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Camera hollowing system

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Almost have a completed Jamieson style hollowing rig. Needs a little cleanup and its ready to go.

DSCF9813.JPG

I searched here and found the consensus to be a video system is preferred to the laser so I decided to go that route.

I'm stumped on my planed camera system. I have an old backup camera which works fine but the screen is only 3”. Not good. I have a spare good computer monitor which I think would be the perfect size. To hook the two together physically, I would need a VGA to RCA cable. All kinds on ebay with the right price. My question is will the cable work?
 

Bill Boehme

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The answer is no. If it's one RCA connector from the camera then it's a composite video signal (most likely). If it's three RCA connectors then it's component video (less likely for a back up camera). In either case you'll need the appropriate interface box to convert the video to VGA. The converters are pretty low cost ... averaging about $30. You can find them on Amazon, eBay, and many other online dealers. You might consider just shopping for a complete package that has a display size that is more suitable because you may find that you aren't saving much if anything by patching things together (don't forget the cost of cables when figuring the cost of adapting your camera to your display. If you have a really old display, it might already have a composite video input.
 
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If you have an old laptop, you can buy a camera that plugs directly into a USB port for about $15. Search Ebay for "endoscope camera" and you will get dozens of hits. Make sure you get one that specifies focal length: 4 cm to infinite.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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Larry, if you have not already done so, I suggest that you watch the video by Alan Zenreich at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pidLwThKHSw
. I built my system using the camera that he describes and the small monitor discussed late in the video. I don't know if these components are still available.
 
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I use the backup monitor that Alan Zenrich uses in the U-Tube clip. Don’t really feel the need for a larger screen. I am concentrating on that small area of the form I am hollowing and the visual of the cutting tip.
 
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The one thing to remember about back up cameras is a lot of them show a mirror image. I adapted my laser mount with a cheap security camera ( $30), used computer monitor ( $10), and a rca to vga adapter ($15). Works great for me
 

Dennis J Gooding

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Dennis, do you ever wish for a larger monitor? I've seen some 10" CCTV monitor's but was thinking the size might be to small.

Actually, I don't; I am comfortable with the image that I get. An advantage of the small monitor is that I can leave it mounted and swung to the side when I am not using it.
 

Emiliano Achaval

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Larry, if you have not already done so, I suggest that you watch the video by Alan Zenreich at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pidLwThKHSw
. I built my system using the camera that he describes and the small monitor discussed late in the video. I don't know if these components are still available.
Alan Zenreich is the king of gadgets , the nicest person around. He will help anybody if you simply ask him. His videos are very well done, explained very nicely and professional quality editing.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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If you would like to see more details on my system and a useful tip for using it, see my posts to Emiliano Achaval's thread "Camera for Hollowing System" on 13 August 2017. Just go the the search box above and type in the Title and the author of the thread.
 

Bill Boehme

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If you would like to see more details on my system and a useful tip for using it, see my posts to Emiliano Achaval's thread "Camera for Hollowing System" on 13 August 2017. Just go the the search box above and type in the Title and the author of the thread.

Or click on this link to go directly there: Camera for Hollowing System.
 

AlanZ

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Larry, if you have not already done so, I suggest that you watch the video by Alan Zenreich at
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pidLwThKHSw
. I built my system using the camera that he describes and the small monitor discussed late in the video. I don't know if these components are still available.
Dennis, the particular CCTV camera model in the video is no longer available, there might be similar cameras available (narrow angle, close focusing).

However, another approach is worth noting, if one has a computer in their shop... and that is to use a webcam mounted to the hollowing rig. It's also possible that an endoscope mentioned might work... but the webcams will give better images.

There are many advantages to the computer approach, and some software I use can make it very very easy to set up. with great flexibility.
So, it's worth a thought. If anyone wants details, send me a private message and I will be happy to discuss the details.
 
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Jeff, can you provide more detail on where you found this camera? I went to B&H and could not locate it. I would like to pick up another as a spare.
I just did a search for the model # on the B&H Photo and Video site. It came up - this was about the middle of September. I haven't had a chance to do any more than power it up with the 7" monitor to make sure one power supply will work for both.
I did have a hard time finding it - they have been superceded and the mfr doesn't seem to support it any longer - but B&H had some old stock. Apologies if I got the last one.
 

Dennis J Gooding

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I believe there is a coarse focus but, I did not adjust. I'll try to find the manual to confirm for you.
Here is what mine looks like
camera1.jpeg
 

Bill Boehme

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Regis, I don't see any provision for focusing the camera. Will it give a clear image of objects just a few inches away? The field of view is about the same as the camera I now use.

The B&H description called it a pinholes camera (AKA, camera obscura). I can't tell for certain, but the picture makes it look like a real pinhole camera. If that is the case, no focus adjustment is needed because everything from zero to infinity will be in focus. The downside of a pinhole camera is the tiny iris which means that you will need plenty of light, the video might be noisy, and the frame rate might be low. For this particular purpose these things might not matter.
 

Bill Boehme

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Bill, I wondered about that too. The other issue is diffraction blurring if this is truely a pinhole camera.

Is diffraction blurring a function of the pinhole size?

To change the subject a bit, a friend who is an amateur astronomer mentioned to my wife that it isn't necessary to make a pinhole camera to view the recent solar eclipse. All that you need is to stand under a tree and look at the ground. Sure enough, here is what it looks like.

image.jpeg

The sheet of paper makes the image look a little better than viewing it on the grass. :D

The shade under the wax myrtle was really strange looking.

image.jpeg

That's an asparagus fern in the foreground. It didn't cast a useable shadow with its little needle like leaves.
 
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