Non-existent digital camera

[flabberghasted]

I'm seeking a digital camera that can feed live images directly to my computer screen, like a webcam, but can also take high-quality photos. I haven't found a camera that does both. Any information would be helpful. Thanks.

[Bruce Hamilton]

How about a digital video camera? Many will take stills as well...

[Jesper]

Why don't you get a webcam *and* a good digital photo camera, or is there some compelling reason why you need to have both functions in one device?

[RichardtheSane]

Get a G5, or any other quality canon with a TV output (non-slr) and a video card on the computer with a video input. I have a G5 camera, and I connect it to my ATI 9800 pro all in wonder via the tv output - then it can be used as a webcam with the ATI software :)

[flabberghasted]

I guess I should have explained why I needed such a camera. I am doing stop-motion animation, and I want to set up a system in which I can compare the image coming through the camera to the image I just snapped. The stream from the camera would be laid over the previous snapshot with a digital transparency effect(the software will be another can of worms). I could then move the models while watching the streaming video until I have them in exactly the right position. This comparison would only save time if it happened BEFORE I snapped the photo. Now that I think of it, the camera itself does not have to be capable of snapshots because the software can capture a snapshot. The camera only needs to have video streaming, a high resolution, and no spherical distortion, which is still probably a lot to ask.

I would have posted this on a stop-motion website, except that most of those people don't use digital cameras.

[RichardtheSane]

In which case a digital camera will definitly not be the way forward because of the inability to capture high res motion video.

Maybe look into an analogue video camera and use the method I suggested about connecting to the TV input port on a VGA card....

[meow]

I'd like a sensor + whatever needed shaped and formed like a film roll that I could stick into my old trusty manual cameras and just continue to use them.

(Please don't hit me! I bruise! :lol: )