need a webcam...any suggestions?

[imported_rogerwilco]

but the question is...
have any of you heard about the logitech quickcam Zoom ?
Zoom

I really need an opinion on this one, I'm going to purchase it tomorrow !

 

[RanDum72]

I would pony up a few extra bucks and buy the 4000. The QuickCam Zoom has all the features of the 4000 except for the sensor. It uses a CMOS sensor, the 4000 uses CCD. The new QuickCam Fusion claims USB 2.0 High Speed connectivity and also has 1.3mp picture resolution but the Logitech site doesn't state if it uses CMOS or CCD.

 

[imported_rogerwilco]

unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow me to buy the 4000 ( which costs a whole lot more in my country ).
what's the big deal about the sensor ?
does the camera produce an inferior picture quality that the 4000 ?

 

[kcbass]

well, no one seems to have an actual review for the fusion, but it looks pretty cool to me.

the only mention of the sensor I've seen is this from a press release:

The Logitech QuickCam Fusion webcam uses Logitech RightLight technology, which is a system of hardware and firmware technologies that improves the image quality of a webcam in a wide variety of lighting conditions, particularly in low light. Logitech RightLight technology consists of advanced sensor technology, sophisticated firmware and high-quality lenses that work together to deliver greater light sensitivity and optimized skin tones, while minimizing distortion of the images.

It sounds to me like it's an improved version of the CCD sensor (or at least it better be for a hundred bucks....)

 

[kcbass]

bump

 

[RanDum72]

unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow me to buy the 4000 ( which costs a whole lot more in my country ).

If the price of the 4000 doesn't make sense to your budget, then there is no other choice except buy the cheaper one. Of course there are tradeoffs (you'll notice it in low light when things get grainy and color is off) but you have to buy what is best for you. Just have a well lit room and low light shouldn't be a problem😉

 

[kcbass]

sorry, haven't seen the zoom. The quickcam fusion was just released. I bought one this morning. Hopefully I'll get it next week, and I'll let you guys know how I like it. 

 

[kcbass]

finally got a chance to hook up my fusion, and it works great. the viedo is crisp (with the exception of some minor pixelation when I move fast) and can go as high as 4 megapixel with software enhancement. The facetracking and lowlight stuff are amazing...I can bsically broadcast video in total darkness, and i'm always in frame. I haven't had a chance to set up the audio or the little face animations, but i'll be getting to those soon.

great camera

 

[V00D00]

I hate those stupid webcams. They never day how many pixels the CCD uses. That's what you really want to know to judge the picture quality.

It says the resolution is 640x480, so then that's 307,200 pixels, or 307k pixels. Think of how crappy a 1 megapixel (1,000,000 pixels) camera looks. So then a camera that is a "true" 640x480 will look like 1/3 the quality of a 1 megapixel digital camera.

On the logitech site there is a comparison chart:
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/produ...,contentid=7105,crid=2204,sh=1,chart=1

See how some have the "True 1.3 megapixel CCD". Those models will have the best quality.
Those include: QuickCam® Fusion ($99), QuickCam® Orbit MP ($129), QuickCam® for Notebooks Pro ($99)

Those are all pretty pricey, but they will offer the best quality.

 

[kcbass]

i like how the orbit follows you around...that's a cool feature, but i wouldn't pay extra for it. the fusion focuses in on your face automatically....no setup time required.