Comments for HD Webcam Reviews

Comment on Review on the Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam for Business – Gray by YSC "ciac"

YSC "ciac" — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 10:51:54 +0000

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful

An Ambitious Webcam that Sadly Can't Focus, April 28, 2011

YSC "ciac" (Mamaroneck, NY) -

This review is from: Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam - Gray (Personal Computers)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

Let's get one thing out of the way: you probably can't use this at 1080P resolution with the software you currently have, unless you really go out of your way to prepare for this. The camera is capable, but the computer may not be able to process it fast enough. Moreover, MSN and Skype doesn't currently support HD resolution as high as these, and most of time you will just end up seeing VGA resolution on your chats. Those capability will come to be more widely available, but as of now you do need commercial software and expensive hardware to achieve full 1080p potential offered by this web camera.

Pros:
-excellent build quality--the camera has a aluminum barrel and end cap that's 1mm thick. It has coated glass lens and coated lens filter glass. I cannot find manufacturing defects with the unit I received, not even a single hairline scratch.

-It's very portable: much more portable than many other competitive HD cameras out there, particularly from industry leader like Logitech. The rubberized foot/mount is also much smaller than those from similar Logitech offerings. Some may claim it reduces stability, but I found it working rather well clamped on top of my LCD monitor or sitting on the desk without the much added weight and bulk of other "more stable" designs.

-There's a tripod mount on the camera base. It seems like a minor point, but when you think about the capability of this camera, it's better than most of the DV cameras we had just a few years ago or even many of the digital cameras. There is in fact a good reason to consider using this little webcam as a studio camera, where the tripod mount can easily be appreciated.

-Excellent image quality: the sensor of this webcam is clearly larger in size than most(and also claimed by the description without going into the specific size) as it performs very well in low light. Field resolution is also very evenly sharp across the field, excellent for a web camera. Now auto focus is another story (see cons), but in terms of low light sensitivity and general color saturation, this camera compares well with the best webcams out there, if not already the best.

-wide angle coverage: its field of view is 71 degrees, or equivalent to a 24mm lens for a 35mm film camera. Wide angle on a webcam is very desirable and this one is not done at the sacrifice of image quality; and it is capable of focusing down to only 4".

-Microphone is extremely sensitive and has a full range sound pick up. It can detect very minute sounds across the room. You can also hear the entire frequency spectrum like none of my other contemporary Logitech is capable of. However, it is not without faults (see cons).

Cons:
-Auto-Focus -- I own another MS webcam from the latest line-up. This one also suffers from the atrocious AF problem. To say it is minor would be lying. I have had this camera for months, gone through two firmware updates, and the AF hunting issue remains (I can't believe MS isn't fixing it). What it does is that it will scan the entire focus range to hunt for subjects, and sometimes (if not often) it misses the foreground subject and instead focuses on the background, or even mis-focuses all together. It goes through the very annoying routine when the subject moves, adding to the irritation. This problem is more severe under low light conditions, though unless you are basked in sunlight, most indoor situations can be considered low light. None of the Logitechs I tried have this problem, and it's quite an Achilles heel for this otherwise excellent camera.

-Image sharpness: Not quite by the effects of Clearframe, which is what MS calls its image noise reduction technology, there's somehow a lack of sharpness. Don't get me wrong: the image is very saturated and clear, but when you put it next to a Logitech C910 for example, it is not difficult to see that image from C910 is sharper. Now that could very well be software sharpening effects from the Logitech, though *by comparison* the MS cam almost looks smeared. Some software control/adjustment would be nice and could potentially solve this.

-The microphone--on the box description MS said that there is noise reduction. However, it is very easy to notice that the camera microphone picks up EVERYTHING. If there is really noise reduction applied, it surely didn't work at all. There is no software control that lets me adjust/switch noise reduction, a feature that would be sorely appreciated particularly if you are using this for video conference.

-No 1080P recording capability with the enclose software--Granted, 1080P recording isn't quite ready for the masses and still require some expensive/powerful hardware, but to me it would make sense if the enclosed software should be ready to support it even if my hardware isn't. As of now the enclosed software only supports up to 720P recording, and in my experience it is more... Read more

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Comment on Review on the Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam for Business – Gray by Xina143

Xina143 — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:59:10 +0000

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful

Depends on what you want it for..., November 2, 2010

Xina143 (VA USA) -

This review is from: Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam - Gray (Personal Computers)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

I'll start by saying that this is a very capable web camera. For standard web cam communication through services such as Skype or Yahoo, this camera will do everything you need it to and more. And the picture is great quality. As noted in some of the other reviews, there is more to be desired by the camera's low-light functionality. In low light, it tends to go into a full length focus at random intervals. So you'll have to wait a second or two for it to grab focus. Since this is not so much an issue if you have a light near by or in the background, keep one nearby. And the microphone is very worthy - clear, crisp sound.

