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請教:想買WebCam影行星

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發表於 2009-8-14 10:17:59 | 顯示全部樓層 |閱讀模式
如題,暫時只知道有人提過Philips SPC900NC USB webcam(http://www.tan14.com/gears.htm

另外,請問Meade LPI Lunar & Planetary Imager(http://www.grandeye.com.hk/pcvc840k.htm
用落非Meade的一般望遠鏡行不行?


請問各位推介甚麼牌子?

以及有甚麼用WebCam影行星心得可以分享。

Adapter考慮找tan14。
發表於 2009-8-14 13:42:14 | 顯示全部樓層
(My 2 cents)

As far as I know, the Philips CCD webcam has gone through 3 generations:

(1) = PCVC 740K (market name ToUcam Pro), USB1.1, 30 f/s max
(2) = PCVC 840K (market name ToUcam Pro 2), USB 1.1, 60 f/s max
(3) = SPC900 NC (amateurs call it “ToUcam Pro 3”), USB1.1, 90f/s max

They all use SAME light sensor ICX098BQ which is SONY made. It is a 640x480-pixel CCD chip. Each pixel measures 5.6 x 5.6 microns. I got both (1) & (2) at affordable price, and was happy with their performance in Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, lunar and sunspot imaging. In fact all my lunar images in “Photographic Moon Book” were taken by ToUcam Pro !  You can also view the 2003 Mars captured by ToUcam Pro in my website.

So it makes virtually NO DIFFERENCE if you choose (1) , (2) or (3). In fact  I enjoyed (1) better due to its Q-look and extra long USB cable, 1-m longer than  (2).  Don’t be fooled by the “90 f/s” advertisement, as the link speed is always limited by USB1.1 (not USB 2), and the planet brightness at high power never gives you a chance to go as fast as 90 f/s.  Most of the time I used 10~15 frames, which is acceptable really. Higher speed resulted in dropped frames.

Two years ago, there was a time I was tempted to buy the Imaging System camera DMK 21AF04.AS. However, it  is much more expensive than ToUcam and it uses the same Sony ICX098 chip !   To me, it is not justified to buy DMK21 just for that little gain of performance. I would guess the less-expensive SPC900NC will perform as good as DMK21, if no better. (Those DMK fans, please don’t blame me for these wordings, personal opinion only).

I don’t know which CCD chip used by the Meade LPI camera. If it uses ICX098, it is basically same as ToUcam.

AC
發表於 2009-8-14 20:55:42 | 顯示全部樓層
Alan, I hope these C5 Jupiter taken with a DBK which shares the exactly same CCD, might change your view:

http://osastrolog.blogspot.com/2007/07/20070721-dbk-jupiter.html

The electronics behind the CCD also counts.
發表於 2009-8-14 22:22:01 | 顯示全部樓層
Dear Oldfield,

Thanks for sharing the C5 Jupiter. I agree your point. The noise level of DMK21 (as tested by Eric also)  is better than ToUcam. Maybe this the selling point of DMK21. I just hestitate to buy it for budgetary reasons.

Few days ago, I learnt from Mike Sir that the price of DMK 1280x960 color version probably cuts price by half (my God, it is >HK$10000 in 2007 !), and it is USB2 (more favorable than the old Firewire technology). Now it seems this version is attractive to me , not for its noise but the truly bigger FOV (doubling ToUcam's). I don't consider monochrome version now, as the gap between color & monochrome has been narrowed these days. Besides I don't wish to spend my time in the labor-intensive RGB+L processing.


Alan

[ 本帖最後由 mca 於 2009-8-14 22:38 編輯 ]
發表於 2009-8-14 23:29:35 | 顯示全部樓層
Ha, further to sharing of Oldfield's C5 Jupiter. I would also like to share the Jupiter taken with the 6" reflectors and DFK camera (IR blocked version). I must say that both the D range and the noise level is much superior than the ToUcam Pro. Moreover, the fast uncompressed frame rate up to 60 fps is also unbeatable by the USB 1.1 camera which I comment that only 10fps or slower is useable.





[ 本帖最後由 ericng 於 2009-8-14 23:30 編輯 ]
 樓主| 發表於 2009-8-17 16:22:00 | 顯示全部樓層
如果我買一般的WebCam,效果會不會很差?
發表於 2009-8-18 01:01:03 | 顯示全部樓層
我初學時是用普通的 Panasonic CCD webcam,影木星月球 okay (當時影到似 D 樣都很開心了),不過靈敏度和雜訊表現就不及 ToUcam  (Panasonic spec 是 10 lux min, ToUcam 是 < 1 lux)。現在普通的 webcam 多數使用 CMOS 感光來簡化電路,我猜質素像上述的 Panasonic,不過價錢平,< $100 都有,甚至買野有 webcam 送,以普通的 webcam 作開始,訓練自己影行星月球都諗得過  [ 特別適合不純為 ‘靚相” 而是以科研態度求知的人) ,寶貴經驗和技術往往不是由貴價器材而來,熟練後才升級,至理名言 !
發表於 2009-8-18 05:58:46 | 顯示全部樓層
不會太差, 但 ToUCam 其實也只是幾百元, 當然, 如果你已經有 webcam 在家, 也不妨可以試試
 樓主| 發表於 2009-8-18 12:36:19 | 顯示全部樓層
Thanks everyone. I"ll try an ordinary webcam first.
發表於 2009-8-18 12:51:00 | 顯示全部樓層
Well, you may have my old Panasonic CCD webcam (made in Japan), with software and 1.25" adapter ready for astro video. It is no use to me now but I don't wish to disgard it. You can compare its performance with later models. The Panasonic works with Registax, the popular image stacking freeware.

Will you go to ShiuHau this Saturday where I can pass it to you, or arranged somewhere else ?

Alan
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