Cheap webcams

[theneb]

Hi all, I'm looking for some cheap webcams to use with Zoneminder under Gentoo, I'll need to be able to buy them from a physical shop since we're installing in the next week and we've had postal strikes in the UK.

I also need something that is wall/ceiling mountable or easy to mod to make this so. Ie me drilling through the plastic.

Any that work from this store are a bonus: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productli ... 2&catid=63

[cordel]

Most any of the Axis cams will work just fine as long as they support mjpeg (There were a few axis cams that didn't do mjpeg but not many).

[theneb]

Most any of the Axis cams will work just fine as long as they support mjpeg (There were a few axis cams that didn't do mjpeg but not many).

Thanks for the reply, I'd love to use axis cameras but we have no budget for them. It's going to have to be IPless cameras, ie those over usb.

[cordel]

The effective length on a USB is is only 15 feet unless you have low loss cables made and you might be able to get 50 feet, but the cost of such a cable would cost almost as much as the axis cam. If you can have the processor within 15 feet of all the cams you will be okay.

[theneb]

The application in in a student radio station and the cable length will be very short.

[ktheking]

Usb webcams is a bad idea.

Try to use :
-Old MicroATX pentium mobo ,or one of those new miniATX mobo
-Use video capture card with 4 or 8 entrances
-Use regular NTSC/PAL videocams (wired or wireless)


I've noticed with usb
-heavy cpu usage (so bad for system)
-unstable
-bad image ,poor quality
-not sure you'll always get a specific model again
-bad with upgrades

The overall price for 4 cams ,is equally :
-4 usb webcams of good quality :
27,74$ x 4 = 110,96$

-a 4 port 30FPS PAL/NTSC encoder card + 4 wired cams :
48,95$+ 4x40$ = 208,95$

So overall ,you'll have a lot of frustration which could have been avoided for a measely 100$.

[theneb]

Usb webcams is a bad idea.

Try to use :
-Old MicroATX pentium mobo ,or one of those new miniATX mobo
-Use video capture card with 4 or 8 entrances
-Use regular NTSC/PAL videocams (wired or wireless)


I've noticed with usb
-heavy cpu usage (so bad for system)
-unstable
-bad image ,poor quality
-not sure you'll always get a specific model again
-bad with upgrades

The overall price for 4 cams ,is equally :
-4 usb webcams of good quality :
27,74$ x 4 = 110,96$

-a 4 port 30FPS PAL/NTSC encoder card + 4 wired cams :
48,95$+ 4x40$ = 208,95$

So overall ,you'll have a lot of frustration which could have been avoided for a measely 100$.

I'm willing to go down the capture card route with 3 cams, (4 if it's cheap enough) but am in a bit of a rush, I've certainly used zoneminder with axis before but gotta get these cameras in this week.

If anyone could find me a good supplier in the uk then I'd be very gratful.

[ktheking]

Just take the yellow pages :

http://www.yell.com/ucs/HomePageAction.do
http://www.yellow.com/826.html


Search for your local electronics shop ,and check their weekly promo's or just search for the PAL/NTSC mini cam.

This way you'll avoid the shipping costs ,and discover much more once you get into the shop. (internet is very neat ,but getting to walk around in the shop ,is like entering ali baba's cavern ...).
This'll also give you idea's for future projects.

For the capture card however you'd best stick to the one promoted by the zoneminder webhost (to avoid loosing time during install) :

http://www.zoneminder.com/shop.html

!! read this part ' ... ZoneMinder users can get a discount from on a range of capture cards .... '

The range of capture cards is here : http://store.bluecherry.net/SearchResul ... 3&Click=51

Since I'm more an electronics guy ,converted to IT , I very appreciate to work of the zoneminder guys. So support them please.