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Microsoft Lifecam Cinema HD - £28 @ Amazon (usually ~£70)


MikeWilson

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Hi all,

The Lifecam Cinema HD makes an excellent planetary and lunar webcam and can be very easily modified for the purpose. There's even a really nice fellow SGL member (Wayne) who makes eyepiece holders for these - so you just need to break the sensor and motherboard part out of the camera and slide it in - and bingo, you have your very own high quality "Neximage" beating planetary cam.

I guess you could even use this as a guide cam.

Microsoft H5D-00003 Lifecam Cinema Webcam: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

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Tested HD-5000 which is a close model. Has bigger matrix than SPC and it's USB 2.0 so much faster. It seems to have smaller pixels also so smaller f-ratio needed

The Cinema hacked is here: Microsoft Lifecam Cinema HD Webcam for Telescope Use - Software Tests -by Gary Honis

My HD-5000 images are here: http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-tips-tricks-techniques/119987-testing-squeezing-few-webcams.html

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Mike,

Just noticed you said that someone can make a holder for the Webcam......Shoot I have converted an old NexImage Reducer just for this and hoep whenit comes it fits.....It has a nice screw cap attached which I was hoping to drill out and get the USB cable through that way its a nice sealed unit....

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I saw that posting, but still couldn't tell whether it was any better than the spc900! I guess that if the pixels are 2.2 microns, against the 5.6 of the Phillips, then it should give much better results.

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not until it has better control options from MS.

If you uncheck the automatic color magic something in the LifeCam app then it will listen to SharpCap settings.

I saw that posting, but still couldn't tell whether it was any better than the spc900! I guess that if the pixels are 2.2 microns, against the 5.6 of the Phillips, then it should give much better results.

Depends on the electronics. The moon shots are very good/sharp without the zoom, on max zoom/resolution at 1280 bit blurry. Maybe it's seeing, or maybe it's something with the cam. I'm going to play with it more when there will be some clear skies. At least it's faster/bigger frame if you want things like the moon.

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