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gadget — Episode 061 – Logitech Quick Cam Pro 9000
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A webcam is a webcam is a webcam… right?
Well maybe it is if you are accustomed to crappy image quality, poorly implemented features and software that is buggier than a picnic in the Amazon. — But what if you want more from your webcam?
That’s why we have Logitech :: one of the avowed masters of PC peripherals and a make of high-quality webcameras. On this episode of ‘gadget’ we take a look at the Logitech Quick Cam Pro 9000 — the flagship of Logitech hardware, software and quality.
| The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 is a high-resolution USB 2.0 Web Camera.
The face of the Pro 9000 has a simple layout: There is the lens assembly, a red ring LED around the Logitech logo that lights up when the camera is active, and an integrated microphone that features Logitech’s RightSound technology — this reduces background noise and the annoying echo that seems to be par for the course in Internet calling. The left side of the Pro 9000 has a shutter button that gives users a quick and easy way to take snapshots. — The fits the general theme of the Logitech Web Camera Line — Easy and high-quality. Whereas many lesser web cameras use plastic or polycarbonate lenses The Q9000 uses Carl Zeiss glass optics. This isn’t just another “so-so” feature… glass optics really do increase the baseline of quality for any video device… especially over time when plastic and polycarb lenses tend to degrade. The 2 Megapixel CCD in the Pro 9000 is capable of 1600×1200 optical resolution in still frames or up to HD quality 960×720 video at up to 30 frames per second with a 24-bit color depth. The Pro 9000 has RightLight 2 Technology. This feature automatically adjusts the brightness setting to allow the best possible quality in low-light environments. The stand of the Pro 9000 is worth noting because it adds quite a bit of functionality to the unit. It can fold flat, be used as a kickstand, or be folded back to hold the camera securely onto a monitor. The camera itself is set on a swivel to give you a high-degree of tilt. Installing the Pro 9000 is simple. Plug in the web camera and your Windows XP or Vista machine should automatically recognize the device. When you run the included Logitech software, the automated wizard will guide you through setting up your audio and you should be ready to film within a few seconds. Once within the Quick Capture program, you have an expansive choice of video and photo options including quality settings, preroll, postroll, timed photo or videos, time stamping, motion detection, and resolution of video and stills. All of the controls are intuitive and all of the adjustments are designed to never be more than two levels away from the root menu. This means less clicking, and less confusion. |
The video quality is great — not surprising coming from Logitech. Even with the fully automatic settings enabled, requiring the least amount of user-intervention, colors were vibrant, video was bright and the detail was impressive.
One of the coolest features of the Logitech line of cameras has to be the avatar Video effects. You can calibrate the camera to locate sets of control points and then map your face to any number of avatars. The animated characters will follow your eye, head and mouth movements. This video can then be recorded, or sent as-is over your internet chat, messaging or conferencing program.
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The program comes with 5 default avatars, and more can be downloaded from the Logitech site.
Quick Capture also supports a number of special effects that can add flair to your video. It’s possible to do everything from adding wind effects, to mosaic tiling, to motion blurring and a handful of other neat effects. They can get annoying if overused, but they’re nice in a pinch. Because the Pro 9000 is a megapixel camera that is most likely not using maximum resolution available to the CCD, users can digitally “pan, tilt and zoom” the camera without having to physically move the camera. This is done by shifting the output of the camera to the various areas of the CCD — sort of like looking at different parts of a monitor You can also use this “extra” picture space and have the camera automatically follow you or a group of people around the room. While the performance of this feature was sometimes erratic, it worked well enough for personal use, or to make the “lost face” in video chats a thing of the past. This same screen also allows you to adjust video and audio settings, as well as set image storage locations and application preferences. Speaking of application preferences, this is where the Pro 9000 really excels. Logitech has made it easy to connect the camera with all of the most popular video calling applications including Skype, Windows Live, Yahoo Messenger and AIM. — Though it’s not all that difficult to setup any of these programs, it’s nice to see Logitech include a feature to ensure the less-technical among us that yes indeed, they can enable their video. Finally, no good video conferencing package would not be complete without a privacy shade. My previous cameras included physical shutter that could be closed, and my personal preference was to throw whatever I had lying around over the camera lens, but Logitech gives users the option to overlay a photo in order to guarantee privacy… nice touch. The Logitech Pro Q9000 is available now online for ~$80 |
