Webcam in a Hawkeye Brownie Camera

by arte.sano in Circuits > USB

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Webcam in a Hawkeye Brownie Camera

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A few moths ago I run into a diy on Make magazine about putting a webcam inside of a old folding camera, and It was something closer to what I've been trying to do with a point and shot digicam but I haven't found the perfect case for it. I like the idea so much that this is my rendition of the conversion of a Hawkeye Brownie Camera into a USB webcam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownie_(camera) Hawkeye Brownie Camera
Make Magazine Blog: How-to Tuesday: 1934 USB web camMake Magazine Blog: How-to Tuesday: 1934 USB web cam

By the way, I pick the Brownie out of nostalgia for the one that my grandpa use to have long time ago.

Open Up the Brownie

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Basically all you need is two cameras, I have an old webcam that I got for free in Craigslist, a logitech quickcam, (mine does not work in Vista). The other camera is a cute Hawkeye Brownie by Kodak circa 1950's (millions of this cameras were sold back in the days in the US), I got mine at the flea market for 5 bucks.

Open up the Brownie which is quite easy since the camera is just little box with a small latch on the top that let us see what inside, after it is quite easy to a remove all the mechanics and the front lens as shown in the pics.

Open the Webcam and Into the Brownie

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Open the webcam is quite easy, there's only one screw, take the electronics board out and lets see if the lens of the webcam fits the hole of the Brownie.
See the pics for the details.

Final Product and Adjustments

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After connecting back the USB to the webcam's board, connect the cam to the PC and check that the lens is focus and put the webcam in place, Put the faceplate back in place (and the top and front viewfinders and mirror if you like to keep it in place), close back the Brownie and plugged into the computer and the Brownie Hawkeye USB webcam is ready.