I’m likely to be needing my own document camera in the next school year, so I decided to try something that I had heard about, making my own DIY document camera. I had been nagging Brian Van Dyck for schematics on how he had done this using PVC piping as a frame for a Logitech camera. He didn’t have a chance to get back to me before I saw this link, Learning Curves: Afternoon Craft Project, which got me thinking…

I went to Frys to find a “barrel-shaped” web-cam. I went for a low-end HD model that promised 1240pi resolution (don’t quote me on that number, it was something above 1000, and 780 appears to be the cut-off for HD).

I got it home and took an old gooseneck lamp apart, removing the electrical parts and wires, and shade.  I tried a couple different methods to “attach” it (duct tape, glue gun, magnets). You can see some of the “remains” from the duct tape adhesive in the picture below, lol. I wondered if removing the “stand” would make a better attachment. It had a ball hinge, so I pulled it apart.

I then put it up to the opening at the top of the goose-neck, and lo and behold, it clicked in and fit perfectly!

I also spent about $5 on a USB extension, because the web cam cord was only about 3 feet, which won’t be long enough to connect to a computer, etc.

Here is my video walk through of the project:

How to Create Your Own Document Camera from A Mercer on Vimeo.