Last time, I looked at inexpensive camcorder solutions that one of my clients could supply to people who contribute regularly to a website that aspires to become a waystation for vodcasts about a particular topic. This time I’m going to look at some webcam solutions. Typically, these are used to add video to real-time chat or Skype sessions. But why not apply the same technology to capturing quickie videos?

Here the low-cost options are more plentiful. Filtering by price (under $200) on PriceGrabber.com leads to 128 matches. So this time I’ll add a minimum price as well and eliminate any models under $25. Then, I’ll only consider those that have a rating on the site, even if it’s only a single review. Whoa! Too many choices!

If I only look at those two models with the highest rating — five stars — I’m left with two models:

Intel Pro PC Camera
Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 Webcam

They’re comparably priced — between $70 and $140. But one, the Logitech, has 14 reviews. The Intel device has only a single review.

I think I’ll drill down on the Logitech one.

This webcam is designed for use with your notebook. It has auto-focus, something called RightLight 2 technology to ensure “great looking images, even in poor lighting,” and RightSound technology for echo-cancellation and noise reduction. It even lets you personalize the video filters, avatars and face accessories. (This business crowd could have some fun with that!) Additionally, says the company description, “an ultra-wide field of view and automatic face tracking always keeps you right in the middle of the action.” The QuickCam Pro comes with a desktop stand to bring the webcam up to eye level and a travel case to protect the camera when it’s not being used.

According to reviewer dongly, the video is captured to WMV, an excellent format for our purposes.

The question I’m left with, however, is how much to rely on the processor power of the computer being used with the webcam to deliver video that doesn’t drag, stutter or drop frames. The use of a separate digital camcorder would eliminate that concern completely.

None of the many reviewers addresses that particular problem. I think it’s time for some field testing…

More on this topic later.

Posted on March 29th, 2008 by dian