Logitech QuickCam Messenger WebCam
If you're a high tech, time is money, quality is the key type techno, this is not for you. If you're a spread apart family that would enjoy seeing the grandkids grow this is the camera for you. It's a free long distance phone/video call that can pre-planned to a certain day and time that the whole family can sit in on. Slight delay on movement and speech but the old and the young find it fabulous. Used it with Skype program, free download. Enjoy!! We do.
Read many reviews--always seems someone doesn't like something about a particular webcam--so to hell with it!--I went for the cheapest! Glad I did, this one works like a charm!
Ditto on the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) reviews that I've seen for this product. I had read the warnings before buying, but I have a relatively new, mainstream PC that I have never had a single problem with, and figured I would be ok. The price was right.
I installed the software (which checks online for newer versions than what is on the CD...there was none), plugged in the device when asked to by the on-screen prompt, and the machine immediately gave me a BSOD. When I restarted, the machine would not boot due to a missing DLL file...I went through the recovery process with the Windows XP installation CD (took 30 minutes but seemed to repair the system perfectly), and when I restarted the machine after the recovery I left the webcam plugged in. I assumed that the recovery would have refreshed any conflicted files and/or drivers, but soon after boot (I later realized that this was when the install program tried to resume) I got another BSOD.
Finally I wised up, unplugged the hardware, and restarted the machine (no corrupted OS this time, thankfully). The installation software again tried to continue and asked me to plug in the device...I chuckled and politely refused, and it crashed soon after. Windows XP crash reporting informed me that Logitech had informed Microsoft of a solution to this problem...I needed to install the software from their website. I downloaded it, tried to install it, and got a message that my currently installed version was newer than the one I was trying to install. It was the last straw...I had given this webcam the benefit of every doubt...so I sent it back.
As mentioned in several other reviews...install at your own peril.
this is the best product on the website.Also this product will let you stay in touch with friends and family if like to do video conferenceing calls.
Works fine....pictures are a bit grainy. Better if there is light behind the camera. I can hear and see the person I am talking to and so can they.
=)
I've had this cam for about 5 years now, and though I've finally decided to upgrade to the Pro (sticking with Logitech), the original Quickcam Messenger is a wonderful camera for the price. And, surprisingly enough, is still working as well as it did the day I bought it (and paid $70 for it), with the exception of the missing stand that was chewed up by my puppy.
The image is a little grainy, and adgusting the colors can be a pain, but overall this is a good little cam. Takes fairly good stills, as long as it's set to 320x240. The image quality for 640x480 resolution shots isn't the best, but you kind of expect that with such an inexpensive camera.
It's compatible with just about any computer, and almost all programs. I was even able to open it up in Photoshop and take stills when I had gotten a new computer and hadn't installed the QuickCam software yet. Also works great with Yahoo & MSN messengers.
Overall a great affordable cam that will last for years to come. If you're looking for an inexpensive cam to conference with others, or even just indulge your narcissistic side with pictures of yourself, this is a good choice. I'd recommend it to just about anyone.
The camera is perfect. If using the camera for keeping in touch with friends and family this is the camera for you. The picture is clear not to grainy. The only heads up is lighting. Try to use the camera in a well light area. We are stationed in Japan and use the camera almost daily to spend time with family back home. The camera has added great joy to the family especially when feeling homesick. The best part is the price won't break the bank!
That's basically all you need to know right there. This camera is 30 dollars under in most places, its durable, its easy to use, installation is a breeze, and there are no hidden programs that pop up when you install, nor any drivers required if you have Windows XP. Taking pictures, saving them, e-mailing pictures, talking on Yahoo! Messenger; they're all quick an easy to use. The manual is easy to read, easy to understand, and everything you need is in the box. The only thing that could make this better is a built in microphone, but most people want to have a better quality microphone anyways. 640x480 at 30 frames per second is pretty standard, and looks pretty good for what you're paying. Its true you could get a better one that has crisper resolution and 60 frames per second, but at a much higher cost. Logitech is known for their quality, and quality is what they provoide with the QuickCam Messenger WebCam. I've already recommended this to three of my friends, and all three have thanked me for it. For 30 bucks, you might as well give it a shot.
