web cam cost?

[urbanagrarian]

I was considering a web cam for a hatching project with a kids group and was wondering if anyone had an estimate of what the costs might be and any possible recommendations for equipment.

Thanks

 

[Kanchii]

Some are over $100, but you can probably find a new one on ebay for less than $30.

 

[twigg]

There are thousands to choose from, from about $20 up to the one I want which is about $300.

You will also need a webhost to stream the pictures to.

Many incubators are low light inside, so a good low lux camera is better.

You really do get what you pay for.

Check this out. It comes with free hosting for streamed video, which is a very attractive addition offsetting it's relatively high price

 

[urbanagrarian]

Thanks, but would a $30 one show enough detail?
What features do folks think I should look for in a camera? I don't want to budget more money than I have to, but I want to make sure I spend enough to get something that will work out OK

 

[arlee453]

I use a Microsoft 3000 cam I bought at Walmart for around $50 for my indoor brooder/incubator cam. It was very simple to set up. For the close range of a brooder or incubator, a standard webcam will work well. They have a smaller focus area - they are meant to focus in on a face from the distance of a monitor. My Microsoft cam worked really well for my incubator cam.

To broadcast outdoor scenes, a standard webcam doesn't have a very good range of field (not to mention issues with wiring, weatherproofing, etc) My outdoor cam is from WiLife - ran me about $350(and was NOT for the faint of heart or technophobe to get streaming)

Be warned that a lot of the 'free streaming sites' that come with camera are extremely limited sites.

Try www.camstreams.com for a good free hosting site. I use them for the ChickNCam (link below)

 

[twigg]

I agree about the free streaming sites.

However, the Panasonic site is an exception, it is very good indeed

 

[urbanagrarian]

Quote:
Thanks for pointing out the different requirements for an indoor vs. outdoor camera. This did not occur to me and will be helpful in determining what type of camera will best suit the project