The camera certainly looks cool and is sturdy in structure - especially compared to some of the flimsy plastic competitors. I'm not a huge fan of the prop stand - it is not a clamp or stand. It is designed to just rest on top of an item of your choice, and also has a tripod bolt hole. It takes a bit of adjusting and it certainly won't hold onto the top of a laptop if you want to walk around. At the price, maybe they could have thrown in a nylon bolt, suction cup, or a true stand to make it more versatile.

The software is very clean and organized, and simple to use. After a quick install, you are good to go. It even coordinates well with 3rd party apps such as Skype. You can take full advantage of the special effects (which are cool, but there could be more) and the different resolutions (low res to 720p). Full 1080p requires special software (not included) and is pretty resource intensive, so you'll have to have a pretty powerful system to keep up in regards to frame rates. 720 is crisp and smooth for me though.

Lastly, the 3 year warranty is nice peace of mind.

All in all, this is a great little camera, that may need to drop in price a bit before it finds a place in more homes, but I would recommend putting it into the side by side comparison for those looking for a high-quality web cam.

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Comment on Review of the Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:57:39 +0000

great quality, great price, July 31, 2011

KLE -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In (Personal Computers)

Everything was great about this cam. Only downside was the built-in cam wasnt very sensitive to sound so we had to get an external mic. Then all was great :)

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Comment on Review of the Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:54:05 +0000

Refer to my other review., November 26, 2011

Tomek -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In (Personal Computers)

Check my review for the generic USB 2.0 Camera compared to this one.

This camera has:

-Sharper Image
-Better low light operation
-Wider but shorter LED flood

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Comment on Review on the Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam for Business – Gray by David Arnstein

David Arnstein — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:20:13 +0000

323 of 346 people found the following review helpful

For most users, better choices exist, November 2, 2010

David Arnstein (California) -

This review is from: Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam - Gray (Personal Computers)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

Customer Video Review Length:: 3:15 Mins

I have been using a Microsoft Lifecam Cinema for several months now, with good results. The "Cinema" is quite similar to this "Studio" webcam, except that its highest resolution is 720P rather than the 1080P offered by the "Studio" webcam.

First disappointment: the "Studio" webcam does not really provide 1080P video. A footnote on the box reads "1080P HD recording requires: commercial video software (not included); (...) Enclosed software supports 720P HD recording."

In other words, you have to buy more software before you can capture 1080P video. I am unable to extract details of this software from the Microsoft support representatives. I must say, I find it rather puzzling that Microsoft did not include software that exploits the full resolution of their hardware.

The "Studio" webcam has a problem with autofocus that is not present in the older "Cinema" webcam. It will hunt for the right focus, resulting in a hopelessly blurry appearance for about two seconds. Irritating.

I have gone back to using my old "Studio" webcam. Because of the autofocus issue, it is a better product.

I have attempted to attach a video clip which demonstrates some fun features of this webcam. Unfortunately, I was obliged to transcode this video to a lower resolution. I did this in order to get the video uploaded to Amazon.com.

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Comment on Review of the Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In by Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:56:34 +0000

Not 12 MP, not Nightvision, LEDs don't work, January 14, 2012

Nathan Bellomy (Columbus, Ohio) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Hootoo Y101-A USB 2.0 Webcam 12.0MP, Night Vision, Microphone Built In (Personal Computers)

My title says it all. The item's description is extremely misleading. If you're hoping for a clear, crisp picture you'll be disappointed. If you're hoping for nightvision, or even built-in LEDs, pass this one by and opt for a more expensive camera. To their credit, the company did offer to give me a refund if I mailed it back. If you're looking for a cheap, low-quality webcam, this is your item.

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Comment on Review of the USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista by Just Bill

Just Bill — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:10:49 +0000

210 of 227 people found the following review helpful

Misleading product title, but still a good purchase, March 19, 2010

Just Bill (OREGON, US) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista (Personal Computers)

First off, this product's name is misleading in several ways. There are no LEDs on it, just plastic domes with a light underneath. Just 6 plastic bubbles put there to focus a light mounted under the body. It still gives off pretty good light, but it is NOT an LED webcam.
Also, I haven't found a single way to make it work night vision. Unless by "night vision" it means "can see in the night because it has lights on it"
The light has a dial on the cord, which isn't magnificent. It's either "on," or "off," with nothing in between. Bright enough to illuminate a face in a pitch black room.
It also says "10x Digital Zoom" on the lens. However, I can't find a way to make it zoom, at all, and it didn't come with instructions. It didn't even come in a box, it came in a plastic bag, inside a water-resistant, bubblewrapped paper bag. Good and protective, but not a box, like the picture suggests.
The stand has a slightly sticky material on it, but the weight of the cord easily still pulls the camera over. A blob of silly putty will hold it in place, piece of cake. The stand also unfolds for some reason unknown to me.
On the positive side, the video quality is decent for the price, the light is pretty bright, good for nighttime recording. It's also plug-n-play, and installs software to let it run after you plug it in. Doesn't come with a recording program though.
Edit: I just discovered a small feature. The silver part on top of the camera is a button. Push it, and it takes a picture. To see the pictures go to My Computer > USB Video Device. There, you see what it sees as the main box, and underneath, it shows all your snapshots. Right click a snapshot, and you can add it to "My Pictures," otherwise, it just stays under USB Video Device

