webcam problem

9 Responses to webcam problem

1. THREEHEARTS says:

   21 September 2009 at 2:50 pm

   Try a wratten 85 filter in front of the lens. Probably pick one up cheaply as a colored gel from a cineama lighting company
2. JennyZ says:

   21 September 2009 at 3:18 pm

   Does the program/webcam you use have some sort of white balance setting? If not, then I’d recommend the filter.
3. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:

   21 September 2009 at 3:34 pm

   This is clearly a software problem.
4. wmeyer says:

   21 September 2009 at 4:03 pm

   With respect, Father, as one who has worked in video for 40+ years, the issue is color balance. If the camera’s white balance does not resolve it for you, then you may wish to experiment with filters, as THREEHEARTS suggested. Also, you should bear in mind that your perception of the color in the picture is affected by the color balance of the monitor. And your perception of the monitor is affected, as well, by the color temperature of ambient light where you make your observations.

   Sunlight is hotter (bluer) than tungsten, so gauged against interior lighting, the outdoors is bluer. See the article on Wikipedia.

   I wish I could give you a simple solution, but color temperature is one of the more complex aspects of video production.
5. wmeyer says:

   21 September 2009 at 4:08 pm

   Two more comments: first, the images I see from your bird shots look great, but I do not know whether these were stills, or came from your video cam. Second, the range of the camera to accommodate different color temperatures is going to include trade-offs against the dynamic range of the pickup device; this may argue in favor of the filter approach, as changing the color temperature at the input to the pickup does not compromise dynamic range.

   Also, if you shoot a split image, part from the room, and part from indoors (with increased lighting) you will find that you cannot satisfy the color of both, simultaneously. When movie crews do that, they “86 the windows” — they put sheets of color correcting gel over the window glass, to correct it to the indoor temp.
6. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:

   21 September 2009 at 4:37 pm

   I know one thing: there are times when I get the webcam working and the color is nearly perfect. Then it goes blue.

   I have multiple webcams hooked up.
7. patrick_f says:

   21 September 2009 at 4:40 pm

   I would ask the question, have you tried another cam in the same spot? That might be a redundant question, but that would absolutely rule out white balance
8. wmeyer says:

   21 September 2009 at 5:54 pm

   Note that since white is the hardest place to discern the problem. Looking at the images from your Sabine Feeder, it does look like a color temperature issue. White-balance is not a cure for this. The camera should offer a setting for color temperature correction, or for indoor/outdoor options, or some such.

   If you can provide the make and model info on the camera, I would be happy to do some research.
9. RichardT says:

   22 September 2009 at 5:02 am

   Forget technological solutions, Father. Just join the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, then everyone will just assume that the blue tinge is from your vestments.