Camera Selection for Recording using LabVIEW

[cameraman123]

I am trying to find a camera that can be controlled with a LabVIEW UI with the purpose of observing, recording and storing video files during experiments occurring inside a chamber. I am not too familiar with LabVIEW and compatibility requirements for these purposes. I need to ensure a field of view of at least 450mm x 350mm with an approximate working distance of 750mm. Ideally, uses a USB connection. For this use, I am just using this for general-imaging and observation purposes so no need for up close inspection.

If anybody has any suggestions on cameras/webcams that are compatible with LabVIEW and fit this description please let me know.

[1100fps]

If you are using LabVIEW with USB, the camera should meet the USB standard  USB3 Vision - Wikipedia  This makes connection and programming simple, and eliminates the need for third party drivers.

The bigger issue relates to how many (mega)pixels you need, if you need Color, How many frames / Second.  A lessor concern is the distance from the camera to the computer (USB 3 cables generally are rated to 9 feet).

The Frame rate, and sensor size and Codec will determine the amount of hard disk space you will need.  The Codec is the tool that compresses the video information.  LabVIEW has built in Codecs, and you can incorporate 3rd party codecs.  You may have to pay attention to the bus throughput to avoid dropping frames.

On the other hand...  It's worth noting that a runtime license for labvIEW vision is $450, and the vision license itself is around $3K.. If all you are doing is recording, this is serious overkill.  If you are doing video collection as part of a larger project, or need specialized controls annotation or other features, it makes a boatload of sense.

A super cheap way to go could be a Wyze security cam, which records high def images to a memory card, for 48 hours, and can be controlled via USB. GoPro has similar capabiliites, although neither options let you change the lenses, or control exposure.

[cameraman123]

Great, thanks for the feedback. I am looking to capture video in color but do not have specific requirements in terms of megapixels and fps but am generally looking for something around 1.6 megapixels and ~30 fps. The LabVIEW licensing should not be an issue for me. Just trying to figure out which cameras I can use to best fit my needs for this project.

[1100fps]

At the risk of being a shill for Basler.. Start with https://www.baslerweb.com/en/  I have found their cameras reliable, and cost effective.

The web site has a Lens Configurator so you can match your working distance, field of View, and sensor size to the closest lens.

Another web site with a simple lens calculator is at Calculator (tectivity.com)

If you are more adventurous, you can try www.get-cameras.com  Their cameras prices look pretty good, and they claim to adhere to the standards, but I have not tried them.

If you have access to the LabVIEW programming with Vision, then it should be pretty easy.