I spent a lot of time deciding which webcam to buy and very glad I chose the Quickcam Pro 9000. I read all the reviews and weighed them against a few things. One being my computer which is a 1 1/2 year old IBM laptop that has had major problems since about 6 months after I bought it. Installing new hardware or software always makes me nervous but I do backup everything on my computer weekly at this point for fear of the blue screen of death (which I've gotten a few times already). Next I was thinking about how this webcam would function for me using Sightspeed. Though there were many good reviews, there were also some negative ones but compared to the other webcams out there I felt it was worth a shot.
Here is what I have experienced....
(I have an IBM Laptop running Windows XP using Sightspeed)
I downloaded the software and had no problems whatsoever. Next I downloaded Sightspeed, again no problems whatsoever. I plug the camera in and made the necessary adjustments for my particular environment (i.e. lighting, sound, etc.) What I found out very early on is the following, although the Rightlight technology is FANTASITC in regards to preserving and providing the perfect amount of light, it also does something else. It will cause ghosting as well as reduced sound quality. So, although it looks nice, it does not work well for me. So, I unchecked the Rightlight box and wow what a difference. ABSOLUTLY NO MORE GHOSTING. My image obviously was darker but by adding in my own light i.e. turning on more lights or opening the blinds, that was quickly alleviated. Sporadically I will get an echo even if I have the echo cancellation on and the background noise suppressed but have found that the echo is directly related to my celing fan being on and or my air conditioner noise - once I turn those off the echo is gone. Obviously if they need to be on, then I just adjust the volume on my computer, the camera recording volume and the volume on sightspeed and it's no longer bothersome. I should say I only use the webcam to have videocalls with family and friends, I don't use it for instant messaging or chatting or any of those other things. My 4 year old loves it and he does video calls with his preschool friends and his Nana and like any 4 year old he's hopping all over the place and still the webcam works great, always following and focusing on his image.
My only complaint about it would be that it doesn't come with a case and they don't make one for it. If they made one, I would be happy to even pay extra for the case. So, I'm trying to find a "gadget" type case to keep this webcam and my card reader in as I don't want the lens getting scratched when it's not on my computer. Other that that, I love it and it works great for us. But if you are expecting perfection, then I would suggest not buying a webcam because you will be dissapointed as nothing is perfect. I do know a lot of people have a problem with this camera with Skype, my recommendation would be to try this camera with Sightspeed, you will be VERY happy you did. Sightspeed is just awesome!! I personally have not used Skype with this camera so I cannot attest to how it functions on Skype. I should say, I have absolutely no affiliation with Sightspeed whatsoever but have had and continue to have such a great experience using this camera with Sightspeed. I would recommend anyone having issues with this camera on Skype to try it with Sightspeed before returning it but be sure to remove Skype from your computer first or you will have a conflict between the two programs and that's a whole other issue.
One other comment...My husband has the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks (running Windows XP using Sightspeed on his IBM laptop) and that too works great though I think this one has better optics. His is MUCH smaller and comes with a case which is nice because he takes it with him on business trips. So if you are decided between these two and you travel a lot for business I would choose the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, it works exactly the same though as I said a very slightly lower quality to the optics but not something that would deter me from purchasing it - this size and case are much more convenient for travel.
I highly recommend the Quickcam Pro 9000 but again like any technology it depends on your specific computer set up, the service you use and how they function together. I do hope this review is helpful in making your purchasing decision. I think if it's compatible with your system and you expect something fun to use, that works very well but isn't perfect, you will be extremely pleased!Get more detail about
Logitech Webcam Pro 9000.
