Digital Camera

This is out of the normal scope of this site but�

I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� 1) Make Model 2) Min. Resolution 3) Accessories 4) Memory

Thanks for you advise

MD Cox

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| This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | 1) Make Model | 2) Min. Resolution | 3) Accessories | 4) Memory | | Thanks for you advise | | MD Cox | | While I can't give you a specific recommendation I can tell you that I use a Kodak DC120. This was top gun less than one year ago and has a picture resolution of 1.2Mpixels and a CCD resolution of 836,400 pixels. Additional memory is a must (10 meg flash card), a closeup lense is helpful and a tripod and some auxiliary lighting is advised. I use it primarily for machine setup shots showing a mounted and assembled board as part of the loading guide flipcharts. We have used it for all the uses you suggest as well as instruction manuals and field engineering bulletins. You'll find many uses for it. I wish I had one of the newer, even higher resolution models. In a similar application I use a flat bed scanner to scan a bare FAB and then illustrated component and hardware placement using Corel Draw. John Thorup |

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I use the Olympus C-2000 Digital Camera. It has 1600 x 1200 resolution with 2.1 mega-pixels. Nothing gets by this camera. It should pick up all of the detail you need. This model is a bit expensive though (about $ 1,000.00). It features a nifty SmartMedia card (8 meg) that can fit into a floppy adapter so WHEN you loose your cables "no-problem".

On the highest quality mode, expect 7 photos with the 8 meg card. 12 on "regular high quality" and 25 on "standard quality".

I would not recommend any digital camera with less than 1.3 mega-pixels.

Hope this helps.

Mike (800) 218-8128

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| This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | 1) Make Model | 2) Min. Resolution | 3) Accessories | 4) Memory | | Thanks for you advise | | MD Cox | | | Mike,

In my BGA article, I used a Sony Mavica with all you could ever want. Best part is it uses floppies so no memory required. Also, no special software or hookups to your computer. It cost $1,000 with a 1024x768/fine resolution setting to take up to 10 images. It also does lesser resolutions, with great results, an up to 30 images per disk. Battery life is about 125 minutes before recharge and spares are easy to get because it uses the same type as on many of their camcorders.

It also records 1 minute of moving video on one floppy with sound for presentations. It's the hottest thing I've seen or used so far. Sony makes 3 models, so far, in the Mavica line.

Earl Moon

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| | This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | | 1) Make Model | | 2) Min. Resolution | | 3) Accessories | | 4) Memory | | | | Thanks for you advise | | | | MD Cox | | | | | | | Mike, | | In my BGA article, I used a Sony Mavica with all you could ever want. Best part is it uses floppies so no memory required. Also, no special software or hookups to your computer. It cost $1,000 with a 1024x768/fine resolution setting to take up to 10 images. It also does lesser resolutions, with great results, an up to 30 images per disk. Battery life is about 125 minutes before recharge and spares are easy to get because it uses the same type as on many of their camcorders. | | It also records 1 minute of moving video on one floppy with sound for presentations. It's the hottest thing I've seen or used so far. Sony makes 3 models, so far, in the Mavica line. | | Earl Moon | I forgot to mention it gets in close at about 1 inch or zooms at 20:1 for long or closeup shots. I use Adobe's Photo Deluxe and/or Corel 8's Photo Paint and Draw to put it all together. I've used it to write thousands of pages of ISO documentation and work instructions from PCB fab to stencil printing, etc.

Earl

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| This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | 1) Make Model | 2) Min. Resolution | 3) Accessories | 4) Memory | | Thanks for you advise | | MD Cox | | |

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| | This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | | 1) Make Model | | 2) Min. Resolution | | 3) Accessories | | 4) Memory | | | | Thanks for you advise | | | | MD Cox | | | | | | | | Sorry, don't know what went wrong first time but this is what I actually had typed!

I have used a number of digital cameras. Lens quality is a REAL problem and many of them have a higher pixel resolution than the lens can offer at all zoom and macro settings. Believe it or not, I now use a 3-CCD camcorder as a still camera (Panasonic NV-DX1xx series). This gives easy control of shutter speed and iris (very important: never buy a still or video camera without a real iris diaphragm and few of them do), as well as a moderately good lens (not perfect, on macro it gives a small pincushion distortion at the edges, but it is adequate). Although each CCD is only about 400 kpixels, they are staggered by a 1/3 line, so that the luminance signal is multiplexed from all three and the colours and light sensitivity are extraordinary. It has a special mode for stills which improves the quality (as opposed to capturing a still from a video clip): am not sure exactly how this works, but it is certainly a definite improvement (but murder for videos !!!). One of the advantages is that it records the stills onto Mini-DV tape with over 700 stills/tape, so there is no lack of capacity. On playback, each still is indexed, which is useful when finding a specific one or where stills and videos are mixed.

