- Media: Personal Computers
- Item Quantity: 1
Product Details
Would you like to give feedback on images?
|
|
QuickCam lets you add LIVE video to your instant messenger service. It's fun and easy to show friends and family your smile while instant messaging. | Product Features
E-mail videos & photos quickly One click lets you send video e-mail and photo as easily as you send text - even with AOL. No camera is required at the other end - whether it's a Mac or PC! Chat face-to-face online Video-chat with your best friend or relative using your instant messenger service. The built-in mic lets you express yourself. |
Get closer... instantly
Product Specifications
| ![]() |
Integrated Software
Extra Software
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
The webcam captures decent colors. The key is to have good ambient lighting: place a light behind the camera, not behind yourself! Also don't use a strong light source; something soft works best. The camera provides auto-white balance as well as auto exposure. Focus, however, is not automatic, so you need to manually turn the focus ring to get the sharpest picture of yourself. You can also snap still images of yourself, if that's what you are into.
If you run Windows XP, you don't need to install any driver. Just plug in the QuickCam Messenger, and fire up the latest version of MSN Messenger (version 6), which was compiled to work great with Logitech webcams, thanks to some marketing agreement between Microsoft and Logitech. You can also use Yahoo Messenger, but the new MSN Messenger has better video chat than Yahoo's offering. For AOL's instant messenging program, you'll need to install a utility on the companion CD-ROM. I haven't tried it since I don't use AIM, so can't comment on its quality.
For other flavors of Windows -- Win 2000, ME or 98 -- install the companion software first before you plug in the QuickCam Messenger. The installer will tell you went to plug the webcam into the USB port.
In short, this webcam gives decent image quality (esp. considering the price, before or after rebate) and has the nice touch of a built-in mic. The downside is no auto focus and so-so image quality.
Note: There's no support for Macintosh. If you use a Mac, get a Windows XP PC, or you can probably use Virtual PC 6 to make it work.
The installation of the software is easy, though I would suggest the custom install for those who know a bit about what programs they want and don't want loaded.
The picture is fantastic, particularly if you have a bright light or window behind you! The focus ring works well to adjust to different preferred distances from the webcam.
The software suite is easy and intuitive to use. Create an .avi movie file with sound by selecting the button and clicking start. To send it to someone simply right-click your resulting file to find the 'email' option. The built in auto-compressor is a nice feature bringing the 2Mb movie to a 60K size for sending that all but the most full email accounts can receive. It took me less than 3 minutes to send a friend a 10sec movie note.
For less than $35 including the mail-in rebate, considering it's ease of use and clear picture, it's probably your best deal on a webcam/mic/camera all-in-one.
So, in bright light condition and all you need is just a little video in IM chatting, you might get away with this QuickCam Messenger, but for all the others, will be better off with the QuickCam Pro 4000.
All after all, this is the first time I can compare side by side with 2 webcam using different technologies (CCD vs. CMOS) and obviously, you get what you paid for. :)
My advice will be go for the QuickCam Pro 4000 or the recently introduced Orbit, but of course, more expansive. Good luck in searching for the new webcam.