Video Capture from Security Cameras

[Keydogg]

I'm looking for some advice on security cameras.

Our story is that we are a golf club and our Professional has 4 security cameras set up in his private teaching room which link up to his computer via an external capture card and then firewire to the computer. These are used to capture someone's golf swing and analyse it.

The security cameras he is using are Sony ExwaveHAD (Model SSC-DC83P) See here: Sony : SSC-DC83P (SSCDC83P) : Product Overview : United Kingdom

The Capture Cards are Canopus ADVC-55 DV Converters. See here: Smart DV LTD > Canopus ADVC-55

Now this capture card according to the specs captures the video @ 25fps which isn't what I would call ideal for a golf club travelling at around 120mph because it gets very blurry.

Does anyone know a different way to obtain, say around 100-200 fps from these cameras?

 

[Craigus]

Lol, that sounds like a "private room" where he can analyse something else.

I have nothing useful to add, just sounds dodgy.

 

[Revels]

If a camera can only do 25fps, you're not going to patch it to get upto 200fps.

That's a massive difference. New camera time really.

 

[Rob]

LG Viewty's (the phone) can record at 120 FPS, you could use a load of those? (serious suggestion for a cheap option btw)

 

[oska]

Just spoke to a marketing guy in our Video Security dept. Even with an HD camera you are going to only get 30 fps max. Security cameras aren't made for this kind of detail.

It's about the quality of each captured frame that will make any difference. If that can be increased then it won't be so blurred. See if they can find out how big each frame is and whether it can be improved.

Failing that he would need to purchase a decent video camera.

 

[Keydogg]

If a camera can only do 25fps, you're not going to patch it to get upto 200fps.

That's a massive difference. New camera time really.

No, this is not how security cameras work. A security camera transmits an analog signal to the capture card which then converted into a digital format - this particular card does 720x576 @ 25fps.

What I want is a capture/editing card that will do more FPS.

Effectively the only limitation is the speed of the firewire because the specs of the camera itself say it can take images at 1/100,000s shutter speed.

Just spoke to a marketing guy in our Video Security dept. Even with an HD camera you are going to only get 30 fps max. Security cameras aren't made for this kind of detail.

It's about the quality of each captured frame that will make any difference. If that can be increased then it won't be so blurred. See if they can find out how big each frame is and whether it can be improved.

Failing that he would need to purchase a decent video camera.

I think he (or you) misunderstand. When you say "security cameras aren't made for that kind of detail", fps doesn't mean detail, it is the rate of which each frame is taken.

Also the quality of each frame won't make a difference, because a golf club is travelling at 120mph, at 30fps you could have full HD resolution and you would still not be able to see the shaft as it would be moving too fast.

 

[oska]

I understand and there isn't a way to increase the FPS on the camera. How is a capture card going to increase the frames if the camera will only send 25 max? :S Shutter speed has nothing to do with it.

I asked the guy, he works in my department at Sony Professional marketing these for a living. I kinda believe him. Unless there is a hack job that can be done to the camera that is the best info he can give. Let me know if you find out different.

 

[Keydogg]

I understand and there isn't a way to increase the FPS on the camera. How is a capture card going to increase the frames if the camera will only send 25 max? :S Shutter speed has nothing to do with it.

I asked the guy, he works in my department at Sony Professional marketing these for a living. I kinda believe him. Unless there is a hack job that can be done to the camera that is the best info he can give. Let me know if you find out different.

Hmm, I've been told by someone else (guy who owns a security firm) that a better capture card would do the job. He said that it's not "sending 25fps to the card" it's just sending an analogue stream of the image. I was thinking of it kind of like the comparison of 35mm photography converted to digital photos, the 35mm film is "effectively" resolutionless at the start.

 

[oska]

If he manages then let me know.