Testing a new webcam

Surly-Mac · Sep 11, 2015

I got a new webcam yesterday (Logitech C930e) so I’m trying that out. I spent most of the day reading online about how you CANNOT use this camera to make HD videos on a Mac… unless you are willing to spend BIG BUCKS on special video production software.

After trying about a zillion “work-arounds” I finally found one solution right under my nose and at no extra cost at all.

When the light finally came on (in my brain) I didn’t want to mess around with proper camera placement, lighting, etc. - I just grabbed my uke and put the chords/lyrics to Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love on my computer screen and recorded this.

The song was on my mind because while staggering around on YouTube the other day, I found 84th Season of the Ukulele - Put Your Best Foot Forward - Seasonista Mina’s (UU VIP wolfchs) great cover.

I was really smitten (in a grandfatherly, non-stalking way…) by Mina’s playing & singing. SOO… I researched her postings here (okay - that’s sort of stalking…) and surmised she’s busy with new ukes and new baby Kayla.

I sincerely hope wolfchs will soon be back to the SOTU because she’s a terrific player & singer!

(BTW, this Dylan song has been covered/recorded right at 4-million times - so mine will make 4,000,001…)

bird's eye view of my ukelele · Sep 11, 2015

supercool! i forgot to say on the vid - video and audio are FAB

Camsuke · Sep 11, 2015

Sounding & looking good mate! Please keep them coming!

The Big Kahuna · Sep 11, 2015

I've got the C920. You may find that you get a higher frame rate if you disable RightLight

Surly-Mac · Sep 11, 2015

bird's eye view of my ukelele said:
supercool! i forgot to say on the vid - video and audio are FAB

Thank you very much! ("FAB" - I just luuu-uv how you guys speak English...)

Camsuke said:
Sounding & looking good mate! Please keep them coming!

Thanks! - whenever I do anything new or different with computer stuff I get dizzy & start huffing as I go 'round the learning curve...

The Big Kahuna said:
I've got the C920. You may find that you get a higher frame rate if you disable RightLight

I probably would've been better off with C920 ("... he learned too late") - this one is designed for business, round-table conference calling (or some-such-thing) and is probably not as user friendly (or, dummy-friendly, in my case!) i.e., recording software. But I'm able to use it on my Mac getting 30 fps...

The Big Kahuna · Sep 11, 2015

Are you getting 30fps though? The only reason I mention it is, I noticed it wasn't as smooth as it should have been, and RightLight was using so much CPU trying to compensate for the poor lighting (I had my blinds drawn) it was dragging it down to about 20fps

The Big Kahuna · Sep 11, 2015

ps. loved the video. I've always liked that song, and at times you had a bit of a Lou Reed/Nick Cave vibe going on with your voice.

ohmless · Sep 11, 2015

sounds like your set up is working well.

wee_ginga_yin · Sep 11, 2015

Surly-Mac said:
I was really smitten (in a grandfatherly, non-stalking way…) by Mina’s playing & singing. SOO… I researched her postings here (okay - that’s sort of stalking…)

In the old days it was called secret admirer.

hendulele · Sep 11, 2015

wee_ginga_yin said:
In the old days it was called secret admirer.

:bowdown: For the win!

Surly-Mac · Sep 12, 2015

The Big Kahuna said:
Are you getting 30fps though? The only reason I mention it is, I noticed it wasn't as smooth as it should have been, and RightLight was using so much CPU trying to compensate for the poor lighting (I had my blinds drawn) it was dragging it down to about 20fps

Yeah - I am. I made a video today, played it back thru Quicktime Pro 7, checked the Movie Inspector and it shows +/- 29.97fps first 20 seconds and 30fps thereafter. Also did some processing on the new video soundtrack thru Logic Pro X then exported the processed track to the movie... Logic Pro confirmed the movie was running at 30fps. The reason I had some uneven playback on THIS video is that I processed the audio track without knowing how to export it back to the movie... then tried to synch the two together in iMovie... made a mash of the whole thing... but I seem to learn best by learning what NOT to do first then adjusting.

