awww its cute! (Logitech Quickcam Web)

Member Name: uncle_bob

Product:	Logitech Quickcam Web
Date:	11/08/02 (2167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good quality, good quality mic, small and eay to use

Disadvantages: cable can be a bit troublesome

What a cute little camera this is. I was looking for a new webcam, as my old one got blown up when I accidentally plugged the wrong mains adapter into my USB hub and fried everything attached to it. Yes I know I know, I don't have much luck with computers.
Anyway, shopping around I found the Logitech QuickCam. It was a reasonable price when compared to a lot of other cams, and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a webcam, as they aren't really an important piece of hardware for me, just a bit of fun. So the price of this cam was rather tempting.
So far, I have not regretted it.

So, the cam
Well, it's a webcam, not a video camera, if you are after video quality pictures and smooth running you won't get it from a webcam. I have noticed a lot of people writing reviews on cameras moan because the quality is bad, but that's what you have to expect from a webcam, especially when your using software such as Yahoo! Messenger, or NetMeeting, which is free and designed for fun only. If you want good quality video images, then you need to splash out on ADSL at least connection on both ends, expensive conferencing software and an expensive video camera, I'm afraid.
So the camera. It's small, round and cuddly, that's the best way to describe it. It is a compact camera, and actually looks quite nice sitting on your desk, unlike a lot of the bigger cameras that are bulky and look like something out of the Stargate series.

Installation?
I was very surprised. Its USB so installation is easy. But you should follow the instructions, plugging it in and letting windows do it for you, will result in poor running.
Installed the software first, like it said, and it went through fine, restarted, then plugged my cam in, it found it and then automatically set up the mic and I was away. No messing around with having to restart, plug it in again, etc. I was very surprised.
Once it is installed, being USB, you c
an easily unplug it and plug it in till your hearts content, and it will just keep on running.

So how does it perform?
Well, it is not bad for a webcam. I use it with Yahoo! Messenger 5.5 Beta, but started using it with Messenger 5, which is bundled with the camera, and it works well.
The image quality when broadcasting is viewable and when you mess around with the settings you can actually get a very good picture.
The framerate depends on your connection, and the viewer's connection. I use dialup, and usually connected at about 45000bps, and the broadcast is not smooth, but it is good enough. If you are running broadband, and so is the viewer, you can use Yahoo’s 'super format' which will greatly increase the quality and framerate of your camera, however you both need to have the Beta version of messenger, and both need broadband.
Overall, the software is what makes the quality, and Yahoo! Messenger 5.5 Beta, does it very well, when compared to version 5, that comes with the cam.
Apart from broadcasting, you can also use it for videoing etc offline, and taking still pictures, using the software that comes with it.
When not under the broadcasting load, you get to see the true quality of the camera, and you can make a pretty good quality video using it, which is rare with a webcam.

The onboard mic, is very good I have found, as we speak I am using it to play music across voice chat, and the camera is probably about 6feet away from the speakers and it is broadcasting, apparently, like it is the speakers, much better than any standalone mic I have used on my computer. It is very sensitive and sometimes broadcasts sounds, you may not want to broadcast, but the windows volume controls are enough to adjust that.

What about the software?
Well the camera came bundled with Logitech's Quickcam software, Yahoo! Messenger 5, Microsoft's NetMeeting, and other various bits and pieces which I haven
't used.
It is compatible with all versions of Windows, apart from NT and 95 or lower. But for a change, it is a piece of hardware that Windows XP supports!
I have already told you about Yahoo! Software earlier so won't go into that again, but bare in mind, the camera is supported by Yahoo! Officially, and so both are probably the best compatibility you will get.
Microsoft NetMeeting I don't use, because it has never been any good for general use. And I very rarely get it to work, if at all. However you may have better luck with it, depending on your connection.
The Logitech software is good. And a bit of fun.
It has the usual, record a video, take a still, email a motion picture etc things in it, which all seem to work well. The email feature is all very good if your email client will allow you to send 300MB attachments, and there are not many that will let you do that. So if you do want to email video, you have to keep it small, down to the few seconds really, as the file size does increase fast.
One nice feature the software has, is it utilises the motion detector within the cam. This means you can set your cam to motion detect and leave it, and then if anyone moves in front of it, it will make a, user defined, sound and take a picture of the offender. Very useful for catching that person who is using your computer when they shouldn't, or as a security measure, for guarding items. If you are like me and have a common problem with people entering your property or something, it is a cheaper alternative to having expensive CCTV installed, if all you want is a photo id of the person.
The software is stable, and reliable, and easy to use. It comes with a very good help file.

What features does the cam have?
Well it has motion detector, as just mentioned.
Onboard Mic, which is actually good quality.
Lens cover, or privacy cover as they call it, which is basically a cover that hinges down over the lens an
d just gives the viewer a blank screen with Quickcam in the middle, useful if you want to pick your nose, or get changed, while someone is viewing you!
Still picture button. Which you can press and it will take a snapshot.
Focus lens, so you can adjust the focus manually, if required.
Stand. The stand it comes on, is quite good, and does allow for some adjustment in the position of the cam. It is small so will fit onto a messy desk, if needed, and has rubber feet, which helps stop it moving too much.
Also, It can be fitted to a tri pod, by pulling it from its stand and unscrewing the metal fixing, revealing a threaded hole which will fit onto most tri pod stands.
A long enough USB cable for most applications. The cable is long enough to allow you to position the cam up to about 2 meters from the USB port, with an inline suppresser, which helps reduce interference.
Compact size, makes it good when space is an issue, however the long stiffish cable, does make it a bit of a trouble to use with laptops, as the cable is hard to fit into most laptop carry cases.

Overall, for the money, it is a great little cam. And if you just want a cam that will broadcast you to friends anywhere in the world, or for just messing around recording things for personal use, then this is well worth looking into. Remember it is a Webcam, so will not give you video quality, but it has a lot of adjustments and settings in the software, which means you can get a fairly good image.
When coupled to Yahoo! Messenger, it works better than any other cam I have tried.

Summary: