OT: Cameras, cameras, cameras.. (was Re: Lightbulb police? ...)

[Tony Duell]

> In this case the cameras consisted of two PCBs -- the main board with 
> the CMOS sensor and controller chip, and a switch board with the mode 
> switch and power switch.

What, no LCD display assembly? I would regard that as _essential_ on any 
digital camera I had to use.

> 
> The cameras had been liquid-damaged and sold as a lot. I replaced a 
> couple of connectors, cleaned the PCBs, and managed to make a few good 
> cameras out of a box of bad ones. From the rest, I scavenged the lens 
> assembly and sensor. Those are in my junkbox waiting for a suitable 

Is it possible to get any data on the sensor? From what I recall, driving 
CCDs is 'fun' for suitable values of fun. The rise and fall times of the 
drive waveforms are critical, for example. 

> project... I'm thinking of strapping one to a P8079HP image intensifier 
> and building a night-vision camera of some description. The lenses are 
> "semi-fixed" focus -- you can refocus them by loosening a screw and 
> twisting the front of the lens, then replacing the locking screw.

I once saw a digital camera wit ha 2-position focus control (normal and 
close-up). it dit appear to move the lens on a focussing mount. There was 
no autofocus, or anything like that. 

I wonder if you could use front-of-lence closeup lenses? The resolution 
of the sensor in such a caerma is not going to be great, so I doubt you'd 
notice any loss of qaulity.

-tony