FreeTrack Forum

Hello

I'm getting ready to purchase the MS-VX 1000 or the 3000, I haven't made my mind up?  But once I do.....

Has any one else out there used these cameras and is there a preference on the type of filter to use?  Film or the magnetic tape from a disk?

Thanks for you help!

From what i've read around the forum, many FT users have MS VX webcams. Try looking in the webcam compatibility tread or just do a searck for VX 1000 of VX 3000.

As for the filter - the magnetic disk filter is stronger - filters out more light, including some of the close infrared (close, meaning the part closer to visible light on the spectrum).
The film filter is a bit weaker (even multiple layers of it), lets more light, including some of the close infrared (but not visible light) slip trough.

It all depends on the setup you plan to use. The magnetic disk filter works great with active setups (with LEDs on the cap/clip), and the camera with this filter applied sees much less incandescent light, so you don't have to worry about interference too much.

The photo film filter is perfect for reflective tracking, since it lets trough more of the light - and in a reflective system every little bit of light matters Its downside is that besides the IR light from IR LEDs the camera also reacts to IR component of incandescent light. Of course it's not very sensitive to it, but the light like a room illumination is still visible - you should try avoiding shiny parts in your rig that could reflect it and interfere with tracking. On the other hand the camera with this filter is sensitive enough to allow taking infrared pictures

Hi Sandman

Maybe you check this Thread

LightFilter

This Photofilm is very bitchy stuff so I switched to a disk Filter. This works perfect with one Layer. Try the "Russian Mod" for your cam and you can easy switch betwen the two Filters to test it for your Setup..........

I've just built a 3 dot cap IR freetrack system.
I was tempted with the VX-3000, after all you get what you pay for right?, but I ended up going with the VX-1000.
I used the inside of a floppy disk to make the filter and have found the set up perfect.
I run at 30fps with 0 jitter which is as good as it needs to be imo.

If you search on youtube for "freetrack construction" there is a video showing how to build everything, including modify the VX-1000.