I have Windows 98 ME and I like mine. I like to buy and test various products and don't understand why others are having problems. Perhaps their PC doesn't meet the minimum requirements for this product; and one shouldn't complain about all the software or the process one needs to go through to get started. I ran mine on Windows ME with an AMD Duron processor. You can't beat the price and a built in microphone. Sure its a cheap webcam, I bought mine thru a third part of Amazon at around 25 bux and it was shipped fast too. The following is off the box.
Minimum System Requirements for windows.
* Windows 98, 2000 ME 0r XP
* Pentium 400
* Pentium II 400, Celeron AMD (my system) Atlon processor or
higher (Pentium III 500 Celeron AMD Anthlon processor
RECOMMENED)
* 64 MB RAM (or minimum OS requirement, Whichever is higher)
* 200 MB free hard drive space
* CD-ROM drive
* 16-bit color display adapter
* Windows compatible sound card and speakers (full duplex sound
card recommend)
* available 1.1 or 2.0 USB port
THE CAMERA
* Logitech QuickCam Messenger Camera
* Built in microphone
* Monitor base
* High-quality CMOS sensor
* Manual focus
* Thin 6ft. USB cable
Specs.
* Video capture up to 640x480 pixels
* Still image capture: Up to Same
* Frame rate: up to 30 frames per second
Application.
* Live video integrated with MSN Messenger
* Works with video-enabled Yahoo Messenger
* Live calls with Windows Messenger
* QuickCapture photos & videos software
* One click video e-mail software
* Web camming
Support.
* Getting Started Setup Guide
* 2 YEAR WARRANTY
*
Alot of my friends have this webcam and they have reccomended it to me. If your the type of person that isn't tooo picky with image quality, then this is the cam for you.Sometimes the cam tends to act up a little when it comes to lighting but other then that its just fine. If your planning on just chatting with it this cams OK but if you want the fancy pants high quality webcam with video mail,buy the quickcam pro 3000. This cam is alright, you get what you pay for.
I bought this camera today and by looking at the box, it looked like the picture quality was excellent, but when I got it home and then started to use it, well that's a whole different story. The picture is really bad, and my old cam's picture is 1000 times better then this one (Ezonics EZ Cam III). I'm going to return this one tomorrow and go back to Radio Shack and get another Ezonics camera. I lost the bottom part to my first camera and figured this would be a good replacement. The instalation might be quick, easy and cost efficent, but the the camera isn't worth the $30 I paid for it. I wouldn't even recomend this to someone I hate. I couldn't fix the picture however hard I tried and whatever I did, everything was always grainy...never again.
I agree with whoever said too much software installed. I prefer plug and play, no hassle. I also think the image is awful and I have a pretty good computer system. It had static on image and just did not look clear at all. My 8 year old quickcam had a nice picture so I expected this to be nice also.....no luck!
Also, the box says Mac compatible, which I thought was cool since I have 2 systems (WinXP/Mac) and then I get home, go to support website & see it's not for Mac. Huh???
In any case, this was returned and I'm getting something different.
This guy ripped me off by selling me two cameras that had the serial numbers cut off. One of them didn't even work and now I am having trouble returning it.
Great camera, but it installs entirely too much software before you can use it. Most of my other PC cameras just plug-and-play, but this thing requires so many extra software packages and wants to install so much more that it can end up over-writing your existing instant messengers and other products.
I though the whole point of USB was for plug-and-play. All this device really consists of is a camera with a built-in microphone. Logitech needs to borrow a page from the generic makers of the Twinklecam and basically don't try to write their own software.
Today you can get these in a two-pack for less than sixty dollars. That's highly recommended, but investigate other cameras that have built-in microphones like the Twinklecam (made by a few Taiwanese makers and sold under many different brands).
This webcam has great picture quality during the day time, but during night it has problems with the picture quality -- it has a hard time normalizing the light in the room (from the lamps). Other than that little bugger, it is a solid cam with video recording capabilities. I bought it using a coupon from UnderTag.com, so it was almost free for me.
