How to increase webcam frame rate

There are a few factors you have to consider when using a web cam.
- Pc speed
- Lighting
- Surface
- Color

Pc speed - As you connect your webcam to your pc, the webcam would now rely on your pc to keep up with the recording speed capabilities of the webcam. Try closing other programs so that your webcam recording software can use your pc's full speed.

Lighting - A webcam would do it's best to lighten any picture/video that it records. So if you point your cam to somewhere dark, the processing power of your webcam that should be making your video faster is transfered to it's light balancing feature. You gain more light for the price of speed. Trying feeding more light to the webcam to lessen the webcam's effort on making your video lighter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfDS37zXzE4

Surface - Okay, so I already put tons of light on my webcam. Still nothing. Well it doesn't matter how much light you are producing. What matters is how much light you can point towards your webcam lens. How do you that? Obviously you can't put a freakin' lamp in front of your lens right? This is where your surface matters. You have to find a surface that scatters the light you point towards your hand. If you don't scatter the light, you'll end up with a ball of light somewhere in your video. Just like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj0NXgNNUk0

Try something rough and non reflective. Here I used an old cork board (upside down) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lmcmNQS60Y&feature=related
Here's another one. I used a cotton turtleneck shirt for the surface. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Affdi0_wU3I

Color - As I said before, your webcam seeks more light. So an obvious solution is to use white as a background. But most mods these days come in white. Meaning your mods might be hard to see in these conditions. Try using light brown or wood colors. These seem to be the most effective to use. Just try to avoid dark colors.


If you have more ideas don't forget to share them here through comments.
If you have questions, don't be shy. Kaya nga me comment box sa baba e.

{TH}Ar edits his cam settings and putting the "Exposure level" down, so the frame rate goes faster.. And of course, it has a disadvantage.. it decreases video lighting so just use lamp or whatever and your webcam might just work well. :3 thanks job for your post btw~

Exposure level does not decrease video lighting. It decreases the focus of the subject. That's why it's called EXPOSure. From the word itself, EXPOSE. But yes, it might help BUT it will eventually blur a little depending on the decreased value.

Regarding the 'scattering the light' thingy, you could put a reflector or just simply a paper plate with silver coating. You should point the lamp to the paper plate and adjust the paper plate so that the scattered light will brighten the place you want to brighten.

Another beliefs I want to point out regarding the 'brightness increase FPS' thingy. Job refers to the amount of light received not the 'brightness' setting in the video capture software.

@enzo ung pag decrease ng exposure, wala sya halos effect sa speed ng camera itself. nangyayari nawawala halos ung focus ng cam. less focus = less processing speed needed ng pc mo para marecord ung video = more power for you pc to make higher frame rates.

@erik finally! me nakagets na din dun sa point ko about sa brightness. haha. ang daming nagtatanung kung pde daw taasan ung brightness settings sa webcam driver. dapat taasan ung light na papasok sa cam mo. hindi ung screen mismo tataasan mo ng brightness.

and hindi ko pa natatry ung paper plate thingy.. pag nadaan ako sa grocery.

LOL. Hindi accurate yung direction nung plate. But works fine if lucky enough. LOL. It spreads the light source.

/edit
DARK BACKGROUND


BRIGHT BACKGROUND


Legend in the first pic.

i'm just saying it in LAYMAN'S TERM..

agree ako dun sa Exposure setting ng webcam. dati sobrang frustrated na ko dahil sa sobrang baba ng frame rate ng webcam ko, then tinry ko kalikutin ung setting ng webcam, naka AUTO pala ung exposure, ginawa ko manual then binabaan ko. aun ok na sya ngaun

Pat Soo wrote:agree ako dun sa Exposure setting ng webcam. dati sobrang frustrated na ko dahil sa sobrang baba ng frame rate ng webcam ko, then tinry ko kalikutin ung setting ng webcam, naka AUTO pala ung exposure, ginawa ko manual then binabaan ko. aun ok na sya ngaun

SEE patrick got it.. go pat

PINABABA Q LNG DIN UNG EXPOSURE NG AKIN EH!

How 'bout lighting? It's so useful.