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Comment on Review of the USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista by Alexandra "<3Alexandra<3"

Thu, 31 May 2012 23:38:35 +0000

205 of 218 people found the following review helpful

Awesome!!!, April 10, 2009

Alexandra "<3Alexandra<3" (Hawaii USA) -

This review is from: USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista (Personal Computers)

I was really amazed at this product! Since the price is cheap you think its gonna be a peice of crap or something is broken on it. I read the reviews which were saying thumbs up, so i decided to give it ago if it was crap well atleast i didnt pay much for it. Honestly this is one of the best webcams I have ever owned. The price is cheap, shipping was quick, and everything works. The picture is great and not laggy. All I did was plug it in and get on my skype and it started working it was awesome. The only problem I have with it are the lights a little bright they are either extremely low or really bright. Though it's not a big thing to worry about it's fine for me. not really sure what the button on the top is for though im sure I can figure it out by looking up the manual(manual and instructions not included)I would deffinatly reccommend this webcam to anyone who is searching for a good cheap webcam. Lets just hope it lasts!!!!

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Comment on Review of the USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista by Harold Griffith

Harold Griffith — Thu, 31 May 2012 23:18:01 +0000

184 of 189 people found the following review helpful

Super Value for the Low Cost, July 12, 2011

Harold Griffith (Denver, CO United States) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: USB 6 LED PC Webcam Camera plus + Night Vision MSN, ICQ, AIM, Skype, Net Meeting and compatible with Win 98 / 2000 / NT / Me / XP / Vista (Personal Computers)

Customer Video Review Length:: 2:21 Mins

Positives and negatives in the video (From most to least significant)
-Not an HD webcam
-Make sure your computer has a microphone (very few don't, but this webcam doesn't come with a microphone)
+Great in low light
+Easy to use light intensity switch on the cord
+Lightweight and portable, HOWEVER
-Design flaw in that it doesn't fold flat, so I predict this won't take too many bangs in my bag before it breaks at the "neck" area
-You'll get sun spots staring into the camera, because of all the LED lights (I had wrongly assumed they would be infrared
-A longer cord would be desirable, but it isn't necessary for most people

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Comment on HP Webcam HD-3100 – 720P Widescreen Webcam with TrueVision Review by David Jones "fly fisher"

David Jones "fly fisher" — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:16:05 +0000

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Excellent Webcam with a Temporary Skype Problem, November 30, 2010

David Jones "fly fisher" (New Mexico) -

This review is from: HP Webcam HD-3100 - 720P Widescreen Webcam with TrueVision (Personal Computers)

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

The plug and play worked great on my Windows Vista Business system. There were no surprises and the controls are intuitive. The video is very good and the widescreen is about 10' wide at a distance of 8'. That makes it very easy to have a conference call with multiple people at your location. Even with the widescreen, there is no noticeable distortion or fish eye effect. The sound is quite acceptable for most situations also. I had a minor problem getting the unit to attach to my computer screen, which is a Dell LCD. My screen is a bit thicker than the newer ones and it slopes away and gets thicker as it goes down from the top. The clamping mechanism on the webcam is a bit wimpy and couldn't get a grip on my screen. I solved the problem with the "handyman's secret weapon" (duct tape) to hold the bottom of the clamp to the back of the screen. A more important issue was that the webcam is presently not compatible with the latest version of Skype, which simply can't access the webcam. I called HP tech support and had a very pleasant interaction with a technician and her supervisor. I think the support was provided from India (judging from the names of the people), but was in flawless English without the accent that leaves you regretting the call. They explained that the newest version of Skype is presently incompatible with the webcam, but HP and Skype are working on the problem and expect to have a resolution in the near future. For now, the technician loaded the previous version of Skype on my computer and it works fine. I like the newest version of Skype better, but for now the older version is OK. The webcam has three push buttons on the side, one to take a picture, one to start and stop a video, and a third to start a video conference. When you press the video conference button, it brings up your conferencing application, which in my case is Skype.

Overall I'm very pleased with the webcam and with HP support. I recommend it to anyone, unless you are locked into the latest version of Skype and can't wait for the fix.

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