The picture quality is soo bad! it's not clear at all. I can't see a thing. Bad quality for not a so good price. wouldn't recommend it.
grainy photos, slow jerky movement. But worse than that is the program NEVER completely uninstalled. Support has head up rectum - after informing them I uninstalled the program but the program never fully uninstalled, I was informed that I must have done something wrong. Suddenly its my fault that parts of the program remain. Also NOTE: Software that comes with camera includes BACKWEB - if you are unfamiliar with backweb - it is SPYWARE. Would NOT recommend this or any other logitech product now. My real rating is -5 stars.
I have used the camera for:
1. video conferencing with Yahoo Messenger
2. making small size video to send to my parents as an email attachment.
Pros:
- software with easy and convenient user interface,
- sending short video emails is very convenient ,
you make the video, press the EMAIL button, the video is automatically compressed and attached to the email, all you have to do is press the SEND button.
- price is very low in comparison with other cameras
- relatively easy setup
Cons:
- the colors in the video file are desaturated and have a slightly greenish tint.
- there is no way to specify what level of compression you want when you attach your video to an email (this one is clearly the bundled software problem). Meaning, you do not have control "video size versus video quality" - it is always compressed to lowest size and as the result the quality is lost, which leaves you with two choices: you can send uncompessed HUGE file with really GOOD quality OR compressed SMALL file with BAD quality.
My personal opinion: I am overall very happy with this model.
I bought one for me, one for my father, and one for my mother.
Despite my mother is not very good with computers, she was able to set it up and use it herself, which is one more big plus.
Note, there are two models of this camera on the market. The older model is _really_ bad, and some internet shops could still have it in stock. Make sure you buy the newer one.
The one on amazon.com is the good one.
Piece of junk, picture is grainy and pixelated, 640x480 yeah maybe through interpolation, it can't be optical. You'd better be within 3 feet of this thing with excellent lighting to get a ok picture. Get about 6 feet away with a window behind you, and you won't even recognize yourself. Bought it 'cause it was a logitech, and had 640x480 res, I have a no name brand 352x288 that looks twice as good. If you want to use it for chatting, crank your monitor up to sunburn and sit real close, twist the focus around a little and it'll work for you. But if you want to do more than just chatting, buy something else.
Got this camera yesterday from Amazon, installed drivers from logitech website to avoid the spyware on the CD. Camera worked, but my McAfee Antivirus crashed. Called Logitech support, after holding for 15 min. (Toll number), was told by the person - "well if it crashes then you have to choose between the antivirus and the camera!" when I asked if that is the only solution he could offer, he says, "You can return the camera and buy some other brand, thank you for calling logitech" When I asked to speak to a supervisor, he puts me on hold, then comes back and says supervisor is also saying the same thing.
Sent an email to support hoping I will get better support, got a reply with a link. On clicking on the link, I get "Internal Error. Please try again later." I think there is an internal error in the company itself that they should fix first!!!
As for the camera quality, it is as bad as the quickcam express that I put in trash. Image does not focus and is grainy.
I would like to speak to the guys who gave 5* to this product.
Now i am using other cameras like IP Camera. I am lucy to find out that some of the IP Camera like IP Camera 8000 can act as webcam, and can be placed anywhere in my house and be viewed anywhere in the world. That's too convenience for me because i did not have to hook camera to my computer anymore.
Also imagine you can view how are your babies doing in their bedroom or in the dinning room from outside like your office. And the price of IP Camera is under $100. Just forget webcam, ...
Your satisfaction with this repackaged QuickCam Express (now with microphone!) will depend completely on what you want to do with it. If you are looking for a webcam to use with an IM client it should be fine - the image isn't great, but the compression used on video IM is aggressive enough you'll never notice the difference.
If, on the other hand, you want to use it as a web cam, keep looking. The image quality is terrible - beyond terrible - with tons of jpeg artifacts and poor color balance. It's also not clear to me that the marketing guy who wrote 640x480 resolution on the box ever spoke to the person in engineering who actually built a camera capable of only 352x288 images. That disconnect is indicative of the overall attention to detail on this webcam - good enough for IM, but absolutely nothing else.
