Best Camera for Image Capture?????

[ab8dd]

have searched and cannot find advice on what the best quality is that can be captured from an individual frame of video. I am a Manufacturing Engineer for a local company and currently use mini DV with Sony TRV17 to video some of our assembly processes and I have a need to capture some individual frames to be printed and used in picture process books. The problem is the low quality capture only allows for 320×240 resolution. So, what is the best available? What camera do I need to capture individual frames at the highest resolution possible? I want to video then review and capture stills from the individual frames of video without a bunch of time spent editing the capture.

Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance!

[Endeavor]

So you’re wanting to use a camcorder to capture some still images? And, are you wanting to purchase a camcorder for that purpose? If you have the camera already, you can grab images at the full resolution (720×480). If you want better quality than that, use a digital still camera.

[ab8dd]

Is 720×480 the best I can get?

What cameras have this resolution? Mine is only 320×240 Sony TRV17

[Endeavor]

Ahhh, you must be using the Mpeg movie mode! (I assume you’re capturing to the memory stick?). Your camera can do 720×480 if you just record to miniDV tape. You will then need to capture the video and you can export single frames of the video. Do you have software for that? Avid has this for free if you don’t:
http://www.avid.com/freedv/index.asp

This may be more work than you anticipated but you can accomplish 720×480 using what you have already.

[ab8dd]

okay, I will try it, I was simply using the DV tape and playback to Windows Movie Maker, then grabbing individual frames.

I video tape to mini DV then through USB capture the video in Windows Movie Maker use the “Take Picture” feature to capture individual frames and the quality properties say it is only 320×240.

Is Movie Maker the limiting factor?

[Endeavor]

I’m not that familiar with Movie Maker but it seems to me you should ba able to capture at a higher resolution than that. Anyone else have any ideas?

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