Toupcam
Re: Toupcam
I have different Toup View compatible usb cameras, but slowing down in my set up is often the result of-
1. Excess live view resolution.
Find "capture and resolution" in the Toup View camera menu (it has most of the basic functions like snapping a picture, exposure and color adjustment, so I keep it open permanently open) find "live" and lower the resolution to a lower value. What you see on the computer monitor screen will be less detailed, but the frame rate will jump dramatically, speeding up everything. The sharpness of the images you capture will not be affected.
2. Long exposure time.
Again in the camera menu look for "Exposure & Gain". Turn off auto exposure and slide the exposure control bar towards the left (smaller, quicker times). Turn up the illumination level on your microscope to compensate, so the image doesn't get too dark. Also, if I try to make the exposure times too short I get horizontal banding on my captured images, because my computer can't keep up with the camera.
3. Computer processor limits.
Shut down programs operating in the background, clear unneeded files from you hard disk, etc. I was so unhappy with the slowness of my Toup Cam usb 2 camera I recently planned to upgrade to a new usb 3 camera (I considered a digital SLR but unsure if I want to put the time into learning the skills involved).
I replaced my ailing Windows 7 laptop (about 2.4 gHz processor, 4 gB RAM) with a Windows 10 desk top (cheap used because corporate America keeps updating, useful image editor built in, usb 3 ports, 3 gHZ, 6gB). The performance of my old camera jumped what seems like 10 fold. I can take faster snaps with less blurring and no banding, video frame rates jumped from about 10 to 20 frames per second, and I can process a stack of images about 10 times faster. For now I don't need a new camera.
Hope some of this helps. Good luck.
Ed in Minnesota, USA
1. Excess live view resolution.
Find "capture and resolution" in the Toup View camera menu (it has most of the basic functions like snapping a picture, exposure and color adjustment, so I keep it open permanently open) find "live" and lower the resolution to a lower value. What you see on the computer monitor screen will be less detailed, but the frame rate will jump dramatically, speeding up everything. The sharpness of the images you capture will not be affected.
2. Long exposure time.
Again in the camera menu look for "Exposure & Gain". Turn off auto exposure and slide the exposure control bar towards the left (smaller, quicker times). Turn up the illumination level on your microscope to compensate, so the image doesn't get too dark. Also, if I try to make the exposure times too short I get horizontal banding on my captured images, because my computer can't keep up with the camera.
3. Computer processor limits.
Shut down programs operating in the background, clear unneeded files from you hard disk, etc. I was so unhappy with the slowness of my Toup Cam usb 2 camera I recently planned to upgrade to a new usb 3 camera (I considered a digital SLR but unsure if I want to put the time into learning the skills involved).
I replaced my ailing Windows 7 laptop (about 2.4 gHz processor, 4 gB RAM) with a Windows 10 desk top (cheap used because corporate America keeps updating, useful image editor built in, usb 3 ports, 3 gHZ, 6gB). The performance of my old camera jumped what seems like 10 fold. I can take faster snaps with less blurring and no banding, video frame rates jumped from about 10 to 20 frames per second, and I can process a stack of images about 10 times faster. For now I don't need a new camera.
Hope some of this helps. Good luck.
Ed in Minnesota, USA