New laser and would like recommendation for a bed size 48" X 36" with a camera placement height of 48"
LIghtburn has a chart on suggested cameras
Because the height is the same as the platform width, the camera lens should be more than about 70°. An 80° or 90° lens would be OK.
A zoom lens would provide a precise fit. Although my machine doesn’t have room for it, I’ve used this camera in other applications with good results:
One gotcha: because the camera will be at the end of a looong USB cable, save yourself a lot of hassle by using an active USB extension cable. If there’s an outlet up on the ceiling, a cable with remote power injection would be a Good Idea.
Thank you. The chart leaves several choices, and I was looking for suggestions. Again thank you for your input.
$154 soon you will have to cut the bank vault door with a laser! there is something cheaper and perfectly functional for less than $20!, I will never understand this strategy, and why not bring in a film crew to film in 8k a vulgar piece of wood in a vulgar machine, to see the bugs in the program?
I have a box of those cameras, too, but what I wanted to do required better optics with more flexibility, so I bought a better camera.
You’ll note I explained the lens requirements for a standard (“cheap”) camera, as well as how to avoid a likely problem, before mentioning a more capable (“expensive”) solution.
Neither of us understand @FlyCDT’s situation, but I tried to provide enough information to support a more informed choice, which seemed to help.
However, I agree you do not understand my strategy.
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Thank you very much for your input. I can spell optics, but my knowledge is limited so, that is why I ask the question. The camera selection guide leaves at least two options. So, that is why I requested help.
I do appreciate the input.
A friend of mine recalls tracing rays through an optical system by hand without a calculator, but nowadays the rest of us can depend on standard solutions.
One thing I forgot: camera resolution.
Given a 48 inch platform, you’ll want a relatively high resolution camera. A camera with 1920×1080 resolution (“FHD”) will have at most 1920 pixels across the 48 inch platform, so each pixel will cover 0.025 inch = 40 pixel/inch. That’s rather gritty and the optical adjustments required to map the image onto the rectangular platform will blur it even more.
Cheap cameras grossly overstate their actual resolution, sometimes going so far as to pretend software-interpolated pixels represent real data. Look for the hardware resolution; if you can’t find it in the description, don’t believe anything else you see.
Regardless of the resolution, don’t expect better than millimeter-scale accuracy across the platform. Should you need precise location, a well-aligned red dot pointer will become your friend.
THANK YOU for your input. GREATLY appreciated.
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