.

Peter

[Stargazer33]

Hi Peter,

That's an interesting piece.

I got completely confused over the auto focus thing! I thought it meant that the sensor was auto focus , not that there was an auto focus lens in front!

Looks like it may be better to try and get a CCD web cam if I am going to have to go to those lengths to modify the SPZ6500.

Any ideas as to what is a readily available, reasonably cheap, CCD web cam for imaging? Up to about £50.00. Thanks.

Bryan

[Viv]

Any ideas as to what is a readily available, reasonably cheap, CCD web cam for imaging? Up to about £50.00. Thanks.

There are second hand SPC900's regularly on fleabay. You just need to keep watching & keep a track of the ones with strange ending times (mid morning is a good one).

There are some reasonable, but then some which have gone for silly amounts.

Have you seen the thread on the Adsa web cam ? Could be worth trying it ............

[Stargazer33]

Hi Viv,

I have bought the Hi Res Asda cam but so far I have not been that impressed with my results. Maybe I am doing something wrong as Nytecam seems to be doing okay with his low res one!

I have been watching a number of SPC900s on Ebay but they all go for really silly money.

I think there is one on there at the moment that has the LX mod on it and they want over £200.00 for it!

That's supply and demand for you.

I might put out an e-mail to the members of my dive club and see if anyone has one knocking about in the back of a draw or in a box in the loft. "No they're quite old now and not really worth much!" :p

Evil Bryan