Hi Group, Our club is looking into purchasing a camera to aid with our demos. I've read somewhere (can't remember where) about a small camera that could be worn around the neck and it gives good close-ups of tool presentation and cuts. If any of you use something like this in your club demos could you please respond with the name and your opinions of the product. Thank you. Tony Manella ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
I, personally, have used this and it stinks for woodturning demonstrations. The clubs I belong to went with some freestanding ones and they work well for the price. The problem with the ones worn on the body (neck, headband, tool, etc.) is that the body doesn't stay still or focus on the things that really need to be shown. The idea is nice for the headband and eyeglasses ones.... It's suppose to be setup so that what the person is directly looking at is what's shown. The problem is that the person is constantly looking all over the place! And the picture is so jittery from normal usage that it's just completely unusable for a demonstration type of situation especially when your trying to restrict your field of view such as showing tool position,etc. (as opposed to wider angle shots of scenery, etc.).
I tried out several different kinds for my woodturning webcam setup a few months ago. I don't have the model #'s with me but they were Panasonic, Sony, Fujitsu and Klipshorn makes.
- Andrew
Hello Tony,
It was me that wrote about the camera suspended around your neck in Woodturning magazine. The camera was from Woodchuckers Supply in Canada. Unfortunately, unless he has been able to locate another source for the camera, he is sold out. It is an excellent little camera. The suspension around the neck was good, but the demonstrator needs to be able to view a monitor to ensure that he or she maintains their body in the right position to view what they are doing.
Fred Holder
Really? I didn't know Klipshorn made anything beyond loudspeakers. Interesting.
Max
Do they still make loudspeakers/speakers? If it's the same company, they were kind of the "in thing" with the college kids back in the 70's. My sister had a huge set. They were far far better than her stereo system too. I remember that Klipshorn was working on a window speaker but not sure if that ever materialized.
I just checked the manual for that camera. It's in German and has a model # of MC-022.
- Andrew
The company is Klipsch, and they still build very good speakers. Some folks don't like 'em, because they employ horns in their upper range of speakers (tweeters and midrange drivers) rather than more conventional conical drivers. The result is a sound quality some find "colored" or "artificial." I have some Klipsch Fortes, which are now retired to the basement sound system.
What is a window speaker?
Max
"Fred Holder" wrote: (clip) The suspension around the neck was good, but the demonstrator needs to be able to view a monitor to ensure that he or she maintains their body in the right position to view what they are doing. ^^^^^^^^^^^^ It seems to me that this puts would put an undue burden on the demonstrator.
Tony, I saw the "camera on the body" and small cameras on booms at the Utah Symposium last year. Since then I have set up a system for our club.
Rule 1. The camera must be stable (mounted on a sturdy tripod) and in focus. Rule 2. It must have a tele lens to focus down to an area 6" wide when the camera is a yard from the action. Rule 3. Get a good pixel level. This means getting a colour security camera or better - not a cheap "spycam". Rule 4. Portray it on a good screen, but not too big or too small. We use 29 inch and this is fine.
The good viewing point is from about the right breast of the turner.
You can set up two cameras but please put them to the one screen or the audience thinks they are at a tennis match.
It was a device that attached to a large picture window of your house, for example. I guess it would work to some degree for smaller windows but I saw it demonstrated and recommended for large windows. I was working on an acoustics interior design software package for an audio consultant friend of mine back in college and he showed me that prototype system. I have no idea what became of it after that though.
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