Digital Trends

Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks November 25th, 2007 | by Brandon King

Features and Design

Webcams have quickly transitioned from whiz-bang, high-tech peripherals to your average, run-of-the-mill gadgets, built into systems as standard pack-ins that are easy enough for grandma to operate. If your laptop doesn’t have one integrated already, and your monitor lacks a lens, there are further plenty of bargain cameras from major manufacturers and no-name outlets available to fill the void. So if you’re looking for a simple, cheap and purely functional unit, stop reading here. Chances are that a premium webcam like the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks is well beyond anything you need. However, if you’re looking for something a little more robust and dependable, don’t be afraid to continue.

But first, a little background: Logitech recently introduced a revamped line of webcams sporting updated imaging technologies, glass lenses and Carl Zeiss optics. If this was just an attempt to get the company’s name back in circulation via hyperbole-laden press releases, it didn’t attract much attention. Nonetheless, we come to praise, not bury the manufacturer though, despite its lack of public relations savvy. Considering that the firm’s original product line was extremely capable on its own, a re-release of spiffier, more capable cams could only mean a noticeable upgrade in quality from everyday shoppers’ standpoint. And, indeed, as hands-on time with the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks quickly reinforces, this definitively proves to be the case.

Mind you, the gizmo isn’t without faults. For example, it comes with a three-piece stand, a soft carrying pouch and accompanying software CD. But the stand feels uncharacteristically flimsy for a Logitech product – it does not securely snap into place and the plastic appears thin and fragile – despite serving its purpose as a place to mount the camera permanently in the event that a laptop owner doesn’t want to clip or un-clip it with each use. Then again, on the bright side, the neoprene carrying pouch looks to be of top quality, though it fits only the camera itself.

The QuickCam Pro for Notebooks also has a straightforward form factor that sees it snap right on to the top edge of a laptop screen or monitor. While not tiny, the webcam takes up little space and attaches easily. Unlike some other screen-mounted cameras, which force you to tilt your monitor or use your own ingenuity to aim it correctly, the Pro for Notebooks further has the ability to tilt on its own. Granted, there is no side-to-side adjustability, but the included software will zoom and then reframe the screen, creating a virtual pan and tilt of the camera. While this isn’t an ideal situation for would be Internet celebrities, the native 2MP resolution does mean it can get away with some zooming and cropping without too much distortion.

Image Courtesy of Logitech