X box Webcam

[MJP]

I am new to web cam imaging but have read that an Xbox webcam works.

Can anyone advise what needs to be done to the camera in order to use it.

Also wil it work with Windows XP? Does it come with driver software? What program would I need to process images? Is there a 'primer' available on web cam photography available on the Web?

Advice will be appreciated.

Mike

[Mikejh]

Mike - do a search on this forum - there is a huge thread on the X box cam-all you will ever need to know and some!

[Aenima]

Yes the xbox live vision webcam mod (cliff) its called something like that, huge thread youll need to trawl through it to find the useful info but right at the beginning is some instructions and two thirds through I have posted pics too. Anything else you want to know or advice in general dont hesitate to ask, pm me or post - no worries.

Regards

Aenima

[Aenima]

Thanks to gdheib0430 for this particular tutorial. - A good way to begin this general how-to thread.

Thanks for the initial mod Cliff.

This how-to section is for the diy type for low cost (for those not using the spc900 nosepiece adapter with a ir cut filter screwed into it) there are other ways to keep the price low but this is a good one.

Here is the beginning...Materials used:

1. livecam

2. Plastic rubber cement

3. Small flat head and phillips screw drivers.

4. Gerber or small saw blade with a knife to smooth edges out.

5. 1.25" PVC plumber pipe (grab the cheapest one you can find I spent $1.24 for this on pictured)

Steps:

1. Unscrew lense from camera and remove...it will screw out just a little ways, but find the light gray clip on outerpiece and pop it off casing to unscrew it the rest of the way and remove it.

2. Remove the front casing from the camera body...this is by far the most tedious task and it will mess up the casing as stated by Cliff. You want the flat head to slide to the front of the casing not the back like it looks like you should be doing. Dont worry about hitting the board as working the flat tip into the crack will contact a plastic clear piece that connects in side of the casing...this is what needs to be pryed out to get the front piece to come off...take you time it is a bit of a hassle to get off. If someone else finds an easier way please share this.

3. Remove two screws on the board and the two screws holding the USB cable and bottom mount to remove the back plate of the case.

4. Remove the two screws on the back of the board that hold the IR cut filter and it will fall right off...this is the point when you need to start being a bit careful so you don't mess up the chip.

5. Here is a close up of the board. In this step we want to destroy the LED lights on the board so the heat from them doesn't effect the chip. I have lebeled them for you but to find all four I just plugged the camera into the computer for a split second and saw their location.

In order to break them, I used a pair of needle nose pliers to crush them...the top two you can crush fron the sides of the LED and the bottom two because of other components you need to crush them from the top...be careful doing this as it can damage the board (it doesn't take a lot of pressure). To test them just plug the camera back into the computer and run sharpcap.

Link to large picture: Click Here

6. Now screw your board and usb mount back onto the back casing and then clip the front mount back onto the back mount of the case.

7. Lastly, cut a 2" pice of the 1.25" pvc pipe, smooth it out with a knife or sand paper and cement it onto the camera's front mount...let set and enjoy the views.

Make sure your scope "adapter" is facing straight up while it sets and dries or you will get running glue or it will fall off .

This a great tutorial, and one of the ways to keep the cost down is to find your own tubes rather than the fifteen quid 'nosepiece' adapters (though those adapters work well and can fit your next imaging webcam)

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[JamesF]

Doing the mod this way it's also important to remove the LEDs because the light will illuminate the sensor. For my mod I left the lens mount in and fitted the SPC900 nosepiece and I still had light from the LEDs illuminating the sensor because the mount isn't completely "light-tight". It seems a bit scary at first, but it just demands a bit of care.

The advantage of using the "proper" nosepiece is that you know the sensor should be perpendicular to the optical axis. If you glue on a piece of pipe then you really need to take care to get it square otherwise you may find that you can't get all of the sensor in focus at the same time.

James

[Aenima]

Hi James and thanks,

Hoping to stick lots of stuff relating to modding and beginning webcam AP.

[Aenima]

As promised, a collection of images of my mod.. [thanks sausages]

Completed:

This way is neater and better for accuracy.

The nosepiece has thread to attach a IR/UV block filter in place of the stock glass one under the lens housing.

Attached to scope:

Adaptor unscrewed from cam - I had to make the hole on the cam larger to fit the adaptor:

Front of Cam removed, showing M12 0.5 thread:

Adaptor screwed in place:

More pictures to come..

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