Webcams are an ideal way to get started with stop motion animation.
They are robust and easy to use – perfect for schools and younger animators.
The Microsoft LifeCam series and Logitech Quickcam are available worldwide and both have good reputations.
We like the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema or Studio webcams. You can focus from within Stop Motion Pro Eclipse so you don’t physically touch the camera. It also has a sturdy clip that can be attached to your set. The Studio webcam has a tripod mount which is useful. The image quality from these webcams rivals many video cameras.
Some web cams have a “face tracking” function. It is important that you turn this option off, otherwise the image can zoom in and out, which is not good for animation! These controls are often “docked” in your system tray (such as the Logitech cameras). You can turn them on and off there.
Use the free trial version of Eclipse to test webcams.
Eclipse SD:
Note the high definition capabilities of these cameras is available in Eclipse. Eclipse SD captures at a maximum of 800 x 600 pixels.