Getting a Web Cam

[smurfchops]

My laptop doesn't have a webcam, and I am thinking of getting one to use Skype, so i can speak with friends abroad for free. Is this a good idea, and if so, what make of Web Cam would be good ? I am looking on the PC World website, but wouldn't know which to choose. Are the cheaper ones as good ?

[lardhelmet]

Mr Helmet bought me one last year smurf. It cost him about £90 and it came with the headset aswell. It is very good. He said the cheaper ones aren't much cop.

[beso]

No point with a high resolution camera online as the bandwith required to transmit it is excessive.

However I have one from Microsoft that tracks your face. This has a high resolution but automatically zooms in to the part of the image that contains your face. Works well.

[beso]

The real cheapies have a very poor sensitivity. The only work fine in really bright lighting. The more expensive ones are more sensitive.

[Twenty20]

If you buy a cheap camera you wont notice the difference yourself, but the person you're having a video chat with will. In fact, some cheap cameras are so poor the other person will see a very low res, blurred image.

[rccatnap]

I've tried a couple of cheap cameras and my brother lent me his Logitech 9000 Pro. No contest. It was brilliant. I've now had one for almost a year. Software links to Skype easily, but it does promote its own Logitech Vid, which I don't happen use.
As has been said, what you see may not be what your correspondent sees, regarding picture quality. It has a built in microphone and I use the desktop speakers to hear. You can of course use a small headset if more privacy is needed. Had no problem whatsoever with it. You can change the resolution to suit your own broadband speeds.
I do not, however, subject my friends to watching my own face every single day. I like them too much to put them through that ordeal:))

[stoofur]

I have a logitech webcam with autofocus. Much better than the manual focus cameras.

[jomifl]

you can (or could) get a skype phone kit from tesco for only a few quid. It doesnt have a webcam but then it isn't necessary to see someone to talk to them. Plus you don't have to worry about pixels and bandwidth and illumination and all that other stuff.