Anybody shoot with webcams? at DVinfo.net

Ted Bragg · December 12th, 2003, 09:09 PM

Has anyone shot films with cheap webcams? I just saw clip captures from a $70 Logitech and I'm floored! Great color, super sharp (640x480) and 30p? Hmmm...

Certainly not as advanced or versatile as a regular DV cam, but for those of us without much budget...

Has anyone reviewed these webcams (diff brands) from a filmmaking standpoint?

Glenn Chan · December 12th, 2003, 10:59 PM

Lots of people make stop motion movies with webcams! www.brickfilms.com

Stop motion animation is a great way to get started in film making. The form can limit your possibilities but some people work better when their creativity is given boundaries to explore. For example, your characters can't express emotions through subtle facial expressions. You can take that as a challenge to find other means of expressing emotion.

Adrian Douglas · December 13th, 2003, 02:44 AM

I've got one of those $70 Logitec web cams and it is surprising how good the images can be. One of the things that helps is that the software lets you adjust lots of things, gain, white balance, gamma, saturation, sharpness, frame rate, shutter speed, the list goes on. With good lighting and a bit of playing you can stream quite good images across the web. The audio is pretty dodgy but with a semi-decent sound card and a cheap mic you're in business.

You are a little limited buy the cable but if you hook it into a laptop you can move around and capture directly to disk. Certainly not a set-up for serious work but for trying something different and experimenting your only really limited by your imagination.

December 12th, 2003, 09:09 PM	#1
Ted Bragg Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 105	Anybody shoot with webcams? Has anyone shot films with cheap webcams? I just saw clip captures from a $70 Logitech and I'm floored! Great color, super sharp (640x480) and 30p? Hmmm... Certainly not as advanced or versatile as a regular DV cam, but for those of us without much budget... Has anyone reviewed these webcams (diff brands) from a filmmaking standpoint?

December 13th, 2003, 02:44 AM	#3
Adrian Douglas Trustee Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Chigasaki, Japan. Posts: 1,660	I've got one of those $70 Logitec web cams and it is surprising how good the images can be. One of the things that helps is that the software lets you adjust lots of things, gain, white balance, gamma, saturation, sharpness, frame rate, shutter speed, the list goes on. With good lighting and a bit of playing you can stream quite good images across the web. The audio is pretty dodgy but with a semi-decent sound card and a cheap mic you're in business. You are a little limited buy the cable but if you hook it into a laptop you can move around and capture directly to disk. Certainly not a set-up for serious work but for trying something different and experimenting your only really limited by your imagination. __________________ Adrian DVInfo.net Search for quick answers Where to buy? From the best in the business...DVInfo.net sponsors

December 12th, 2003, 10:59 PM	#2
Glenn Chan Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 4,750	Lots of people make stop motion movies with webcams! www.brickfilms.com Stop motion animation is a great way to get started in film making. The form can limit your possibilities but some people work better when their creativity is given boundaries to explore. For example, your characters can't express emotions through subtle facial expressions. You can take that as a challenge to find other means of expressing emotion.