Webcam .... Advice and Recommendations

[hills]

Yeah there's instructions how to fix that on the forum, but unfortunatley that's still down. I think it was:

setting - device(microsoft lifecam cinema) - change to device

A new window will open, select the format you want in the bottom drop down then save. From memory this will save the settings across restarts. This was a new feature in version 0.3.3.

[Gina]

Yeah there's instructions how to fix that on the forum, but unfortunatley that's still down. I think it was:

setting - device(microsoft lifecam cinema) - change to device

A new window will open, select the format you want in the bottom drop down then save. From memory this will save the settings across restarts. This was a new feature in version 0.3.3.

You can change resolution from Settings - Device - Format then Apply, OK but this doesn't seem to be kept across restarts.

[hills]

No it won't save across restarts doing it there, that's correct.

What version are you running?

When you select "settings" - "device", is the top option "change to device"? If so change it there and it will save across restarts.

[Gina]

Thanks Phil, I'll try that I'm using the latest version, Yawcam 0.3.3.

[Gina]

That worked However, now I have another problem... Just installed SP3 and restarted - now Yawcam won't connect to the webcam It detects it and you can choose it from a list but I then get an error message that it can't connect! Guess I'll have to uninstall SP3 but that'll have to wait - run out of time for now.

Later... Before I went out this afternoon I set the webcam running using the Linux webcam app whcih doesn't provide any device control so I was running 640x480 with auto-focus and I had to tilt the cam downwards so that it had ground to focus on. It was working like this for several hours while I was out and then doing other things.

However, I have now rebooted into Windows XP Pro with SP3 and after choosing the MS camera from the list, it's working! Amazing!!! Maybe it just needed restarting a few times to settle down properly after installing SP3.

[hills]

Well hopefully my spider has gone now!

[Gina]

Great picture Phil Wildlife included

I have my webcam looking through an open window ATM and there is still slight loss of resolution towards the right hand side but nothing to worry about, particularly in this application. Although having 1280x720 resolution is nice, I don't think it loses much at 800 x 450 and this would save upload/download time. Compression can be increased too (as you said Phil). I intend setting up a slideshow of the webcam history later.

[hills]

I think a slideshow would look great with the cows in the picture!

[geoffw]

Gina

Looking at you webcam image I was wondering it a reason for the sky looking so washed out at the moment (unless it is cloudy) could be you have too much of the foreground in the picture so the camera is using the foreground to set the aperture and so over exposing the sky.

[Gina]

Gina

Looking at you webcam image I was wondering it a reason for the sky looking so washed out at the moment (unless it is cloudy) could be you have too much of the foreground in the picture so the camera is using the foreground to set the aperture and so over exposing the sky.

Tried tilting the camera up, even showing all sky and got virtually no improvement Hence, can't wait to try a polarising filter as I said in the other thread.

[hills]

What are your settings on the "video proc amp" tab under "device properties"?

Mine are set to:

Brightness: 133
Contrast: 5
Saturation: 83
Sharpness: 25
White Balance: 4500 (auto on)
Backlight Comp: 1

Then on camera control,

Zoom: 0
Focus: 15 (auto off)
Exposure: -7 (auto on)

[Gina]

What are your settings on the "video proc amp" tab under "device properties"?

Mine are set to:

Brightness: 133
Contrast: 5
Saturation: 83
Sharpness: 25
White Balance: 4500 (auto on)
Backlight Comp: 1

Then on camera control,

Zoom: 0
Focus: 15 (auto off)
Exposure: -7 (auto on)

Mine are much the same :-

Brightness: 131
Contrast: 5
Saturation: 83
Sharpness: 41
White Balance: 4500 (auto on)
Backlight Comp: 5

Then on camera control,

Zoom: 0
Focus: 17 (auto off)
Exposure: -7 (auto on)

Altering the Backlight Comp. made little difference - I though it would help, but no!

[hills]

Hmmm, they're very similar aren't they. This image mine captures is exactly the same as what I see when I look out the window, except for first thing in the morning when I get a bit of glare from the sun.

Have you tried experimenting with the values and looking at the differences via the preview screen. If you do make any changes and nothing seems to be different, let me know and I'll test the same changes on mine.

I just had a second thought... I checked if the Microsoft lifecam software might have had some over-riding control values set, but when I fired it up and went into camera control it started exactly the same control windows as yawcam, so obviously yawcam just starts the microsoft product. If you're seeing those windows when you use yawcam then obviously you have Microsoft Lifecam loaded. I wonder if it might pay to reinstall that??

[Gina]

Hmmm, they're very similar aren't they. This image mine captures is exactly the same as what I see when I look out the window, except for first thing in the morning when I get a bit of glare from the sun.

Mostly it's much the same here although the brightness seems to vary and the sky looks a bit "washed out" - the blue comes out too light.

Have you tried experimenting with the values and looking at the differences via the preview screen. If you do make any changes and nothing seems to be different, let me know and I'll test the same changes on mine.

Yes, I've tried most things. Backlight comp doesn't seem to do anything, but thinking about it, that would make matters worse as it would lighten the image, thinking the subject is the darker part of the image and the light background could be allowed to white-out.

I just had a second thought... I checked if the Microsoft lifecam software might have had some over-riding control values set, but when I fired it up and went into camera control it started exactly the same control windows as yawcam, so obviously yawcam just starts the microsoft product. If you're seeing those windows when you use yawcam then obviously you have Microsoft Lifecam loaded. I wonder if it might pay to reinstall that??

When I fire up the MS software I don't see the camera controls I get in Yawcam - just the option to turn "Trucolor" off and a whole host of image distortions. So it does look like the software didn't install properly. I'll reinstall it tonight, when there's nothing to capture. On that point. I think I'll turn off capturing and FTP during dark - a few pin-points of light (house, street and vehicle lights plus transmitter mast warning lights shining through the trees) are not very exciting I haven't tried the scheduling as yet.

[geoffw]

Mine has just arrived!

Quickly installed it as I'm out this afternoon. Pointed it at the garden throught the window fine. Relatively clear image and lots of contrast in the sky (heavy cloud at the mo). However if I point it higher so that only the sky is in view the it fails to autofocus and just keeps hunting.

I can't find any manual control for the focus ...... or a manual on the CD either for that matter..... grh!