Zoom: Highly advanced question

Hi,

I need to mount a video camera on an adjustable arm and use it to zoom in on small details in my artwork so that the image appears enlarged on my PC monitor as I am am working. I need a camera with good pixelation, good colour and super zoom, and the ability to directly feed live video into my PC monitor without filming.
There are pencil video cameras for working at very high zoom but the are suitable only for microscopic work and unable to cope with larger images.

Hope someone can advise?
Thanks,
Sara.:)

I think what you want is a camera with good macro (the ability to focus closely on things a short distance from the lens) - does it need to connect to your pc monitor or would a tv do and how long does it need to operate for? the reason I ask is that many home cameras with a macro or close up filter attached would do the job for you, but they will only be able to send a live feed to a tv and they tend to turn off after a few minutes when not recording. most decent broadcast systems will do this very easily, but you are really talking about having a vision mixer etc attached to your computer to handle the incoming feed and even then they still expect to record something, even if you discard what you have recorded after you are done? Your other option would be to look into web cameras, but I don't know how you are going to use the video so I don't know if they would support the resolution you require.

Thanks Skyman,
Actually I do'nt wish to record anything. All I want is to focus the camera on my work and see it magnified on my PC monitor. I am now looking at a camera used for people with reading impairments but it costs two thousand pounds. It shows the live feed on your pc. So I suppose I dont need a video camera at all just a camera that can do the job.

I appreaciate that you don't want to record anything, what I am saying is that with most video systems what you want to do won't work without it being recorded as the cameras turn themselves off. I think if unless for some reason you would prefer not to record then a video camera option is still ok. you should be able to put something very very good together for a couple of hundred dollars as a couple of thousand. Have you looked at security servailance cameras? they probably don't focus closely enough for your purposes but as I understand it they have a filter thread so you should be able to mount a macro filter on your camera fairly easily and they don't need to be set to record.