By Molly McLaughlin on July 1, 2010 in
If you're a frequent Skype user or the producer of a homegrown online show, a good-quality webcam is in order. While your laptop may already have a webcam (an increasing number of new laptops have built-in cams as standard equipment), it may not provide the quality you need. Logitech currently makes some of the best webcams on the market, including the Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 (*Est. $100), which supports high-definition video capture and includes features like autofocus, face-tracking and low-light optimization. If you have a desktop or an older laptop without a webcam and just need something basic, Microsoft's LifeCam VX-5000 (*Est. $30) is affordable and well-reviewed. While Creative and HP continue to produce webcams, their models generally get poor reviews. Our full report on webcams covers these models and more.
Apple aficionados in need of a cam will want to look at the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac. Why? It's one of the only natively-compatible webcams for Apple computers. (Apple discontinued its own iSight webcam after it began integrating webcams into its iMacs.) While most PC webcams will indeed work with Macs, there are typically software and driver issues that prevent certain features from working. The Quickcam Vision Pro eliminates these headaches by integrating all of its features into the hardware itself. As a result, experts and users alike rave about this Mac-friendly webcam.
If you're in the market, be sure to check out our recently-updated report on webcams for information on the best-reviewed models and important features to keep in mind when shopping.