I tried installing this camera 10 times now. have yet to have it work at all. I then started nortan systemworks 2003 and it finds tons of registry errors on my system. Disk doctor finds other errors on the system. The system was error free, and spyware free before installing this cam. I tried downloading the software online for the latest verstion and that again does not work. Just send my yahoo messanger into debugging.
I have had good luck in the past with Logitech however this time arround it wasn't the same. Logitech should re emburse everyone the money they paid for this piece of plastic and cut a check for the time they wasted trying to make it work. I paid $30 for it and lost about $80 in my time so cost to me is arround $110. Plus I still have problems being fixed with nortan in an ongoing cleaning process.
Since the "fatcats" at logitech won't write out the checks I suggest pulling out your Louisville Slugger, toss it in the air and send it out of the park, then mow the peices of it up with a high powered mower, bag it and mail it into logitech. It would make great mulch I give it -5 stars. However one good thing it looks good on my compost pile all mangled up or at least picturing it that way as I return it to Walmart, and they have to deal with getting their money back. I can't destroy it but I can imagine it lol.
Poor quality image. Built-in microphone provides poor audio with background feedback noise from speakers. Set-up was not as quick and easy as I expected on my Pentium II.
I got my 3rd logitech yesterday, now I have 2 messenger and 1 4000 pro, add to my previous review (basically stated this is a ok product and CMOS is not as good as CCD sensor in webcam), once more thing today:
Not each quick cam messenger are being created equal, the one I just got (included in Logitech Trio package) has a much more sensitive microphone than the one I purchased seperately before. Now I understand why some people are complaining the quickcam messenger's integrated mic is useless. This new quickcam messenger I got has a constant booming sound unless the room is super quite. But I can do little things for the noisy desktop computer and that noise alone make the integrated microphone useless. If I use it with my notebook, it seems work fine (much less booming noise).
My other quickcam messenger's integrated mic seems much toralent to the noise and works fine in either condition. So, should I say: GOOD LUCK!! :)
Good Cam for those who do not want anything to expensive. You get what you payed for.
I had purchase this product because of the history of logitech and how it's always been successful, but this one isn't worth it. The picture is very grainy and the sound just isn't there. I have tried trouble shooting and nothing has helped. I'm returning this webcam and try to find something else.
I just purchased the QuickCam and I am very pleased to say the least. It is designed to work with Yahoo and MSN messaging and I believe AIM will also work although I haven't tried it. The installation was a cinch and in no time I was chatting with friends and family. The built in microphone is also excellent. It gives you great sound and allows you to customize the recording levels. I've tried other webcams in this price range and frankly nothing else comes close to this kind of picture quality.
My only complaint is that the stand is kind of a pain to adjust at times and wish that it was better engineered. Other than that I am perfectly happy with this product and would recommend it to anyone.
How is it that reviews done back in November still head the top of the list, and more recent reviews are further back..could it be because of such the favorable rating(5 stars)...I think the average consumer can figure out what is going on here..obvouisly both reviews were written by the same person or "company"
...lets just be fair here and post them as they come...anyone reading those reviews should discard them..they seem a little deceitful to me...but that is just my opinion.
Got this webcam today and set it up in office (bright light condition) and I cannot see much differences in video quality vs. QuickCam Pro 4000. But the similarity ends when this webcam gets home, at home's lighting condition, QuickCam Messenger cannot compete with the QuickCam Pro 4000 in video quality, not even close. (by the way, both Messenger and Pro 4000's still picture quality are pretty poor and personally, I don't care for the still picture quality since I can use a digi camera to take a picture). The CCD in QuickCam Pro 4000 really shines in low light condition. (QuickCam Messenger uses CMOS)
So, in bright light condition and all you need is just a little video in IM chatting, you might get away with this QuickCam Messenger, but for all the others, will be better off with the QuickCam Pro 4000.
All after all, this is the first time I can compare side by side with 2 webcam using different technologies (CCD vs. CMOS) and obviously, you get what you paid for. :)
My advice will be go for the QuickCam Pro 4000 or the recently introduced Orbit, but of course, more expansive. Good luck in searching for the new webcam.
