I’m listening to the New Scientist Magazine’s podcast interview with Richard Dawkins. It’s really interesting stuff and it looks like a bunch of secular scientists from around the world are getting ready for the latest round in the Great War between Science and Religion for the minds of the human race. I’m personally one who agrees with Dawkins that the battle needs ramping up.
Speaking of religion… Father Bob Maguire wants me to help him set up a webcam in his church to record his Christmas Eve sermon. He’s the one priest I don’t mind helping out. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good webcam which could capture a high-res image inside a church? We need to somehow set up a simple capture system that Bob’s people can operate. They will need to be able to focus, capture, save the file, and then I’ll help them figure out how to upload it to our servers.
A lot of my contacts have the Logitech 6600 I think it is. I have really been impressed with the crisp clear picture that I get from them on Skype. It has a mic too, but disable it the sound is shit.
Not sure if it is the best for what you want but seems to work well in most lighting situations.
Few, if any webcams have the optics to provide decent image resolution at variable cathedral-length focal depth (of field) under low light conditions. Possible solution may be a fixed position podium webcam which just gets portrait-shots of FB while he speaks. (provided he doesn’t leap around too much?!)
What about using a HD DVCam instead? Produces digital output which can be directly uploaded in web accessible format. With a bit more post production processing, synch in the audio feed off their PA system via inline recording. Just a thought….
Good luck, oh and Merry Christmas Cam. Should be fun for you with the boys at the perfect Christmasy age. Likewise to all the TPN family.