Oh, I forgot, it can also film videos :-)

Somewhat off-topic, I interface it into a computer via a Matrox Marvel TV/graphics card and can capture and edit the video or stills with Ulead Media-Studio Pro. Still editing is done with Corel PhotoPaint. Before Marvel, I used VideoBlaster for importing stills.

Quality: I can print a very acceptable 20 x 15 cm image at 720 dpi on my old Epson inkjet and at 15 x 10 cm, it is better than any printed photo in a book.

BTW, there is an American company purportedly on the verge of marketing a multi-zillion CCD device which is 24 x 36 mm and is claimed to fit in the back of any 35 mm SLR camera with a resolution of about 4000 x 3000 pixels, for <$750. If this becomes a reality, it will take video stills into a whole new ball park. The electronics is in the "cassette". I like the notion, as we are now in the realms of good lenses and all the versatility plus of a decent camera.

Brian

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| | This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | | 1) Make Model | | 2) Min. Resolution | | 3) Accessories | | 4) Memory | | | | Thanks for you advise | | | | MD Cox | | | | While I can't give you a specific recommendation I can tell you that I use a Kodak DC120. This was top gun less than one year ago and has a picture resolution of 1.2Mpixels and a CCD resolution of 836,400 pixels. Additional memory is a must (10 meg flash card), a closeup lense is helpful and a tripod and some auxiliary lighting is advised. I use it primarily for machine setup shots showing a mounted and assembled board as part of the loading guide flipcharts. We have used it for all the uses you suggest as well as instruction manuals and field engineering bulletins. You'll find many uses for it. I wish I had one of the newer, even higher resolution models. In a similar application I use a flat bed scanner to scan a bare FAB and then illustrated component and hardware placement using Corel Draw. | John Thorup | | management sales pitch! I went to one of the stores with a liberal return policy like Office Depot and Comp USA and purchased the selected camera. Then I created a portfolio of work instructions, process control illustrations and this spectacular macro shot of a home sensor deep inside one of my placement machines. Be sure to use coated paper to print these samples. I spread these out on the VPs desk and had approval before I could finish my sales pitch. Even got a new hi-res printer thrown in. No risk and ethical if you really think you can pull it off.| |

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Mine's a fuji MX2700 1800 x 1200 pixels. +ve Small easy to use (operators do their own build guides) 8mb Smartmedia and floppy adapter make it useable on almost any PC = 8 pictures on best resolution Fair macro facility (you can identify 0603 components)

-ve No optical zoom or lenses available Automatically compresses the photo (jpg) hence blow ups can be a bit boxy

During our investigations we also looked at SLR's with a digital back on them from Kodak (Nikon) and Minolta. These give you all the bells you could want but at a price of ($10k)

If I was buying now I would go for a similar no of pixels and a better lens system i.e. optical zoom and some form of lens mount.

| This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | 1) Make Model | 2) Min. Resolution | 3) Accessories | 4) Memory | | Thanks for you advise | | MD Cox | | |

reply »

| | This is out of the normal scope of this site but� | | | | I am in search of a Digital Camera for use with documentation instructions. What would be the Minimum Resolution that I should require? I will need details of assemblies such as Component Identification, Wire routings, Solder joint quality and the like. If anyone has any recommendations as to� | | 1) Make Model | | 2) Min. Resolution | | 3) Accessories | | 4) Memory | | | | Thanks for you advise | | | | MD Cox | | | | | | | Mike, | | In my BGA article, I used a Sony Mavica with all you could ever want. Best part is it uses floppies so no memory required. Also, no special software or hookups to your computer. It cost $1,000 with a 1024x768/fine resolution setting to take up to 10 images. It also does lesser resolutions, with great results, an up to 30 images per disk. Battery life is about 125 minutes before recharge and spares are easy to get because it uses the same type as on many of their camcorders. | | It also records 1 minute of moving video on one floppy with sound for presentations. It's the hottest thing I've seen or used so far. Sony makes 3 models, so far, in the Mavica line. | | Earl Moon | Mike, I have also purchased the SONY Mavica FD91. It is truly the greatest and most fun thing to use for taking stills (JPG) and motion video (MPEG). It uses a floppy port so it easily interfaces with any computer. It has great resolution for everything that I need it for. It has great zoom capability and the autofocus works pretty well. I have found that the system works well for taking pictures of equipment and in motion processes. Hope this helps!

JON

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