For the price, you can't go wrong in buying this WEB CAM.
Picture quality is very good. Very USER FRIENDLY, EASY SETUP.
I had bought a WEB CAM that I paid twice as much as for this CAMERA, took it back, and kept this one.
If you are looking for a mid priced WEB CAM that is easy to use, and set up, don't hesitate in getting this WEB CAM.
You won't be disapointed at all !!!!!!
The camera it self is small and compact and for the price is a good value...but what good is it if the software malfunctions.First of all the software disk is loaded with 3rd party software which means it contains "ADWARE"...the reasoning they tell you this is installed is for automatic updates....now seriously,how many updates do you get for a web cam?..wouldn"t it be simpler just to go to there site and check,instead of having a third party tracing your internet movements?...if you have SPYBOT or ADWARE on your PC run after you install the software and you will see what i mean....with the disk they supplied SPYBOT found 22 traces of "ADWARE"..so i unistalled the software disk and went to the LOGITECH site and downloaded the software from there..(one positive note the disk takes up over 200mb of space while downloading from the site only uses 125mb) and they state "no third party " from there site download...well low and behold when i ran SPYBOT and ADWARE i found none...but just for backup i used SPYSWEEPER which is a purchased program...and guess what...it located 7 traces of adware...the name of the adware that is installed is called"BACKWEB" ..now the real problem every once in awhile my PC will for no reason shut down...the problem arises from a bad driver issue within the LOGITECH software....they are well aware of the situation, but as of now they have not resolved it...bottom line is i will never purchase another LOGITECH product.
I bought this camera 2 weeks ago. Unlike many other posters here, I had little trouble with the software. I had it installed in 10 minutes. The video is good. Picture gets grainier under artificial light or low lit conditions, but it it is still decent. The one BIG drawback I found with this webcam is how sensitive the microphone is. When talking to someone over AOL IM, we both have to wear headphones. This gets rid of the feedback which creates a horrible background noise. Another solution I have tried is to put a piece of scotch tape over the mike! This eliminates the background noise, at the expense of somewhat dampening the overall audio. Anyway, I would give this camera 4 stars if it weren't for the awful microphone/audio.
I love this little inexpensive webcam. The Mic works well, and the video quality is GREAT! Auto adjusts well in most cases, with a few custom settings you can get really good color. Works great on Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger.
WARNING: Great for my purposes, but the software that comes with it mostly useless and OBSOLETE. The software was for the days back when Webcams weren't integrated into chat programs.
I just received this webcam yesterday and in less than ten minutes had it set up on each of my two computers (one with Win2000 Prof- Dell Latitude C610 and the other with XP Home-Dell 4400).
The installation of the software is easy, though I would suggest the custom install for those who know a bit about what programs they want and don't want loaded.
The picture is fantastic, particularly if you have a bright light or window behind you! The focus ring works well to adjust to different preferred distances from the webcam.
The software suite is easy and intuitive to use. Create an .avi movie file with sound by selecting the button and clicking start. To send it to someone simply right-click your resulting file to find the 'email' option. The built in auto-compressor is a nice feature bringing the 2Mb movie to a 60K size for sending that all but the most full email accounts can receive. It took me less than 3 minutes to send a friend a 10sec movie note.
For less than $35 including the mail-in rebate, considering it's ease of use and clear picture, it's probably your best deal on a webcam/mic/camera all-in-one.
I've sent 3 to relatives in Europe and now we 'get together' regularly over MSN Messenger by video! Though my sister's connection is too slow for Messenger, she can now send me video clips of my nephew so I can see him grow up between visits. What a treat!
If you don't have a digital camera and want to use your webcam to take some quick email-quality photos I would suggest that you spend more and get the Logitech Pro4000. With 1Mb picture resolution there's a noticeable improvement in the quality of both still photos and video.
It lacks specific support for QuickCam Messenger. Although software help explains how to use Motion Detection, there is no such tab.
Last but not least. It is not possible to contact Logitech by e-mail.
