Yeah, Casa Duffbert's been stocking up on the tech toys recently. The latest gadget to get a try-out is the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000. I've tried other webcams in the past, and they've not been a permanent part of my environment. This one might just change that trend...
The QuickCam is designed to sit on top of your terminal or laptop lid using a rather cool design. The back swivels out and allows you to prop the webcam in just about any angle you can imagine. It took me less than five seconds to get it flat and stable on my Sony Vaio laptop screen, and it stays rock solid in one place. This beats those round ball webcams that always had to be set somewhere on the desk to be stable (you can tell how long it's been since I've been enticed to try out a webcam again). The software loaded up quickly, and then it was playtime. The camera shoots from an email-sized 320 x 240 video clear up to an 8 megapixel setting. When I took photos and captured video, the clarity and resolution were excellent, and I was amazed at the picture quality.
On the "fun" side, the software comes with some cool effect settings. You can set up avatars that will calibrate on your facial features, and then allow the character to mimic your movements. I also got a kick out of the "fun filters", which do some cool things to the video image. There's one that turns the video into a grainy black and white film, and it gives your vid capture a "noire" look. I could see how it would be rather striking for some sort of a documentary or a pseudo-serious video.
There are a number of services that the software automatically recognizes, such as YouTube and chat clients. Therefore, you should have no problem getting hooked into the latest video crazes out there. And the configuration and setting options are incredible. The camera can track and pan faces (one or more), so you don't have to worry about centering. Honestly, you'd have to be moving around a lot *not* to remain on the screen, as the width of the picture is quite wide. Add in automatic brightness control, contrast, etc., and even a non-expert like me can come off with a decent feed to show the world. Of course, I'm not giving the camera much to work with, either...
I plan on leaving this set up on my laptop with Skype running on a regular basis. I'll be interested to see how it performs in that realm. But as of right now, the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 has earned a spot on my cluttered desk...
Get more detail about Logitech Webcam Pro 9000.
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