ELP Webcam Tripod Mount

thingiverse

I had a couple of these bare USB webcams lying around for a project that wasn't quite ready to take off, so I needed a webcam to record some live video in a hurry. The sleek design of the ELP cameras is great because there's no unnecessary curvy plastic shell getting in the way, but it also means they don't have an easy way to sit on a table without any extra support. The screw mount holes are 2mm, which I just didn't happen to have and couldn't simply run out to the hardware store to pick up. The solution was to lock the camera PCB into place in a slot and add a tripod mount on top of it. I've got plenty of tripods stashed away for reasons I'm not about to go into, which also opens up all sorts of possibilities with different types of tripods like those bendy gripper guys or the super-cheap $1 wire leg tripods from eBay. This solution works perfectly for any camera with a PCB that's around 38mm wide and no thicker than 1.8mm, as long as there aren't any obstructions in the first 3mm of the bottom edge. There's even an extra 2.6mm of clearance to account for components on the back of the PCB, which is more than generous enough. I've tested it with: * ELP-USBFHD01M-XXX "Full 1080P" (OV2710 sensor) * ELP-USB100W03M-XXX "720P" (OV9712 sensor) Note that the blue painter's tape in the photos is just there to protect against shorting out against metal bits before I made this tripod mount, and isn't actually part of the design. The stabilizing brace holds the camera board securely in place and keeps the 1/4" nut from coming loose when a tripod isn't attached.