Webcams Reviews

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Webcams Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Webcams Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. CowboyFrank.net	Webcam Reviews Frank Harrell As of May 2008		This enthusiast website reviews more webcams and is more up-to-date than any other review source. Frank Harrell is the only reviewer that includes a set of standardized test photos in various lighting conditions for each web camera. The sample photos are compared to a control photo made with a digital SLR. Currently, the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 is the best webcam overall, with smooth video, good face-tracking and very good images. Harrell makes note of an odd focus problem and speculates that it may be a quality control issue. The QuickCam Pro 9000 remains his top pick, in spite of this issue, but he lists the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision as "Second Best Image" as a result. The Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks is the best portable choice, though Harrell warns high frame rates can be a drain on your notebook's processing power. The Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX is Harrell's pick under $50.

Webcams Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Webcams Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Webcams Editors of Which.co.uk Dec. 18, 2007		British consumer magazine Which? publishes comparison charts, but it doesn't offer much explanation. Still, the reviews are mainly up-to-date, comparative and backed by practical testing. Each webcam is assigned a rating and score. The Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision is top rated for its "great video and sound quality, an excellent mounting mechanism and a wide-angle lens." The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and Creative Live! Cam Optia AF are also highly rated, while the Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 and Philips SPC1300NC rate more poorly due to quirks such as grainy image quality for close-ups and problematic software, respectively.
3. WebUser.co.uk	Web Cams round up Andy Shaw As of May 2008		WebUser reviews tend to be short and aren't documented with illustrations, but otherwise, they are very good. Each webcam is rated for features, performance, ease of use and value for money -- then they’re given an overall rating. The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and Philips SPC1300NC receive the highest possible rating. The QuickCam Pro 9000 rates slightly better for ease of use and performance, and the Philips webcam catches up by offering more features. Creative’s Live! CamOptia AF rates a bit lower, with performance drawbacks and less value for the price. Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 receives a lukewarm review.
4. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Webcam Nation Rick Broida Feb. 8, 2008		In this head-to-head review roundup, Rick Broida compares five previously reviewed webcams. Links are provided to mostly individual reviews that include editor's ratings. Slideshows of test images augment the reports. Of the QuickCam Pro 9000, Broida comments that "there’s no reason to consider another Webcam." Though he lists a couple of quibbles, he says the webcam's video quality puts it head and shoulders above its competitors. The Creative Live! CamOptia AF rates better than the "jerky, lifeless video" of Microsoft’s LifeCam VX-7000, but it still falls behind the QuickCam Pro 9000. The Hercules Deluxe Optical Glass fares well as a low-cost option.
5. CNet.com	Webcam Ratings Editors of CNet.com As of May 2008		CNet covers webcams in single product reviews. Discussion covers important considerations, but it falls short of some other reviewers. Installation and performance are generally described well. Products are rated, and consumers can weigh in with their own opinions, which sometimes are at odds with the professional reviews. In both editor and user reviews, the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 has the highest rating. The Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks ranks second with editors, but does more poorly in user reviews. The Philips SPC 900NC does very poorly in the editors’ eyes, but rates higher in user reviews.

Webcams Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Webcams Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. Trusted Reviews	Webcams Benny Har-Even, Lars-Göran Nilsson As of May 2008		Britain's Trusted Reviews covers webcams in occasional single-product reports. The reviews are generally competent. Overall and sub-ratings are provided, so readers can see for themselves where each webcam stands compared to the competition. However, the site can be a bit inconvenient to use, as webcams don't get their own category -- the only easy way to find reviews is to search for them. Reviewer Benny Har-Even calls the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 his "new favourite webcam." He notes a slight delay when taking pictures at higher resolutions, but otherwise rates the webcam highly in every category. The Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision also scores well here.
7. EverythingUSB.com	USB Webcams Eric Hanson and Scott Clark As of May 2008		EverythingUSB.com tests and reviews webcams; photos and videos enhance the veracity of the comprehensive, excellent reviews. However, this specialty website does not provide ratings or rankings. In addition, using the site is tricky -- an apparent landing page does not link to the latest reviews, which means that searching for webcams is a visitor's best approach. The Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks is recommended, "without reservation," over the Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 and Creative Live! CamOptia AF. The Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 is summarized as a nice camera but plagued with focus problems at higher resolutions, and the Creative Live! CamOptia AF fares poorly as a result of out-of-sync video and audio.
8. Pocket-Lint.co.uk	Webcam Reviews Editors of Pocket-lint.co.uk As of May 2008		Pocket-lint is a prolific and up-to-date reviewer of webcams. However, the site is difficult to use, as webcams don't receive their own category, so you'll have to search to find the latest reviews. Logitech’s QuickCam Pro 9000 and Ultra Vision score equally well and lead the pack for all-around best performance. The Philips SPC 1300NC and Creative Live! Cam Optia AF tie for second-highest ratings, and Microsoft’s LifeCam VX-7000 and VX-3000 rank lower still. The twice-as-expensive wireless D-Link Securicam DCS 2120 is marketed as an indoor security product. Surveillance features distinguish it from general consumer Webcams.
9. CircuitCity.com	Webcams Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of May 2008		The website of this large consumer electronics chain is a good spot for user reviews, because product owners rate webcams in five categories and leave comments, as well. Like most user review sites, the reports are generally short, and their quality varies widely. Users can also choose to leave ratings without any comments at all. You don't find much variation in average overall ratings among products with lots of reviews, however. Presently, the Microsoft LifeCam VX-7000 has a marginal lead in ratings over competitors Logitech and Creative (whose webcams also rate highly), but the LifeCam VX-7000 has significantly less feedback than the others.

