Video capture software/device recommendation

Hi jmchristy,
could you post a sample of one of these images
I'll take a look at it and see if anything can be done to "clean it up"
"cleanup" may not accurately describe your solution or fix this issue since you are using fibre optic scope and not macro to snapshot closeup shots.
Scope does work the same in principal to photo shoots, if you wish to take a closeup photo from long distance?? you need a photo lense
Camera Lenses come in a variety of types and deciding which one to use is down to the types of objects in your images and the amount of time you have to shoot them.
list here
http://www.dptips-central.com/camera-lenses.html

Macro is a setting that sets the lense at a certain shutter speed so that it can accurately focus in factors such light and distance within a close up shot.
http://drscavanaugh.org/digitalcamera/macro.htm

Your header question doesnt reflect your actual question which is>Is there any recommendation on software/hardware that we can use to clean up the image
your header question is an entirely different question>Video capture software/device recommendation
I use tools like Paintshop pro and Gimp free open source
Nero picture manager
you can also use Photoshop from Adobe
Photoshop director from cyberlink
And many others.

I'll attach a picture of what we are trying to do

Photo.jpg shows our setup, with the camera and fiber scope.  We are sliding that fiber scope inside that bundle of metal to get a close up image of glue inside of it.  It's obviously not going to be well lit, so we have that lightscope connected at the bottom there and an additional lens attached to the 33K9H-EX.  maybe we have the wrong type of lens for this application?

Snapshot3, and Snapshot are 2 of our best pics we were able to capture.  A more common capture would be Snapshot2.  Even with our "best" capture pics, it's still not focused or clear enough to see what we are looking at.  We tried focusing the lens and that's the clearest it gets

Sorry for the confusion with the question!  I was kind of in a hurry when I put this up on ee
photo.JPG
SnapShot-3-.bmp
SnapShot.bmp
SnapShot-2-.bmp

oh dear, that looks like a simple problem of not enough light and pixelation or the capture is just bad tool,, not sure what to recomend atm, this Analog 33K9H-EX 1/3"video camera  is like an endoscope ?
this is  normally used with a very powerful light  right?
I can see a small light in some of the images.
Do you see a preview of it on your desktop before capturing?
Hows it look there? Good bad better than this?
Try snap shot using the print screen key of the PVR screen on your desktop and save it as a jpeg.
also this capture ave it as a jpeg before the bmp I find that gives a better result.

Capture cards usually capture video not just a single image. May explain this blur.
Capture doesnt use a shutter like in a camera.

See if this can assist you/ looks like you have done everything correctly it's just the lack of  light or the capture. I'm using the endoscope idea
How to record and edit endoscopy videos: Equipment set-up
http://daveproject.org/how-to-record-and-edit-endoscopy-videos-equipment-set-up/2011-06-09/

I would use a more powerful light source - the sensor in that camera http://www.directindustry.com/prod/medit-inc/video-cameras-for-borescopes-40228-342982.html is a very good one and should give you a good image when set up properly.  Try some test pictures in a setup with good lighting to see what it is capable of.

Ok i'll check the light source and see what it is and let you guys know - not sure how many lux it is - i thought it was a good one

So the issue shouldn't be with the analog to digital converter box?  I got a cheaper one, $55 but didn't think that should have much of an affect on it.

The video capture can only be as good as the video image.  It does look bad.

Make sure there is a clean cable run...no splits to other monitors, as this degrades the signal.

Make sure there is enough light...your images show insufficient lighting.

If you have control over the aperture, start near the middle.  Wide open lets in more light, but limits the depth of field.  Stopped down gives better depth of field, but your color dies completely, and everything turns brown.  You'll get more artifacts from the sensor because of the low amounts of light.

Any of these laser lights  give a very bright light and are slim should be able to be set / taped beside the camera on that board, they say including red laser but that is just a pointer you get three settings and the light is brilliant white. I use them lots
http://www.nextag.com/laser-pointer-flashlight/stores-html

I think the LED (light emitting diode) ones are the ones to use - lasers are not good for illuminating anything other than a spot.

You can bypass any analog to digital conversion by using one of these: http://www.amazon.com/VideoSecu-Composite-Video-BNC-Converter/dp/B001SJDESC  This will let you connect any analog composite video signal to a regular monitor so that you can see what the camera sees.

Thanks for the help, I'll start with getting a different light source to see if that helps.

I would need a light however that could attached to the fiber scope since that is what we are using to stick in the tiny cracks of that metal bundle.  If you look at that photo I uploaded earlier, you can see it hanging down near the back of it, it actually just screws into the bottom of the scope and I push the button on the bottom and that provides the light.  Anything on that nextag link that you provided similar to that?

And I won't know how it works for a few days because the guy using this equipment just cut the end off the fiber scope and has no picture!  Ugggh

aaaaaaaaaaa.
one question you didnt answer do you see this image on your desktop?
hows that quality?

If you have to, attach a small LED flashlight to the end and keep it on.  That should be better than what you are getting now.  You should test the camera in normal environment with good light, to see the best that your camera can produce.

When I use the camera with the fiber scope on the desktop, and just get close to the laptop keys for example it shows a crystal clear image.  It's not as bright though as i'd think it could be with the light scope on.

The person using the equipment actually taped it to that piece of metal in the picture, and removed the tape and put it back on then.  I took a look at it and noticed (with the lights off) that the fiber scope appears to be losing light.  I see spec's of green showing thru, like the tape ripped off some of the plastic that protects the scopes image.  I'm thinking the guy damaged it, and then completely ruined it.

I'm going to have to replace the scope and try a new light source.  I'll follow up with what the issue was, I really appreciate all the help!

that kind of concurs with the images I tested the pixelation and dots were really sevear
just maybe  the tip is so small something was damaged or badly marked.
I was attempting to determin if the capturing was also effecting the outcome
if the desktop is good then it is this PVR it just isnt good enough for a single capture, do you pause it?
you could simply photograph  the desktop image in the PVR instead of capturing it
Or use the snapshot print screen
in refs to your comment here>the picture is kind of distorted once you capture it.<

Thanks for the help guys, I'll post the results after I get the repaired fiber scope back.  I also ordered a new light, that is apparently 3 times as bright as the one I was using before before so hopefully this helps!

Thank you jmchristy
Happy to have helped.
Regarsd Merete