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Small camera for viewfinder

Started Feb 17, 2019 | Discussions thread
OP msar Junior Member • Posts: 31
Re: Small camera for viewfinder

ProfHankD wrote:

msar wrote:

Hello,

I'm working on a hobby project and need to fit a tiny camera to the viewfinder on my camera for remote viewing. The camera needs to be placed fairly close to the viewfinder to save space. I have not bought it yet and I need to know if it will work optically.

The cameras focuses from 1 m to infinity and have a h fov of 62 degress and a v fov of 49 degrees. Basically can I get a sharp picture if placed closely to the viewfinder? Say, from 0cm to 5cm. The optics is much smaller than the viewfinder.

I'm assuming you're talking about something like an old SLR that you want to remotely view through the viewfinder... if it has one, using the camera's video out makes much more sense.

Typical optical viewfinders are somewhat adjustable, but have the image appear to be about 25 feet away. If so, you need a camera that can focus that far away. A good cheap answer would be a $3 USB webcam -- pick one with a convenient form factor. Alternatively, there are USB Endoscope cameras that are tiny, but they tend to be designed for closer focus. Of course, USB is only good for up to about 10 feet.

The problem with that approach is that the mirror has to be in up position. And the camera's sensor has to be on all the time and that takes more power than a small USB camera. Plus there will be a lag when you trigger the camera.

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