Want webcam with at least 1.3Megapixel still-photo resolution

Russ on 21/10/2017 - 16:06

I want a webcam for still image capture, to use like a photocopier.

I often want to keep a copy of a page from a magazine, and have the text be readable in the copy. I have a very good webcam at work (Logitech C910, 5MP sensor resolution), and that does this really well. For home use I have been using my 3MP mobile phone camera, and while the resolution is adequate, there are two difficulties:

  • motion blur because it is difficult to hold the mobile phone steady, so it usually takes several tries.
  • my phone doesn't get regularly backed up, while my home PC does.

So I want a webcam attached to my home PC, like I have at work. For mounting the webcam, I just put it on the top edge of my monitor, and aim it at the desk in front of my monitor.

Of course I want the webcam to be inexpensive, that's why I'm asking here on OzBargain. I can easily find a lot of webcams for sale online, but it looks like almost all of them have made-up figures for the number of megapixels. A few of them will actually admit that the number is using software interpolation, but very few say what the actual sensor resolution is. For example, OfficeWorks say the Logitech C170 "can capture still photos up to 5 MP", while the manufacturer says "Optical Resolution: True 640x480, 1.3MP Interpolated". http://support.logitech.com/en_us/product/webcam-c170/specs

To come up with the desired resolution, I took a good 3MP photo, and used photo imaging software to reduce it, saving the results as lossless PNG files. I then looked at the resulting files using "zoom to width" on a photo viewer, on my PC. Only the original 3MP (1296x2304) photo exceeded the horizontal resolution of my laptop's screen (1280 pixels wide), for that image I selected 1:1 zoom.

I found that there is only a small improvement between the 1.3MP image and the original 3MP image, although that could be due to the optics in my cheapo mobile phone's camera. 1.3MP is quite readable, anything less becomes increasingly blurry. That's why I want 1.3MP or better.

So, OzBargain community, what is the cheapest good webcam with at least 1.3MP true (non-interpolated) resolution for still photos?

P.S. Don't worry about how good or bad the webcam's software is, because I won't be using it. I use Linux at home, and the Linux webcam utilities seem to work well with all common webcams.

Thanks in advance!

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Comments

  • belongsinforums on 21/10/2017 - 16:31
    +1

    If you like the logitech, just get another logitech.
    I used to take photos of pages using my old micro 3/4 camera and a crappy kit lens. impeccable quality as long as the camera is held fairly still while shooting. try source an old camera from a mate if you can

    • Russ on 21/10/2017 - 23:58

      The logitech I mentioned, the C910, hasn't been sold for several years. Its successor, the C920, has LOWER resolution (3MP vs 5MP), and is rather expensive at $89 according to Staticice.

      Bizarrely, the Logitech C270 ($30) also has 3MP resolution, at one-third the price of the C920. Same resolution, different price.

      But I'm hoping there is a cheaper solution than $30. I can find webcams online that are much cheaper and may be 1.3MP or greater, but I can't trust they will actually be 1.3MP, and I'd rather not have to argue it out with Paypal to get a refund, particularly when it will be difficult to prove.

      I'm hoping that someone from OzBargain has recently bought a cheap webcam, and has been able to discover the true resolution is in the range I want.

      try source an old camera from a mate if you can

      I have a 10MP SLR, but it's not nearly as convenient to use, and not something I would leave sitting on top of my monitor. A webcam is the most convenient solution for me.

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