A few months ago I purchased a Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF and while the form factor is a bit odd, the mechanics, the software (RightLight™ 2, specifically) and especially the optics are amazing. The Zeiss lens combined with the RightLight&tm;2 software kicks serious ass and puts out the best video of any webcam I've ever seen. It's just phenomenal and I think most of the great picture comes from the great glass in this thing.
Where the Orbit really shines are in odd lighting scenarios, something quite common to desktop broadcasting. The combination of the amazing lens and the RightLight™2 (pdf) software that does spot metering, dynamic frame rate/exposure adjustments, removes noise by refreshing static content less frequently, and other tricks to dramatically improve the quality of the video, automatically, make this camera and software bundle a really compelling package.
The Orbit has three minor downsides. The auto-focus is a tad slow, the form factor is pretty odd and not very versatile, and when sitting atop its extension pole, it can get a bit shaky. I can live with the auto-focus slowness (we are talking about a $100 camera here :-) but the form factor and the shakyness when extended make getting a direct and level face shot difficult. Other than that, I couldn't be happier -- especially with the video quality.
Looking for a form factor that would sit atop my LCD screen (the Orbit sits on the desk and comes with a 12" extension that doesn't lift it high enough for a straight-on face shot,) and having had such a great experience with the Orbit, I opted to get the Logitech QuickCam UltraVision SE, a slightly lower resolution camera with a fixed-focus glass (not Zeiss) lens. The camera is the right form factor for putting atop my screen and giving a nearly straight on face shot.
Unfortunately, the optics on this model are just piss poor compared to the Orbit. Even the quite amazing RightLight™2 software wasn't able to make the picture quality anywhere close to that of the Orbit. And I'm not so much concerned about the missing pixels. I was fully aware of that when I got the camera. It's not the resolution, but the quality of the picture. It was so poor that I had to check if maybe there was some piece of protective plastic film covering the glass.
Looking back over the Logitech site and a few webcam reviews, I think I probably should have gotten the QuickCam Pro 9000 which comes with Zeiss glass and a 2MP sensor - possibly even the exact same lens, AF, and sensor setup as the Orbit. I'm going to see about ordering that one and will let you know how it goes.
If you've got suggestions for a ~$100 webcam that's going to impress me as much as the QuickCam Orbit, please let me know in the comments
Posted by: Ian Pottinger | December 13, 2007 4:34 AM
Isn't the html entity for TM [ ™ ] ™ ?
Posted by: Chris Neale | December 15, 2007 1:22 PM
Ian, I was using my DCR-TRV120 as a webcam back in the 90's with my Macintosh
computers. It can be used as a standard plug and play camera like any other
peripheral, something macs have always been king at.
Unfortunately my firewire on board the camera has recently died, so now I must contemplate buying another used one or having Sony hose me on a possible repair.
Posted by: Will | February 21, 2008 7:59 AM
Whenever I video-chat with a new person, I inevitably hear "Wow, that's a fantastic image. What kind of webcam are you using?" Then I have to explain that it isn't a webcam but actually an old Hi-8 digital video recorder.
I have a Sony DCR-TRV120, connected to the computer via FireWire, that use to sit around collecting dust. I use to do a bit of video blogging and editing now and then. When my original webcam died, I wondered if I could use the handycam instead. Looking around the web, the answer seemed to be no. Then I came across a piece of software called WebCamDV by OrangeWare. It does exactly what you would expect, perfectly and seamlessly. The results are orders of magnitude better than any webcam I've seen yet. Press the play button and the guy on the other end can watch my recorded video too. I love it!
A second hand camcorder, the WebCanDV software, and a FireWire card together just might come in under $100. However, if you already have a camcorder connected to your computer and you want the best picture quality, frame rate, auto-focus/exposure, and sound, then go this route.
PS: No, I'm not affiliated with OrangeWare in any way. I just love the product and wonder why Microsoft and Apple have not incorporated this functionality into their operating systems. Seems like a no-brainer to me.