On Jun 21, 8:43*pm, "BillM" wrote:
I've got as manufacturing process that I want to
get a look at while it's running. *Tight
quarters,
1" or so diameter spinning at around 800 RPM,
wet and slightly corrosive environment.
Kind of hot too---there is an extrusion head at
around 400 F a couple of inches away.

I need a capture rate that updates several times
per revolution. *Something I can watch in
real time, and also download to a laptop and
review in slow motion.

I'm sure it's possible, but I'm probably going
to want to be sitting down when I hear the
cost. * *Any suggestions? * *Sources for a
camera? *Something around 1/2" diameter
by maybe 2 inches long is about all I have room
for.

Would I be better off with a fiber optic viewing
wand with the camera remote mounted?

Bill

I've been poking around for cameras that fit my own funky needs, so
I'll ask these questions:
Could you use mirrors or fiber optics, or is there a straight view
into the target that lensing will allow the camera to stand off?
You want to be able to see this live and or viewed later. That pretty
much means fire wire or USB, many that come with software. You can do
it with standard cameras, but it will cost you more for the image
capture hardware and software.
Several times per revolution (say for the sake of the arguement, ten
times) and 800 rpm is 13.3 rotations per second, and generic cameras
are usually 30 frames a second, so you're fine there, I think.

FWIW, we just got a couple USB cameras from Sentech America. They
came with a software package, that while just out of beta, allows us
to change the frame rate in exchange for reducing the field of view.
Does recording, too, but the files are fixed in length based on frame
size and frame rate or something like that. Still haven't figured
that part out yet. They might be worth looking at, but they've also
got lots of competition in the market. I think they were like $230
each or something like that.

Other folks sell much less expensive cameras, including the cheapest,
a small USB webcam from just about any retailer that might help you
get a better handle on exactly what your needs are. We will often get
something cheap to help us understand what we need to specify the next
time around. And sometimes we find that does the job, too, which
saves us a huge chunk of change.