Can anyone recommend a webcam which will cope with outdoor light levels please? It doesn’t have to be weather proof (it’ll look through the window into my back garden and sky). Images from my current webcam ‘bleach out’ in anything approaching bright sunlight (52 degs N) and, at the other end of the scale, appear very dark at dawn/dusk and similar low light level situations (eg overcast). Some members sites showing outdoor webcam images don’t seem to suffer from this limited light level range to anything like the same extent.
Thanks
Hi there and welcome to the forum,
It would seem that the current webcams of choice for good all-round viewing both day and lowish light for outdoor views are made by Logitech…I myself have a 4000 pro for my website video etc, but this model has now been superceded by the manufactures with the 5000…(and I’m sure that JaxWx mentioned a new 6000 recently)… There are lots of threads on this topic, so if you use the SEARCH facility it will give you lots of additional info…images produced by CCD webcams were the best but CMOS types are now getting much better. .There are also some particularly good threads on using a spare Digital camera to get even better images (Canon ones appear to be the easiest to get going)…
Edit…My camera looks out through a window (and the glass is well over 150 years old)…To stop night time internal reflections, I use a small box shield over the camera which is made of cardboard and taped to the glass. My camera even picked up noctilucent cloud during the past season so it 'aint too bad. 
Thanks MB. Useful stuff. The Logitech Pro 5000 is in budget too! I havent found anything on the 6000 yet but I’ll look harder later.
A quick search on WWF (as you suggested) showed Im not alone with this problem (!). Webcam manufactures dont seem to give any techy info on these devices so recommendations are all I (we) have to go on.
Thanks again.
Actually Logitech appears to have skipped 6000, and 7000, 8000, and now have a QuickCam Pro 9000…
http://www.logicool.co.jp/index.cfm/webcam_communications/webcams/devices/3056&cl=us,en
I am waiting for that one to come down a bit but am planning on getting one, unless someone else gets one sooner and declares it is crap 
I would not recommend the Microsoft VX-6000 as a weather cam as it is crap in low light and also gets washed out easily
(just my luck to have two of them :()
-Bob
Thanks for your timely comments Bob. My usual supplier of this sort of stuff does not stock the Logitech Pro 5000 but they do have the MS LifeCam VX3000, 6000 and 7000 so I was wondering… not any more! They also have the Logitech Quickcam Communicate Deluxe which looks the same externally as the Pro 5000. Do you know if it is? The Logitech website doesn’t seem to list the 5000 so I figured they might just have renamed it.
The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 is a bit too much dosh for me (GBP60 excl shipping), plus it has features which would be redundant in this weather-watching application (eg face tracking, autofocus, built in mic)
Tnx
David
I think the Communicate delux has face tracking and refocus too.
As far as I know they ALL have face tracking, autofocus and a mic, the Pro 4000 and 5000 both do…
I just have face tracking disabled, not sure on the autofocus but I have a feeling that only kicks in with facetracking…
-Bob
Surpluscomputers.com did have the 5000 for $29.99.
Good to know that face tracking can be disabled. I envisaged the camera hunting around the sky for a cloud that looked like a face, and refocus joining in the help :?. 30 bucks for the 5000 from Surplus Computers looks like a bargain from this side of the pond until you add shipping and UK import tax.
If someone can confirm that the Logitech Quickcam Communicate Deluxe has the same (CMOS) sensor as the Pro 5000 then this will be my chosen weapon.
Thanks to all for helpful comments.
David
The Logitech Quickcam Communicate Deluxe certainly looks very similar, if not the same, as the pro 5000. I see that they have both types available on Amazon etc, but I fail to see the benefits of the deluxe, comparing spec alone. As for it being CMOS…I don’t know whether that was confirmed (or whether it is CCD…the older pro 4000 was)…What can definitely be said is that the Pro 5000 is a very good camera from reports and viewing of JaxWx (bob), Budgies and Shaggys setups. Considering the difference in price on the Amazon website and the lack of reports/knowledge of the deluxe, I would be tempted to stick to the known qualities of the Pro 5000. But of course, there may be other inputs and the choice is yours after all.
Edit: I found this in a review:
Quote…As for the competition, the Logitech Quickcam Communicate STX seems to be more keenly priced and, according to the Logitech website, only differs by not having a digital zoom. Some other cheaper cameras that have lower quality CMOS sensors rather than the CCD sensors found in the Communicate STX and Pro 5000…Unquote
Thanks again MB.
Thats it. Decision made. Logitech website says the Quickcam Communicate STX has ‘fixed focus’ optics which I take to mean 50 to 100cm or thereabouts, not infinity, so I agree that the Pro 5000 from Amazon is the safest affordable option. Job done.
Thanks all. I’ll leave you in peace now - for a while at least #-o
David
Are you sure the Pro 5000 doesn’t have a fixed focus lens?
I watch their site too!
They also have Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro for $16.99 w/ free shipping.
This is what Cape Weather uses… his images are AWESOME!
Too late. I just bought one!
Wow, Zeiss lens with autofocus 8O Don’t often see that on a webcam.
Yes, but the real trick is to just run past her, mumbling that you found a great deal on the Internet and before she knows it, you’ve got a new camera on the way. :lol:
Now… how am I going to mount this puppy?
That’s an idea - buy her a puppy…
Got the cam.
As Chris at Cape Weather pointed out. This is the older model Pro camera (supposedly lesser quality than the new one). It’s quite tiny. I was very excited to see that all I have to do to install it is disconnect the old cam and connect the new one.
But disappointed to know the cord on it is only 3 feet long… so it probably won’t be live until Saturday when I get a new 6’ USB extension cord 
Er… no! Not now anyway. Following your post I found reviews on reviews.cnet.com which suggest its a fixed focus, and possibly a different sensor to the 4000 too maybe. Thanks. Just in time. I’ll do a bit more info-trawling before I let the moths out of my wallet I think.
BR
David
The 5000 PRO does have very good light control though - it is part of their claims for higher quality pictures and the ability to detect pictures in lower light conditions. I assume those cameras can also modulate the high sunshine conditions and auto reduce the brightness to eliminate over saturation. Of those I have seen though, the pictures have over exagerrated colour - over saturated is the terminology again - but I believe you can alter those settings.
Check out the light range. Also check out the Focal length, smaller is wider angle, greater than 6mm is getting to be more like SLR camera settings and better quality but minimum focus may be 4 ft or 1.2m. However, for our requirements, looking at the sky, we are happy with 6mm or greater focal length.
Graeme
…The Logitech website seems a bit coy on the type of sensor for the pro 5000 webcam, although at one time was keen to point out that the Pro 4000 was a CCD. As I said before, one of the reviews quoted the Pro 5000 to be a CCD as well…maybe that was factually incorrect.
Perhaps JaxWx (Bob) or Budgie can clarify as to what they know about the Pro 5000 specification (is it fixed focus and what sensor type) as it is still widely available (in the UK anyway)…
TokKiwi (Graeme) was certainly correct with his statement above re the default saturation setup for the 5000. It also looks as though it copes very well with low-light condition as well as directly into sun too…