Logitech QuickCam Home - USB

URL: http://www.logitech.com/cf/products/cameras.cfm

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Rating: Very good

Review:

I found this webcam on a special offer for about $20 and decided it was worth the risk to purchase it "blind." The Camera itself is quite sleek, with a front cover, focus dial, and a "shutter" button on top. The installation was quick and painless thanks to Windows 98's USB support. I simply plugged it in and inserted the CD-ROM that accompanied the camera when prompted. A relatively small program acts as the interface, which is nice in that it does not tie up a lot of your system resources while operating.

As I began to use the QuickCam Home I find that I am both a little elated and somewhat disappointed with the features. On the down side, the camera has low resolutions, and my pictures are grainier than I expected from the QuickCam family of products. I owned one of the old Black & white QuickCams when they came out a few years back, and it had a much clearer picture.

On the up side is the software interface and features which come with it. It's very easy to take still photos and have them sent immediately via email if you use a MAPI or similar email service (AOL is not quite so simple). The "Camware" interface will also make video files with sound from the on-camera microphone. On saving the program has a rudimentary compression program, that while lacking in image quality, packages the sound and video with an application so that you can e-mail it to anyone for viewing. An additional perk in the Camware is the ability to make animations, either time lapse photos or stop-motion, like claymation. I've used this a couple of times and received cute results.

Overall, if you're not out to publish your images and just want a quick photo or movie to send to family and loved ones, this is a good alternative.

Submitted by: Joshua