Need a Close Focus Digital Camera

Look for a camera with good "macro" performance.

It can be found on the cheapest of cameras and it is always boasted about when it exists.

This looks like the higher end version of a kids version I've used that is great!

That looks like it would work, but I wouldn't need that much magnification; maybe 10x maximum. I wonder if a dash cam or review view camera would be suitable. It needs to be hands free set up a fair distance away from the work, so as not to damage the camera from hot, flying metal chips and coolant, but I think we are on the right path. What is the kids version?

"It needs to be hands free set up a fair distance away from the work, so as not to damage the camera from hot, flying metal chips and coolant, but I think we are on the right path."

That right there means that a Macro Zoom lens is the wrong way to go. Macro Zoom is for taking detailed close-up pics, usually described as 0-4 feet from the lens.

What you want is a camera with a good optical zoom, you may need one that takes interchangeable lenses⁽¹⁾ to get the zoom you need. Then you have the camera set up a safe distance away, and adjust the zoom to frame what you're going to work on.

Another method of protecting the camera is to use a clear shield, maybe polycarbonate, plexiglass, or glass, whatever will withstand the heat and debris.

A third idea would be go get one of those GoPro cameras that they're touting for head-mounted and underwater 'extreme film making,' I remember that the Mythbusters, in their heyday, were using them a lot as the 'sacrificial cameras,' due to their good image quality and low cost⁽²⁾.

Just some ideas to help you move forward.

Notes:

1. Remember when any 'decent' camera had this as a standard feature? If the camera had a non-changable lens it was automatically considered a 'low end' model, suitable only for 'vacation photos' that nobody ever really looked at.
2. Well, low compared to the cost of the studio cameras, or the high-speed cameras they were pulling out to catch the beauty of the shockwaves from Jamie's Big Booms.
   

This looks like the current version.. Amazing "toy"

The Eyclops? version had AV out and SD etc.. battery or plug. not sure about this one. all are available.

I think you want a digital camcorder.

I have a Samsung (HMX-F90) that will hook directly into the monitor ports on my digital TV. (not the HDMI port)

It cost about $150.00 USD. You will probably need an extension cable for the TV hook-up. They're cheap.

Disclaimer: I've never tried exactly what you want, but I've got some very high res pictures of my blue jean fabric when I left it on once between plays at a football game. I think it will work well.

You might be able to get where you want to go with a Web-cam (if magnifying abilities are good enough). (Just an idea, but it seems that something economical should already be out there.)

Here's some....

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WA8JOQ?psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/IPEVO-Point-View-USB-Camera/dp/B002UBPBTC

http://www.microscopeworld.com/c-139-microscope-digital-cameras.aspx?ibp-adgroup=adwords&gclid=Cj0KEQjwt763BRDZx_Xg3-Pv2cABEiQAoDfeGPsIzWzm2qR-9E45jmLTxd0AFK4GTBb4bJDRe-BrE7gaAlyG8P8HAQ

If you have a video camera, you can place a magnifying lens in front of it to move the focus close up, and it works just like looking through it with your eyes.

A magnifier focuses on an object which is close, but the image of the object seen by your eye or a video camera is much farther away or at infinity. If you have a lighted magnifier on your tool bench, that would be ideal. Just aim your camera through the magnifier.

I designed a custom solution for a machine shop that wanted to monitor inside a lathe, especially during the 'tool teaching' step. Outside of the frame and multi-axis camera mount with vibration isolation to limit machine harmonics in the image... we qualified a couple different makes and models:

https://www.alliedvision.com/en/digital-industrial-camera-solutions.html

http://www.aegis-elec.com/view-by-application/machine-vision.html

We ended up going with the latter as there were standard options for protective casing the fit the client's needs. They can provide total systems, excluding mounting as that will be custom based on your machine tool.

try Ebay

Even my first analog video recorder could make a video monitor/Analog TV show a single button on a telephone the same size as the whole screen, in really good detail!!

I still have it, its at least 20 years old, maybe more......worth nothing nowadays.....

It really depends on your pocket book! How much do you want to spend?

Also, the distance from the object plays a role. That old camera of mine could autofocus at 1 cm range......

As someone else said, look for a camera with a good macro "switch" some are really s***!!!

Get one nowadays with a HDMI socket, attach it directly to a monitor/TV......really easy.....also with a DC socket for power without using a battery!!

An old video camera, plus a small flat screen TV should do the job fine. Buy an underwater case if it might get splashed.....

Best of luck....

Look for Flexible Borescopes. For the work you're wanting a camera for they are ideal to get in close.

How about one of those new fangled endoscope attachments for your smartphone (assuming you've got one). Like this one:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DBPOWER-Waterproof-Endoscope-Inspection-Borescope/dp/B015CM7VNE/ref=sr_1_1/278-4151156-3008320?ie=UTF8&qid=1458651072&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=inspection+camera&psc=1

Small and compact, to get up close to the piece you're machhining and, waterproof also, so you can keep using your cutting fluid.

Hi Ronsetto. You can easily add that "macro" functionality to any digital camera if you can somehow change the normal distanse between image sensor and lens. Adding some spacer there, you can focus on much closer objects and of course magnify them. The trick is to avoid any light leaking from the sides. Of course the initial lens type will have effect on final results, and this trick works best with big, narrow angle lenses, also you loose the ability to focus on far objects, so the mod must be reversible. With modern cameras with "non removable" or motorized lenses it can become tricky or even impossible. S.M.