Dental Video camera needed!
 

Noob virgin here, first post so go easy on me please!

I am a dentist, and wish to use a video recorder, with an attached light source, to look inside my patients mouth while i am working on them. There would be a screen in front of me, and I would be sitting up straight, looking at it. This is an excellent posture, and many dentists are using microscopes (which cost 20-60k) to work like this

There is a company called magnavu which has something that i would love to buy, but its US30K, and as far as i can see, is just a glorified video camera with four lights attached to it. I have contacted the company to try to get some specific specs, but they have not yet replied

In their system, the end of the lens is between 6 inches and 18 inches from the patients lips. I would prefer it to be about 18-24 inches away.

I would need a lens that, at the most, would be about the width of a smile (ie say four inches), that could zoom in as much as possible, ideally optically, but also digitally. Widescreen output would also be good, as the mouth is wider than it is high

I would also ideally need some sort of remote focusing/zooming device, ideally with aperture, and the ability to take pictures as well (not all that important, as the video feed will prolly go through a computer that could take them anyway)

I would attach the camera to a bracket on the ceiling, so i can work with both hands.

You can see what i am talking about if you go to magnavu.com

In the magnavu system, there are four lights (which i think are led lights) surrounding the lens. These need to be a cool light (in a temperature farenheight/celcious sense) so they do not make the patients face warm or hot

It is really an issue of the large optical magnification of a mouth, eighteen inches away. Color is actually not that important

It sounds like their system may have a number of different lenses, to accommadate their different mag levels. The company claims to get from 1x to 46x (not sure how much is optical/digital/different lenses), so something that changes lenses relatively easily would also be nice

I have posted this in a different forum, but then found this forum, and this vg10 camera sounds like it might be able to do what i want. ie slap a different lens on it, some bright lights - think dental surgery light!, and have something that works

Does the vg have some sort of lights and macro lens do do what i am suggesting, or am i barking up the wrong tree?

All help much and comments much appreciated!

One of the reasons these medical cameras cost so much is that they are supposedly manufactured to a more rigid standard for use in a hospital environment than your standard video equipment. One issue addressed is reduced electromagnetic interference with other equipment. Another and probably more important in your situation is liquid resistance. The dental office is a place where water and other fluids do get around and a standard video camera is not always resistant to effects from contact with these things. Also, they are not easy to disinfect.

You could probably set up a standard HD camcorder in a water resistant container meant for underwater footage and use the chair light for sufficient illumination for a better price then the VG10 or any of the DSLR camera.

It's funny cause I had a call about make a dental video today, so I was thinking about it.

It's a shame the vg10 does not have a remote.

I would say consider a GH2 because it also has 1:1 crop which could make some great closeup stuff with OIS and AF on a number of lenses.

Also you could start/stop and AF video via remote.

I think you could even output to an LCD.

I'd say you are looking at about 2500 and some time--but maybe less if the GH2 kit lens is OK.

I have looked at the Magnavu site and was impressed with both the wide zoom range and the great depth of field of this set-up.

I do not know the VG10 but Glen Vandermolen - the author of this site’s “I finally handled a VG 10” was impressed by its very tight depth of field, which is one of the reasons for using a large sensor. I would guess that MagnaVu are using a small chip to get the deep depth of field. I have seen small POV type cameras with built in zooms - I suspect that they have adapted one of those.

Although I am not a dentist I can see the advantages of a more comfortable working position. Given the fees charged by my dentist it would not take long to pay for a MagnaVu and no doubt the expenses would be deductible for tax purposes. They have obviously put a lot of thought into it and it even looks like part of a dental surgery. I would say go for it. Happy dentistry

Paul,

we were exchanging ideas previously about your dilema, and I suggested perhaps looking at the Nex5...
I have both the nex and a VG10. Your needs would likely be easily met with either using the 18-200 lens and a ring light ( I've done some shooting with the Nex and an led ring light...it works quite well) the VG10 has exactly the same chip, with the advantage of more manual control...it is larger though. You'd still be able to have live view via the HDMI port on the camera, and the overheating issue disappears with the VG-10
still under 2500 including the ring light...something else to consider