Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac (Black)
by Logitech
|
Our Price: $199.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $48.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac (Black)
Customer Review: Also works great with Linux and Windows XP
Summary: 5 Stars
The "Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac" title is misleading.
It's not Mac only!
In fact, it's the easiest webcam I've ever installed, on XP (Windows XP Pro SP3), and on Linux (Fedora 8 and Fedora 9).
On XP, it has full native support. It's driverless. Windows XP will install it automatically. It has full native support in Windows, including image preview in My Computer, and image capture for changing your account's icon in Control Panel/User Accounts.
On Linux, it was recognized instantly. It uses the "uvcvideo" driver. The "ucview" test program worked, and Skype worked.
The webcam uses the new USB video device class standard. This means that it's generic, like a USB keyboard or USB mouse, and will never require a driver.
Autofocus and autoexposure (light level) is done purely in hardware. There's no software to install. This is different from the earlier Logitech QuickCam 9000, which depended on Windows software to do the focus and exposure, which lowered the price of the webcam, but forced you to use Windows. The microphone is pretty good for a webcam, but you'll still want a headset for clear conversation. Frame rate is very fast and smooth, 30fps at 640x480.
It's not without its disadvantages, though. It's pricey. The included stand is very wobbly, and falls down easily. When set on top of the monitor, gravity's the only thing holding it on, it will slide off easily. Unlike the older Logitech webcams with flexible plastic that could mold into place, this camera has stiff plastic, so it doesn't maintain as good a grip. No zoom. Frame rate gets much slower if resolution is increased beyond 640x480. At 960x720, it's 15fps. At the maximum 1600x1200, it's only 5ps. Anything above 960x720 is just hardware upscaling, as the true optical resolution of the webcam is 960x720.
About the only operating system I haven't yet used the webcam with, is Mac :)
Customer Review: Excellent Mac Web Cam
Summary: 5 Stars
First thing is that this is new technology which works with the built in UVC drivers. I know Leopard includes them for Intel Macs, I'm not sure about earlier versions of the OS or Power PC Macs so users of older machines/software are advised to do a bit of research or even post on the Logitech forums. If you have fairly recent hardware and are running Leopard this camera gives the best picture I've ever encountered on a Mac.
I'm using it on my Mac Pro quad core. Excellent picture, as good a frame rate as the using software allows. For iChat that's about 15 fps which is enough for reasonably responsive image. Skype can be better, up to 30 fps but the cost is greater bandwidth needed for transmission. You will find that products which you might expect to work such as PhotoBooth don't or only give you about 5fps. That's because the software was written to use a built in web cam or FireWire and the UVC compliant camera isn't yet fully supported. You can take stills but not movies except with the jerky 5 fps limitation. You can use a third party little app called WebcamTweaker.app to capture movies from this camera.
Prior to this cam I was using a Logitech 9000 Pro which gave an equally good image but lacked the built in auto focus and light adjustments. It was limited to the 5 fps which this QuickCam for Mac has eliminated. We are only limited any more by applications which fail to make use of the abilities built into this cam. For me it was a five star purchase.
Customer Review: Plug-and-Play All-in-One WebCam for Mac
Summary: 5 Stars
Very good video and sound quality. Plug-and-Play installation. Easy to test and configure on a Mac using Skype or Yahoo Messenger.
I'm glad I waited for this Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac instead a Windows cam. All I needed was a quality combined webcam / microphone for my G4 PowerBook - no need for special effects. This cam had to work well in low light conditions, and with slower internet connections when I travel.
I've been using it for 5 days with Skype on DSL, and both my US and international contacts are receiving very good quality sound and image.
Although it has no built-in stand, it can actually be set on a flat surface or gently clipped above the screen. Since there is no driver software, it is missing the face-tracking features of the Pro 9000, and there can be lags with a lot of movement. Not an issue for me since I'm using this in a static setting. It also is missing Logitech's RightSound, but my contacts are hearing me clearly. No snapshot button or digital zoom. HD video can be up to 1600 X 1200 pixels, which may be a little better than the 9000. I haven't tested video recording using third-party software. No travel pouch.
In all - not many extra bells and whistles, but an excellent choice for Mac users who want an instant set-up, quality webcam.
Customer Review: Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not one to write reviews, so this will be short. I used to try to make my Orbit AF work with my Mac. It was a headache and half the time I would spend up to an hour trying to get it even work. Then came along Snow Leopard and that was the complete ending of my hate affair with trying to make the Logitech Orbit AF work with my Mac.
So after a little research I took the leap of faith and bought the Logitch QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac from Amazon. I say "little" as there really isn't any other options that I could find. As always, Prime shipping is quick and saves me a bundle. But the best part of the news is about the new webcam.
I plugged it in and it works flawlessly. No software drivers. No hassle. No problems whatsoever. And the video is really really good. I'm not sure about the sound, as I use a Blue Snowball for that anyway. I miss a few of the features of the Orbit AF, as in auto tracking when I move -- but the fact that it works immediately after plugging it in, is the greatest thing since sliced bread. No seriously, I'm really glad I made the purchase. I can use Skype again on my Mac. I really didn't want to spend that much on a webcam, but now I sprung the bucks for it, I'm really happy that I did.
Steve
Customer Review: Excellent plug and play camera for the Mac
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a camera to use with Skype and iChat that was compatible my older iMac with the 10.4.11 OS. I selected the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac (Black) based on generally excellent reviews. Installation was simply plugging in the camera into my USB hub and launching iChat or Skype on my iMac. Both applications found the camera and displayed the picture in an adjustable video dialogue box that lets you see what the camera sees. My computer is next to a window that gets direct light in the afternoon so I get a range of low to bright light and the camera works well, especially in low light. The camera will focus on objects approximately in the center of the field and will change as you lean forward or place an object closer for the viewer; but the depth of field is very good, allowing the viewer to see the entire room and background clearly. Overall, a trouble-free camera that my Skype contacts say provides a clear, sharp picture and excellent sound. One caution: When the connection on Skype is poor, e.g., talking from California with my daughter in Kenya, I have lost the video and sometimes the sound and have had to use the chat-only function to communicate.