The Big Kahuna said:
ps. loved the video. I've always liked that song, and at times you had a bit of a Lou Reed/Nick Cave vibe going on with your voice.

Well, thanks! It's a great song but I seriously liked Mina's 84th Season of the Ukulele - Put Your Best Foot Forward !

Surly-Mac · Sep 12, 2015

ohmless said:
sounds like your set up is working well.

Thanks much! I learned how to do some things better with it while making video today so I have high hopes. Thanks again.

CeeJay · Sep 12, 2015

The Big Kahuna said:
I've got the C920. You may find that you get a higher frame rate if you disable RightLight

Ummm is that even real English ? :rofl:

Photographic dunderhead since the Canon A1, Olympus, Fuji, Pentax and similar and ....I once put a Pentax 110 in my jacket pocket whilst demonstrating various SLR cameras to a customer and took the damned thing home.....I was shi**ing blue lights bringing it back in the next day ....I need a cheap decent webcam /camcorder ...any recommendations?

Surly-Mac · Sep 12, 2015

CeeJay said:
Ummm is that even real English ? :rofl:

Photographic dunderhead since the Canon A1, Olympus, Fuji, Pentax and similar and ....I once put a Pentax 110 in my jacket pocket whilst demonstrating various SLR cameras to a customer and took the damned thing home.....I was shi**ing blue lights bringing it back in the next day ....I need a cheap decent webcam /camcorder ...any recommendations?

From all the reviews I read, Logitech seems to be the way to go. Cheap?? How about a Logitech HD Webcam C615 for about (US) $35.00 (including free shipping on eBay)??? I believe it's 1080P/720P HD, good to go on Mac or PC... no smacky additional software to buy. Auto focus, mic (not good) simple to use (insert braying laughter here from one digital-dunderhead to the other) Shop online for deals - these things are getting cheaper each day!

The Big Kahuna · Sep 12, 2015

CeeJay

I have a Panasonic FZ200 high end bridge camera, which I bought after dragging my DSLR, battery grip and bag of lenses all over Volcanoes National Park and most of the rest of Hawaii.

It has an articulated rear screen, so you can monitor yourself while it's pointing toward you on a tripod, and it'll record 1080p at 60fps (might actually be 50 fps for the UK marked, what with us being PAL instead of that infernal NTSC ("Not Tested Since Christ" or "Never The Same Colour twice")). It has a Zeiss 25-600mm equivalent zoom that's f2.8 all the way through the range, and it has an input for an internal mic or recording source.

In short, it's the dog's bollocks.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz200

CeeJay · Sep 12, 2015

Surly-Mac said:
From all the reviews I read, Logitech seems to be the way to go. Cheap?? How about a Logitech HD Webcam C615 for about (US) $35.00 (including free shipping on eBay)??? I believe it's 1080P/720P HD, good to go on Mac or PC... no smacky additional software to buy. Auto focus, mic (not good) simple to use (insert braying laughter here from one digital-dunderhead to the other) Shop online for deals - these things are getting cheaper each day!

The Big Kahuna said:
CeeJay

I have a Panasonic FZ200 high end bridge camera, which I bought after dragging my DSLR, battery grip and bag of lenses all over Volcanoes National Park and most of the rest of Hawaii.

It has an articulated rear screen, so you can monitor yourself while it's pointing toward you on a tripod, and it'll record 1080p at 60fps (might actually be 50 fps for the UK marked, what with us being PAL instead of that infernal NTSC ("Not Tested Since Christ" or "Never The Same Colour twice")). It has a Zeiss 25-600mm equivalent zoom that's f2.8 all the way through the range, and it has an input for an internal mic or recording source.

In short, it's the dog's bollocks.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz200

Thaks Gents, food for thought indeed.

Jarvo

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