Webcams Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Webcams Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. Laptop Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Webcam Ratings Editors of Laptop Magazine As of May 2008		Laptop magazine reviews webcams on occasion. While ratings are given, the discussion is disappointingly short. Of currently available models reviewed, the best rating and an Editors' Choice award is given to the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks. It’s praised for excellent video and audio performance, ease of use, fun features, sturdy design and portability.
11. Arstechnica.com	iMage Webcam for Mac Jeff Smykil Nov. 6, 2006		This brief single product review looks at the Ecamm Network iMage Webcam for the Mac. This is one of the few standalone Webcams designed specifically for the Mac, but reviewer Jeff Smykil isn't overly impressed. The performance is merely "average" in bright or natural light, but poor in dim or bad artificial lighting. His conclusion is that it’s probably fine for a casual user, but not up to the task for more demanding applications.
12. LaptopLogic.com	Webcam Reviews Editors of LaptopLogic.com As of May 2008		LaptopLogic includes webcam reviews in its "Mobile Gear" product review section. Unfortunately, the only webcams reviewed in the last year have been Logitech products. Reviews are detailed and include a large number of photographs demonstrating webcam capabilities and functions. The reviews are non-comparative, but each product is rated. Currently, the highest rating is given to the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks, which is reported to have outstanding video and audio quality, fun effects and good software performance.
13. HardwareGeeks.com	Review: HP Elite Autofocus Webcam "Michael" Apr. 6, 2008		This blog review on the HardwareGeeks website is one of the few reports on the just-released HP Elite webcam. The contributor provides no overall comparison to other webcams on the market and does not rate or rank the Elite in any way. The review is very detailed and highly complimentary of the webcam itself, but less generous with the accompanying ArcSoft software bundle. Comments from other users at the site echo the same sentiment. The author states that the HP Elite Autofocus is a great webcam. However, in comparison to the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000, he "can’t honestly say one is better than the other."
14. Amazon.com	Webcams Contributors to Amazon.com As of May 2008		Amazon carries lots of webcams from the leading brands, and most get lots of owner-written reviews. The average rating range is too small to find obvious distinctions. In general, however, Logitech and Microsoft webcams have higher ratings than Creative webcams, though most products rate fairly well. This source is most useful once you've narrowed your choices to two or three models.
15. Video Call Tips website	Webcam Reviews Editors of Video Call Tips website As of May 2008		The webcam review section here covers a wide array of webcams, but seems to be updated infrequently and doesn’t include some of the newest models. Reviews consist only of a rating and a bulleted list of pros and cons for each product; no information is given regarding testing or experiences with each camera. Logitech products rate very well here, and the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks (which is nicely separated from the older model under a nearly identical name) is noted to be the best webcam available.
16. CoolTechZone.com	Peripherals Gundeep Hora As of May 2008		CoolTechZone reviews webcams from time to time in brief and largely unremarkable single-product reports. However, Gundeep Hora is one of the few reviewers to report on the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Special Edition and contrast it with the original QuickCam Ultra.

Webcams Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Webcams Ratings Comments on Reviews

17. PriceGrabber.com	Webcams Contributors to PriceGrabber.com As of May 2008		PriceGrabber.com is a price comparison site that also posts user ratings on products. Due to lower overall volume, user reviews here are less helpful than those at Circuit City.com or Amazon.com. As at Amazon.com, Logitech and Microsoft rate more highly than competing brands.
18. Consumer Guide.com	Web Cams Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of May 2008		Consumer Guide periodically reviews webcams. These short reviews are almost entirely limited to descriptions of features. Lists of pros, cons, and both overall and subcategory ratings are the only indications of possible testing.