Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks (USB)
See it at Amazon.com for $43.00Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Great Camera For Travelers With Notebooks
This camera takes excellent pictures (1280x960 stills and 640x480 video) even in low light where my other cameras have had problems.
It hooks over the top of the laptop screen and is held there by its own weight. This is a bit of a problem since mine often doesn't sit level and moves around if the cable (30" USB) gets moved. It says it will work with any laptop but the mounting won't acommodate the thickness of my Toshiba Tablet PC when it is in the tablet configuration. There is no provision for attaching a base or tripod so this is really a notebook (or flat screen) only camera. Overall the mounting system could be improved.
The mount folds into the metal camera shell and a flap covers the lense to protect it in transport. It even comes with a plastic clamshell case that the camera sits in with the cable wound around it. A nice touch.
There is some included software that looks nice but you need to download a third party codec for an additional $15 that you don't learn about until you try to use the software. This needs to be factored into the overall cost of the camera.
This is definately a camera you should consider of you travel with a notebook computer. I would buy it again.
Compatible with Windows XP and iSpQ 6.0.
(5 out of 5)Excellent framerate, picture quality, CPU, ease of use
I have tested about 30 USB cameras for use on PCs running videoconferencing software, because that's what I do for a living.
This camera hits all the hot buttons. And virtually no other camera I have tested had done as well, except a few other Logitechs, and some Firewire cameras that are much more expensive.
I used it on a Windows XP Pro SP1 laptop.
1. Full 30 frames per second live video in normal room light
2. Easy to install, doesn't screw up other installed media software products after you install it.
3. Slim, light, elegant, especially for laptop use because it was designed to hang on the back of a laptop lid. Other people have complained that it's flimsy and awkward to stand up on its own if you aren't using a laptop. I disagree. I've had it for more than a year, and it's as perfect as the day I got it. What's more, our company has used dozens of these on employees' computers, and customers' computers, and not one has failed or broken. The trick to standing it up on its own for a desktop computer is to flip open the little carrying box that comes with it, and sit the camera inside that box like a base. Then, it will happily sit on top of you monitor with no problem. This isn't obvious, nor am I even sure Logitech intended it, but it does work.
4. Picture quality and color balance are excellent, especially for a USB camera.
5. Low CPU load. Maybe a lot of you don't look at this, but it's important. This camera will do a live 352x288 pixel, 30 frame-per-second capture using only about 18% of my 2.4 GHz P4 laptop. Most other cameras, especially the Creative and most USB 2.0 cameras, sap the machine to the tune of 50-70% to do the same job.
6. The built-in mic works very well, but it's a little "hot" for my taste. You'll just need to adjust your mic volume down in the 15%-20% range for this camera.
7. Focus ring is smooth and easy to operate, unlike lots of USB cams where the focus ring is an awkward rubber sticky thing that's impossible to turn (or they have no focus adjustment at all!)
8. Works with every single video capture/editing/conferencing application I have ever tried, bar none, and that would be at least 20 different products from videoconferencing apps, to capture apps like VidCap32 and AMCAP, to video editing tools like MainActor.
In short, for $80, you are not going to find an easier-to-use, more reliable, better-quality camera.
I have some $150 firewire models (like the Orange Micro iBot Firewire Pro) that might have a slight edge on this one, but not much, and they aren't nearly as easy to carry, setup, or use.
The Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 (desktop model) is also an excellent camera, but I'd actually have to give the notebook model the nod for a bit better video quality.
(5 out of 5)I like it so much, I purchased two.........
This little baby is great (and I do mean little)! The picture is clear as a bell and setup was painless. We wanted them so while my wife was in AZ for 5 weeks training for her new job, our kids would be able to see her each night, using the included Yahoo video messenger program. I liked the design so much, we purchased a second one for our home computer, even though it is not a notebook. I just set it up using a picture frame, on top of our monitor. We had read the Logitech 4000 (the desktop version which had been our first choice for the second webcam) had a flimsy design, so rather than fight that issue, we just decided to stick with the notebook version.....no regrets yet!!!!!
(5 out of 5)Ideal for the traveller
I've used this web cam for more than a year when I trave . It's perfect for the task, fitting into a small mesh bag with a boom mike headset. The supplied case protects it well.
In use, the supplied mounting is a bit of genius: it will hang happily and steadily from the several laptops I've used it with. Learning the technique of mounting it correctly may take a few moments to master. You are essentially seeeking the web cam's center of gravity. Judging from some of the reviews here it would seem some did not grasp that essential concept.
Image quality is good. Certainly not less than I would expect - but not anything more either.
For stationary user there are better choices. For the traveller, however, this is the best I've found.
Jerry
(4 out of 5)Wonderful webcam for Notebook computers
My family is in India and I am working in U.S., so I am chatting with my family everyday through Yahoo messenger. First I purchased a Logitech quick cam 310. But I felt very much inconvenience while I am using my notebook computer. So I decided to purchase another web cam for my notebook and purchased this. For this web cam also the mounting system should be improved. But picture quality is wonderful. Really this is a good web cam for the people who are working with notebooks. Now I am happy with this.