#Video Input as Scanner?
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I have recently purchase a Hi-8 Video Camcorder. I own a Mac IICi with 12 MB
of Ram and a 230MB hard drive that is nearly full. My questions are:
1. Can one use the Hi-8 camera for video input in place of a scanner?
2. What video board would I need? and how expensive would it be?
3. I realize I'd need another hard drive, but would I also require
substantially more RAM?
4. Would I be better off with a different machine (ie, would a Quadra AV serve
the purpose, using the video camera, without requiring a sophisticated video
capture board for input and, would the price – nowadays – be not much more than
revamping what I have)?
5. Would I be best off just purchasing a decent scanner?
I would like to be able to input text, slides and photographs and thought that
the video camera with an inexpensive video capture board might be a decent
alternative to a/several forms of scanner.
Thanks,
Zach
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Zachary,
>> Can one use the Hi-8 camera for video input in place of a scanner?
Well, scanners aren't video input but the answer to the question you're
asking is "Sure, although not at anywhere near the resolution a scanner will
provide."
>> What video board would I need? and how expensive would it be?
I like Sigma Designs' "Movie Movie" board. It's about $350.
>> I realize I'd need another hard drive, but would I also require
>> substantially more RAM?
Not for light phot retouching work.
>> Would I be better off with a different machine (ie, would a Quadra AV
>> serve the purpose, using the video camera, without requiring a
?? ?? sophisticated video capture board for input and, would the price –
>> nowadays – be not much more than revamping what I have)?
Well, the AV would be a LOT faster than your IIci. 660AVs are out of
production and are available new for $1400 or so locally. However, there are
some limitations on the size and color depth of frames you can grab.
>> Would I be best off just purchasing a decent scanner? I would like to be
>> able to input text, slides and photographs and thought that the video
>> camera with an inexpensive video capture board might be a decent
>> alternative to a/several forms of scanner.
A video camera will be all but useless for text and slides. Even if it will
focus close enough to read the text it won't be able to grab very much in a
single picture. A modern video camera CCD sensor has maybe 450 lines of
resolution; a normal 300dpi flatbed scanner can grab 3300 lines from an 11"
page of text– over 7 times what the camera can get.
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David,
Thank-you very much for the information. Tough decisions, though it sounds
like a scanner is the way to go to input text and probably most photographs,
too. The Movie Movie board might be fun to play with, though, at not too great
a cost.
Many thanks, once again, for the information.
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