An apparatus for monitoring machine components includes:a device for acquiring video image files；a data analysis system including processor and memory；a computer program operating in said processor to identify an area in said images where periodic movements associated with a mechanical vibration may be detected and quantified using an adaptive array comparison procedure； and,an interface to output said vibration information in a usable form.The apparatus may further include a graphical user interface and an accessible database. An associated method for using the apparatus is also disclosed.
