CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/18/2007
- Released on: 06/28/2007
We're not wild about the design of Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks, but its image quality is so vastly superior to that of other notebook Webcams that we're more than willing to make the occasional camera readjustment as needed. The thin clip and vertical orientation of the Webcam make it a challenge to keep the Webcam securely fastened to the top of a laptop--perhaps that's why Logitech includes a small, plastic stand in the box. Thanks to its 2.0-megapixel sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, and Logitech's RightLight technology, however, the $99 QuickCam Pro for Notebooks provides excellent image quality under a variety of lighting conditions. Should you need a Webcam more for casual video chats and less for recording your own videos, the Creative Live Cam Notebook Ultra is slightly less expensive and is much easier to keep anchored to your laptop.
Installation is straightforward. Install the bundled QuickCam software, then plug in the Webcam. An audio tuning wizard lets you optimize the volume for audio input (microphone) and out (speakers). You can adjust sliders for brightness, contrast, color intensity, and white balance, but we found the best results by enabling RightLight and leaving it at that.
The Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks sits 2.4 inches tall by 1.2 inches wide. The rubberized, spring-loaded clip on the back feels sturdy, but the rounded back and the nub on the front part of the clip makes better contact with the included 12-inch stand than with any of the three laptops we used for testing. Slight adjustments to the laptop resulted in the camera drooping forward or listing to one side. Also, be sure to smile when you go to readjust the Webcam; a button at the top of the camera body lets you snap still photos and is almost impossible to avoid accidentally depressing when you reach for the camera.
The QuickCam Pro for Notebooks more than makes up for its clunky design with its stellar image quality. For starters, its 2.0-megapixel sensor is larger than the 1.3-megapixel sensors typically found on Webcams. Further, Logitech's RightLight 2 software does an amazing job of providing a great image under a variety of light conditions, including in low light where most Webcams struggle. We tested under bright lights, low light, and outdoors, and in each scenario, the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks provided the best image. Colors were vivid, and flesh tones were accurate. You can capture video at as fast as 30 frames per second and at one of three resolutions: 320x240, 640x480, and 960x720. You can take still pictures at 1.3-megapixel and 2.0-megapixel resolutions. With software interpolation, you can take 3-, 4-, and 8-megapixel pictures at the expense of image clarity.
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Where to buy
Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks:
$74.95 - $99.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$98.00 | Yes |
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$89.99 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$84.98 | Yes |
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$74.95 | Yes |
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$99.99 | Yes |
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