214
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #145,283 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
Fantastic camera!
I just received this camera and I'm a little blown away by the quality of it.
First of all may I suggest that you don't test it out, first thing in the morning, when you have bed head? The startling clarity and resolution might depress you, as it did me. Heh.
This cam's resolution and speed is remarkable. It's comparable to the laser sharp quality imaging you get with a digital camera ... crisp, clean and very responsive. Movement is immediate, there's no lag or delay, it's like using a video camera; it's that quick. On messenger chat, there is some delay, but that has more to do with the messenger server than the camera itself.
I had an old logitech webcam that was grainy in picture, but still acceptable for using in conferences and on chat. I decided to spend the money and buy the pro version as an indulgence. The contrasting difference between the old cam and the new one is amazing. I cannot praise it enough.
The software included with the camera is neat too ... offering a wide array of image recording from the single photo to video stream to setting up an online webcam. Roxio is another software program included in the package that allows you to later burn your video/images onto a CD (if you have a CD burner). The software also comes with something called face centering ... this takes tonalities and hues of the person in the image and makes sure it's evenly presented when a photo is snapped.
The camera itself has a little button on the top of it that you can press to take single shots, as well as a privacy guard to put down over the lens when not in use.
The only negative would be the lack of manual that comes with the camera. Logitech ships it with a single sheaf of paper, explaining how to install, but nothing about how to use the software in the package. Thankfully most information can be found online.
I read reviews here saying the camera caused failures and other problems, so I was hesitant to buy it, but I'm glad I did. I've encountered no problems with it, but I do have a newer machine. I would suggest that if you don't have at least a newer/higher level video card (iNvida or RAGE), this camera probably isn't for you. It requires system resources to make it work to its full potential, and on older machines with older cards or not enough RAM (memory -- at least 512megs), you'll likely run into problems that others have described.
Otherwise, buy this camera. It is very much worth the price.
March 2003 · Electronics