See mum? I have NOT put on weight...
Written: Feb 03 '05 (Updated Feb 09 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sleek style, easy to use, USB, and decent image.
Cons: Hard to control webcam angle (weak neck syndrome).
The Bottom Line: Logitech makes great products. This one is easy to use, easy to install, and delivers good quality images.
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| daydrmgirl's Full Review: Logitech QuickCam Pro 3000 Web Cam |
Remember the last time you meet up with relatives or friends that haven't seen you for a couple of years? What is the first thing they say?
"Hey! You've put on some weights!"
Well, no I have not, it's just that you haven't seen me for so long (what's wrong with putting on weight anyways, right?) I used to have this problem too because my parents see me roughly twice a year. When I finally got a digital camera, I would take pictures of myself every month or so and e-mail it to them. Then I got this webcam! Wow! Everything is different now. Now I have instant answer/proof to questions (or more like statements) by my parents:
"It's suppose to be cold tonight. Do you have a sweater on?" (Yes, SEE mom, I'm putting it on RIGHT NOW!)
"How tanned are you from that hiking trip?" (See it for yourself mom, you can't really tell.)
Well, with that also comes these questions:
"Why is your room so messy?" (I'll clean it this weekend!)
"Why do you have so many pimples?" (MOM!!)
"Why are you wearing this shirt? I think it doesn't look that great on you." (Because *I* like it, mom.)
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Thus the story of my QuickCam:
Once upon a time...
My dad bought me this webcam after he got one for his office. He wanted someone to experiment with. We also got the same model for our home computer that my mom usually use. We'd had quite a bit of experience with Logitech (i.e. my mouse and external speaker are both Logitech) so we confidently got another Logitech product.
Style
As you can see from the product picture, the QuickCam looks a bit like an eyeball sitting on a neck with legs. The top part ("the eyeball") contains the lens and everything that makes it a webcam. A detachable shield covers the lens like an eyelid. The "legs" stands firmly on your desktop... well, only when the eye is not attached. It turns out that the eye is relatively heavy and bulky (esp. with a cord coming out from the back of it) and the neck joint is rather weak. Thus adjusting the angle of the webcam becomes a tricky issue. My mom wrestles with it everyday. I used the cord to support the webcam and I am in peace with it for the time being.
This webcam has manual focusing (rubber ring around the lens), built-in speaker (right on top of the lens), and camera button (on top of the eyeball). The entire webcam is of different shades of gray. It also came with another device for users to attach it to computer screens, but I think I gave it to my dad so I'm not sure what became of it.
To get started...
Three letters... U.. S.. B..! It's my best friend. With older windows version, you'll need to install a driver. With windows xp, just plug it in and use it with whatever program you desire! That's how simple it is. No installation!
Using it!
I use mine with MSN messenger (v. 6.2 and above) which has built-in webcam program. I'm not sure what other programs are out there, but let me explain my experience using it with MSN messenger.
First, both parties need to be logged onto the messenger, then we can start a conversation using webcam. My mom has ADSL (high speed internet) and I have cable modem, it takes about a good 20 seconds from starting to seeing images. Lag time is inevitable, and sometimes we get "stuck" in a awkward position. Then all of a sudden, it would "fast forward" to our current movement.
As for the image quality, I'll give it a 3.5 stars out of 5. The images are a little bit on the dark and dull side, no matter how I change the setting or lighting. Having lights behind you will make your face becomes really dark. It's a bit tricky to get the best image, and it changes with the light condition of the day, your positions, where the lights are, the settings, etc. Play around with it when you don't like how the image looks, and you'll hit onto the right setting.
Last words...
I'm really happy with my webcam purchase. Its style goes with the rest of my computer stuff (i.e. my sleek wide-screen Toshiba M30 laptop and my mouse) and it's easy to use. Well, now I just have to find excuses NOT to turn on the webcam when I run into my parents online... ideas?
[UPDATE Feb 9, 2005]
My webcam suddenly stopped working. I don't think the webcam itself is broken (thought I've dropped it many times) but that somewhere somehow there is a conflict that suddenly arised. I'm e-mailing back and forth with the tech support at Logitech, but nothing is working so far.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
daydrmgirl
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 36
Trusted by: 2 members
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