Print view Previous topic | Next topic

Topic Starter	Topic: Webcams under $200
rep rep Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 6771	Posted: 02-23-2005 12:23 AM                  I'm in the market for a quality webcam with very low noise, good low light pickup, a fast sensor (real 30fps, not this 'up to 30fps' shit.) for under $200. If I cared enough, I'd just buy that one webcam that is more like a security camera that you can control via any browser, but I'm no camwhore nerd. I just want a set of cameras that I can hook up for video conferencing in any room of my apartment, and for external view purposes. (I have a great view of the mountains.) It seems I have very little choice now, in comparison to 2000 when every big company had a camera on the market. Now it seems like I can either buy Logitech, or a shitty ezonics or dlink. The ezonics and dlink of course are totally out of the question because they apparently construct them out of garbage. I've seen the image lack-of-quality on those, and it's ridiculous. Logitech's QuickCam Pro 4000 looks like the logical choice, but I'm just putting some feelers out here to see if anyone knows of something better. I'm currently using Intel webcams, but while they had excellent video quality on Windows 9x years ago, the Windows XP drivers are absolute trash and show just enough noise in some lighting situations to make me mad, including a long stripe of noise down the center. It's only disadvantage that I can see is at 640x480, it can only record at up to 15fps, and I don't like that. Other than that, and it being a model from 2002 (Logitech has failed to update it's webcam models for quite a while, even though they basically own the market.) I don't see much wrong with it. Have any cam suggestions? What I don't care for: 1. Microphones built into the camera. 2. Any bullshit like face tracking. 3. Any other stupid proprietary invention. _________________
Top

AmIdYfReAk Elite Joined: 10 Feb 2000 Posts: 28023	Posted: 02-24-2005 12:19 AM                  other than the logi, the only one that is really comparable is the Apple isight as far as the sites are reading.. but the thing is a fucking TANK! ( as seen here http://www.apple.com/isight/ ) But its the only one of the bunch that features a pure Optical focus system. i dunno man, its really up to you.. im sure with some minor hackign you can have the Firewire powered Full 30FPS Shermantank working.. or you can just get the logi..
Top

rep rep Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Posts: 6771	Posted: 02-24-2005 12:30 AM                  I don't think so. iSight doesn't have any Windows drivers, third party or official as far as I know. _________________
Top

4g3nt_Smith Mr. Anderson! Joined: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 1615	Posted: 02-24-2005 05:24 AM                  Actually if you plug the iSgiht into an XP machine, it gets autodetected as a gneric firewire camera and works quite well I hear.
Top

Quake3World.com | Forum Index | Technology & Troubleshooting