Beginner Upgrading a webcam.

[bobmac004]

Hi, I'm looking for some help upgrading from a cheapo webcam please.
Currently I have a webcam plugged into and powered by my pc pointing at my garden to film wildlife/deer etc.
The live picture from the webcam is displayed on the pc monitor so if anything appears, I just hit record. It works fine but the quality is not good. What I would like is a better quality camera/camcorder with an optical zoom so I can get better quality pictures/video, budget is £250 tops. I also have an oldish Nikon D3200 which won't be of any use apparently.
Can anyone help suggest what to get please?
Thanks in advance
Bob

 

[Sky]

Keep your eye open for an old HD video camera with a good optical zoom (not a digital zoom). You can pick them up for around £50.00 quite easily in FreeAds etc. - that'll be a lot better than a webcam if your budget is limited.

A tripod will help to keep it steady, but a beanbag or cushion will do to get you started.

 

[bobmac004]

Keep your eye open for an old HD video camera with a good optical zoom (not a digital zoom). You can pick them up for around £50.00 quite easily in FreeAds etc. - that'll be a lot better than a webcam if your budget is limited.

A tripod will help to keep it steady, but a beanbag or cushion will do to get you started.

Thank you

 

[DizMatt]

I think a webcam would be useless unless you get up close and use a birdbox camera

what about a Elgato Cam Link or similar., you'll need a cable, mini HDMI? check the output on your nikon, then see if you can get a "clean" hdmi out
lots of things to check but it would be better than using a webcam.

 

[bobmac004]

I think a webcam would be useless unless you get up close and use a birdbox camera

what about a Elgato Cam Link or similar., you'll need a cable, mini HDMI? check the output on your nikon, then see if you can get a "clean" hdmi out
lots of things to check but it would be better than using a webcam.

Sorry, I should have made it clear. I don't want a better webcam, I want a camera/camcorder that will do what a webcam does but better

 

[DizMatt]

Sorry, I should have made it clear. I don't want a better webcam, I want a camera/camcorder that will do what a webcam does but better

That's fine, I've offered a solution. Use your DSLR and a decent lens or something that can give you a clean HDMI output and then use an HDMI to USB converter.
It will do what a webcam does but it will do it better, probably in your budget.

 

[bobmac004]

That's fine, I've offered a solution. Use your DSLR and a decent lens or something that can give you a clean HDMI output and then use an HDMI to USB converter.
It will do what a webcam does but it will do it better, probably in your budget.

Thank you

 

[paulca]

I use small computers (RaspberryPI) with webcams for monitoring stuff. I also use little "Makers" cameras like ESP32Cam which is the size of a big toe nail, but not reliable. I also have USB microscope cameras all hooked up, all visible from a central location.

I use this free software.

Home

A Video Surveillance OS For Single-board Computers - motioneye-project/motioneyeos

github.com

It doesn't matter what kind of camera it is, it will work with most cameras that behave like a webcam anyway.... they don't have to be local.

It has timelapse scheduled capture of picture and video. It has motion triggered ripple shot, including rewinding before the motion. Or manual capture.

I have taken timelapses of plants growing over weeks and months using this setup. It even provides a single day timelapse view on the user interface.

As a "bird" camera using a 1080p webcam it is excellent. However you need to think carefully about the "shot", you need to have as little movement in the "static" background from wind etc. Otherwise, like me, you wake up to find 1163 images of motion capture because the hedge was moving in the wind. I tried "Auto tune" and it ended up capturing nothing as the hedge filled half the shot.