Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks

Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks

Published August 25, 2008 at 01:16:10 PM, by Steve Martinez

Intro & Design

Logitech International has gained a strong following since the company's inception in 1981 in Apples, Switzerland.

That makes the company barely older than I am and their experience in developing high-quality webcams is undeniable. Logitech's flagship notebook web camera, the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, shows the result of years of knowledge. However, there are other players, like Creative and Linksys, who can boast almost as many years in computing, if not as long in the webcam business.

Will they be enough to overthrow this peripheral powerhouse, or does the Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks have the goods to silence the competition? Read on to find out.

Design

The Quickcam Pro received a significant upgrade to both design and function. Gone is the square, veiny aluminum casing which few found attractive. In its place is a contoured (and slightly smaller) form factor, with a spring loaded rubber-footed clip. The much-heralded Carl Zeiss Tessar lens is here, which offers superior image quality and a lighter weight than the previous lens. Also, Logitech bumped the camera up to a true 2.0 megapixel format. I can say that the 1.3 megapixel standard was something I've abhorred for years, but understood it was once needed to maintain a reasonable price point.

They also doubled the software interpolation capabilities, from 4.0 megapixels to a massive 8.0 megapixels. Regardless, the magic comes in the form of the true 2.0 megapixel format.

The plastic display clip uses an underbite design to allow single-handed installation. Although the clip hinges firmly and the rubber grips look sturdy, it had trouble connecting with the rounded bezel of our test laptop, an HP Pavilion dv6405.

Image Quality

The most important quality to note about the webcam is the departure from the 1.3 megapixel format. With a 2.0 megapixel image sensor, you get true high-definition images at 1600 x 1200 resolution. This is an upgrade from its predecessor, which sported a 1.3 megapixel sensor. It's a welcome change, and serves to bump the product more in line with its purchase price.

Photo Quality

The true test of a webcam is how it operates under real-world situations, which are usually plagued by low and inconsistent lighting, moving objects, and a delicate perch. Under ample lighting, the RightLight 2 feature improves the overall image, giving Logitech a proprietary software/hardware optimization advantage and contributing to the reason to choose this webcam over others. However, that same technology underperforms in low-light environments. We found we could bring improve the overall image by tweaking the manual settings, although the default RightLight settings will suffice if you're not up to the challenge. There was also slightly sluggish response via the autofocus feature. Depending on what you use your webcam for (you sick dogs!) you'll either find this frustrating or you'll never notice it. Not the best webcam for kink.
For business use, using a single object in acceptable lighting at a fixed distance, this webcam outperforms any that we've tested in terms of end product. Since the majority of people that would pony up a hundred clams for a webcam would fall into that latter crowd, you'll be hard-pressed to do better than the Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks.

Check out the images we've collected below, thanks to our helpful volunteer Lucas.

Full Light (With Rightlight 2)

Half Light (With Rightlight 2)

Sound Quality

Thanks to Logitech's Rightsound technology, echo cancellation now improves your voice transmission. The microphone opening that sits above the lens captures above-average-quality audio, considering it measures about 1 millimeter across. Although you'll find the audio capabilities of this webcam better than most (partly thanks to the echo-cancellation), it's always better to increase quality and privacy via a headset with microphone.

Features

Video Effects

Video Effects is something I've noticed since Logitech started including it with their cameras, although it is fairly irrelevant for those picking between two webcams. Video Effects, via Fun Filters, Avatars, and Face Accessories, allow you to manipulate your image and affect how it's displayed to others. With Fun Filters, you can apply photographic filters or backgrounds to manipulate your image as it's presented across video-chat, or recorded to disk. Avatars, along with a face recognition feature, syncs your face up to dozens of possible people or creatures, giving the receiver the image of that Avatar speaking as yourself. For example, you can pretend to be an Alien, a Shark, or even a baby to your friends or coworkers, all with lip movements and rough facial expressions corresponding with your face in real-time. Lastly, Face Accessories allow you to put a silly mustache or hat on your image as it's displayed. These effects are all interesting and good for a laugh or two. As I said earlier, they won't affect your webcam purchase.

Rightlight2

RightLight2 is a lighting system that uses both hardware and software to optimize video capture lighting under less-than-optimal lighting conditions. This can include uneven lighting as well as just poor lighting. In my experience, the RightLight 2 technology combined with the Carl Zeiss lens captured the best images in overall quality out of every webcamera we've tested so far.

With Rightlight 2

Without Rightlight 2

Rightsound

Logitech's Rightsound technology uses software to produce an echo-cancellation effect, allowing you to use the microphone without a headset. Additionally, the system provides better than average recording when you have speakers behind you, reducing feedback. In practice, the Quickcam microphone produced above-average recording, although those looking for a professional solution should invest in a headset and microphone combo.

Extras

Logitech's webcam comes packed with a number of accessories that border on usability depending on your needs. The plastic 12-inch display stand is helpful if your webcam spends a lot of time on your desktop. For those on the go, the included zip travel case may see some use in your laptop bag, and it's functional if nothing else.

The webcam is video compatible with Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, and Skype.

Conclusion

Logitech's QuickCam Pro for Notebooks is a portable webcamera that offers image quality you'll be hard-pressed to duplicate. If you're a business traveler interested in video-conferencing but don't have the time to find the perfect spot, Logitech's offering can bridge the gap. Although the flexibility and quality comes at a premium ($99.99), it's a worthy investment for those in need.

Pros:

• Excellent Image Quality
• Video Effects add levity to any conversation
• Adjustable Clip
• Helpful software optimization via RightLight and RightSound

Cons:

• Prohibitive Pricing
• Flimsy display stand

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Technical Specifications

No specifications are available.