Marvin the Martian: Logitech's QuickCam 3000 Pro
Written: May 29 '02 (Updated Jun 08 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A snap to set up; high quality software bundle; good imaging device!
Cons: Software is a bit boggy on system resources if you don't have a newer model.
The Bottom Line: This top of the line consumer webcam makes an excellent choice for any webpage owner or would-be internet video artist.
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| unheimlich's Full Review: Logitech QuickCam Pro 3000 Web Cam |
The first thing I noticed about the Logitech 3000 is the black "visor helmet" on its orb (not pictured above), which slides up and down in front of the lens like a privacy screen. It's really a lenscap. But it makes the device look something like "Marvin the Martian" from Warner Bros' classic Looney Toons. And indeed, it's propped up on a funny stand that looks almost like an alien body. All that's missing is an oversized, earth-smashing ray gun and the familiar dustbroom poking out of its head (and that incredibly nerdy Mel Blanc voice). Although the webcam is much cooler than Bugs Bunny's martian enemy, I'm still calling this little guy "Marv."
Marv sits on my desk, stylish in his charcoal gray and black uniform, watching me constantly with his big black eye. Marv's orb actually looks like a racquetball-sized eye. The device has a flat nub for a lens -- roughly the size of a quarter -- in the same place where you might expect the ball's logo, which you can twist to focus. Below the lens is a semi circular "cut" that looks like a smiling mouth but which really is a multidirectional microphone. On the back end of the ball -- if you're still facing the lens -- is a sturdy cable -- a thick and strong USB cable that is relatively long and pliable (it not only sends audio-video signals to your computer, it also powers the camera fully so you don't need to worry about a power cord or extra outlet).
Marv comes with his own nifty stand, upon which he pivots 360 degrees. His up & down movement is limited to, oh, I'd guess a good 90 degree range -- good enough for most consumer uses. At first I didn't realize the camera's orb was detachable from the stand it pivots on (but I simply unscrewed the orb and realized my mistake...doh!). Although I think the ball-and-socket joint for this pivoting connection is a bit unreliable, the base of the stand itself is made of the same sturdy charcoal grey and silver plastic as the camera housing, making it a really nice-looking and relatively stable outfit.
On the very top Marv's orb -- just below a "snapshot" button that turns the webcam into a digital still camera -- is an inset green LED (to indicate that the camera is running). Luckily, I read the instructions before I plugged Marv into my USB jack and found that out. Although this device is wonderfully "plug and play" you still have to install the drivers and core software first before it'll work. Logitech "QuickCam" ware has an easy to use, point and click interface that will allow you to take snapshots or capture and stream live video quite easily. And although the software that comes with the cam is a bit boggy on system resources, it really offers quite a nice set of options. The QuickCam suite includes a capture creation tool, an animation tool, a motion detector, a web album and web cam interface, and it can also enable you to stream live video broadcasts or publish a gallery on the web (in questionable cahoots with a website called Spotlife). Additionally, the core install disk puts other partner software on your hard disc: Yahoo Messenger (not bad, since Yahoo now enables video chatting on its instant messanger!) and a video game interface called "Reality Fusion" that lets you use your body motions as a sort of joystick (wow!). If you haven't played with a webcam before -- doing anything from making stop-motion animation to videoconferencing over the net with family across the country FOR FREE -- then this is a great model to get your feet wet. Because it does everything FUN for the home computer enthusiast and the internet voyeur, and it comes at a relatively cheap price (roughly $100 at the time of this writing). Kids, adults...anyone can use this plug-and-play camera for fun...or for business (If you're an ebay addict, for example, you'll want this to add photos to your auctions).
The software bundle is a pretty nice prize. Aside from the way cool "motion detector" (which works by comparing time lapse shots and automatically going into record mode when it detects a difference) and the fun body-motion-joystick add ons, the extra graphic editing software is a knockout. If you install the main Logitech software, you can do basic editing, but don't let that stop you from installing the other programs. You'll get a powerhouse suite of free "special edition" editors from MGI: PhotoSuite, VideoWave, and PhotoVista (the CDs are both PC and Mac compatible, so no worries there!). PhotoSuite and PhotoVista rival tried and true classics like PaintShop Pro, and offer a host of neat editing options custom fit to digital photography. Chances are, though, you don't need it too much if you have any other graphic editor on your system (again, I recommend PaintShop Pro). The true gem here is VideoWave -- a knockout video editing program that lets you lay down multiple "tracks" of media and splice and mix it all together like you were an independent filmmaker. And it includes MANY special effects to manipulate images and transitions (you know, cut, fade, wipe, etc.). The software is far cooler than anything you'd typical use your web cam for; this is for creative personalities -- and it comes with the camera for free! (You're encourage to upgrade, but unless you're an armchair Scorcese, you probably won't need to)... since video editing software (like Adobe Premiere) is EXPENSIVE, this is a neat addition to the program. Far better than some other bundles I've seen.
That's right: I've had another webcam -- one I've sworn by for years. But this one is better. My previous device was fairly nice, too. I had the BigPicture Video Kit, which included a pci card to install into the computer and a sweet 56K modem. Everyone who saw my vid said it was crisp and wonderful (while theirs was choppy and staticky). But the microphone element on the BigPicture was buggy on my new Dell system when I upgraded, and I hated sacrificing the PCI slot...and besides, I now have a cable modem, so there was no need for the 56K anymore, either. (Wow, times change fast, no?) If you're in similar shoes (broadband equipped and you've got a free USB port) then I highly recommend this camera over its predecessors. It rocks.
[ Quick aside: If you ARE upgrading from an older model web cam (like, say, one of those old fashioned black and white golfballs), you might want to leave your old software on the system and not uninstall it. This camera is actually compatable with other programs (though they won't tell you this). It runs fine on my old fangled Digital Video Capture from Asymetrix, for example, and because the camera itself has a TWAIN interface to Windows (like many scanners!) I found that I can "acquire" snapshots from within that program, and many others, too!. ]
The price for webcams has dropped considerably and the "3000 Pro" cam will cost you about $20 more than the standard consumer webcam. Considering the software and the ease of use, I think it's really worth it. If you're looking for a high quality still image or video, you should invest in a separate digital camera or digital video camcorder and not buy this webcam. It truly is a pro but it is also latched to your computer system and created for quick snapshots (for e-mailing your friends) and casual video conferencing, predominantly.
But it's still a darned nice model, comparitively speaking -- indeed, this is probably "top of the line" for Logitech, who has been making these things successfully for quite awhile. You get 640x480 resolution and can "tweak" the light and color settings on the fly with the driver and software (the latter of which will automatically adjust to things like backlighting and so the default settings are really useable, right out of the box).
The Logitech 3000 Webcam Pro is an excellent choice for any webpage owner or would be internet video artists. You can read all about the webcam and it's product specs at logitech.com, by going to their support pages and looking up "webcams." If you're already in the market for these things, you'll find the Logitech QuickCam Pro 3000 to be top of the line for its price. You don't have to go to Mars to get Marv. He's right at the local (or online) store. If you're in the market, give this one a shot.
-- Un 05/02
Recommended:
Yes
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unheimlich
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Location: USA
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Tattooed Everything.
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