Can a Polycom video conference camera be used for astrophotography?

Asked 10/21/2015

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I have a Polycom FX video conference camera (about 1024×780 resolution) and I'm curious whether it could be used for an astrophotography project. Would it work for planetary or deep-sky/landscape astrophotography, and what extra equipment or modifications would be needed?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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You can use the camera for high resolution astrophotography of the planets for example, if you also have a telescope and you're willing to take the camera apart. Some (paid) tutorials can be found here http://www.damianpeach.com/dvd.htm, but you can easily find more info online about the topic. The learning curve is very steep and I'd recommend that you use a specialized camera for this topic as well, some of the cheapest are roughly 100$.

For other types of astrophotography such as landscape astrophotography it's a waste of time to try and use the video conference camera.

Originally by user29774. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user29774

10y ago

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Possibly, but only in a very limited way. A video conference camera like this might be adapted for planetary astrophotography if you pair it with a telescope and are willing to disassemble/modify the camera. That kind of setup has a steep learning curve, and even then it’s mainly useful for brighter targets like planets.

For other types of astrophotography—especially landscape night sky shots or deep-sky imaging—it’s generally not a practical choice and likely a waste of time.

If your goal is to seriously try astrophotography, a purpose-built astro camera is the better route. Specialized cameras are easier to use for this and are the more realistic option compared with repurposing a conferencing camera.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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