Some cameras, like the 5mp-60, have a narrow focus depth, and if mounted high, can be tricky to focus.

Focus the camera so as much of the bed is in focus as possible.

Ramming the laser head into your shiny new camera is a great way to increase your blood pressure.

Make sure that wherever you choose to mount the camera that it is out of the path of the laser head, and that you run the cable so it is not in the path of the beam.

A small piece of EVA foam or even tissue can hold the camera securely in the mount.

If your camera is in a mount, make sure it does not move within the mount.

If you mount to the lid of your laser, make sure the lid opens to the same place every time - gas struts have a bit of play in them, so using a cord or rod to ensure the lid is always at the same position when opened can help.

The camera must be solidly mounted such that it is always in exactly the same position when using it, relative to the work area of your laser, and the top of the material.Most LightBurn cameras are manually focused by twisting the lens. The camera should be focused as well as possible.We generally recommend mounting on the inside of the lid, when opened, like this: The ideal mounting position for the camera is directly above the center of the bed of the laser, with the bed completely in view (similar to the image shown above).If you are installing the camera yourself, there are a few key things here worth noting. If your machine already has a camera installed, you can skip this part.

It takes a bit of effort to set up, but it's worth it. LightBurn will correct for this, as well as mounting at odd angles, and will simulate a clean, top-down view of whatever is on the bed of your laser.

This image is fairly distorted, because the camera used here has a fish-eye lens. As such, some software cameras (such as OBS Studio's 'Virtual Camera') may not present as a camera at all to LightBurn, or may render incorrectly. LightBurn only supports the use of UVC-compatible cameras.

Lightburn camera with autofocus