This is a great webcam. It has smooth video and a clear microphone. It is definantly the best in it's price range. The included software is easy to use. Thank you to the previous reviewer who suggested to put a light behind it. I have done that and no one has ever had a problem seeing me. The $15 rebate was also a nice incentive, bringing it down to the price of the cheaper one in Walmart. Great buy, excellent value.
I like this webcam! The image is charper than most of my friends'. You won't see a grainy pic if you adjust the light rihgt. Normally I will get a decent image at night when I turn on both my floor lamp and desk lamp. But don't expect the color to be perfect. I think they used special lighting to make the demo pic in the image libray look vivid. What I got looks kind of pale. Even you adjust the saturation level, it will only add more red to the image. In fact, some of my friends' webcams do a better job in color management. All in all, this is a good cam for the price. It meets my need for a decent image.
Simply plug and play on XP. But do NOT install drivers from enclosed CD. Had to uninstall drivers ( from CD ) to make the Webcam work in Yahoo Messenger !! Have not check this product with AOL &/or MSN.
What I ran it on: My computer was a 600MHz AMD, 768MB RAM, 128MB ATI Radeon, running Win98SE, with an AT&T Broadband Internet connection.
The Install: The installation appeared to go without a hitch. If you don't follow the very specific instructions that the software provides then you will probably run into problems.
The Picture: The picture on the Quickcam Messenger was surprisingly good. The friend I was having a Video chat with through Yahoo Messenger had a webcam from a different vendor that cost about half as much and her picture quality was consistently poor.
The Framerate: While recording a video to my hard drive the framerate was more than adequate. Over the internet was another story, but I question whether any other webcam could have done better.
Reliability: This is where everything goes bad. In the 60 minutes I spent video-chatting with my friend I had to reboot my computer more than 6 times. Even when I wasn't broadcasting images over the Internet, and simply stared at myself on my desktop, the camera (or software) consistently locked up. The software provided is loaded with bugs and merrily installs itself everywhere on your computer (quick-start toolbar, desktop, program menu). I finally gave up on the camera after 2 days of trying to get it to work reliably (updating drivers and such) and returned it. My guess is the camera works great, but the software was thrown together as an after thought. After un-installing the software my computer has never been the same. I can no longer play Windows Media files and I can no longer run graphic intensive applications. I ended up having to re-format my hard-drive, I used this as an opportunity to install Windows XP... 98 is outdated now anyways.
Annoyances: If you bought a monitor, and the monitor manufacturer said "You need to subscribe to a 3rd party service in order to view the Internet through your new monitor." I bet you'd be pretty annoyed. Well that is essentially what Logitech did when they teamed up with SpotLife. You can use the webcam to broadcast video over messenger services such as MSN Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo, etc... But, if you want to broadcast live video from your computer to a web host (as a browser accessible nanny-cam or something) then you'll need to do so through SpotLife. SpotLife gives you a free trial period of course, but the freedom of doing what you want with the streaming images generated on YOUR computer has been taken away from you.
Summary: I waited a week after returning my Quickcam Messenger before I wrote this review. I knew that I should let my emotions cool down a little so I could try to write something informative and objective. The webcam may have performed reliably on a system with a different OS and some people might like the idea of SpotLife (it's actually a good idea for people that can't write HTML). If you can buy it from someplace with a flexible return policy then give it a whirl... just have your OS CD handy... for the install... and for when you need to re-format your hard-drive after the un-install.
The Bottom Line: I will be buying another webcam, but I'm going to avoid products by Logitech. That's too bad because I used to really like Logitech.
Its easy and inexpensive; takes maybe 10-15 minuets to install; You just insert the software and follow the instructions; and at the right time you plug it into your USB (the software tells you when) and then you go trough a set up process, to adjust the camera and mic. It works perfectly well with Yahoo Chat.
The Logitech QuickCam Messenger WebCam is a great little toy for the money. I really can't compare it to other webcams because this is the first one I've ever used. However, installation is pretty easy but takes a strangely long 15-20 minutes. It integrates seamlessly into Yahoo Messenger. It also works alongside AOL IM and MSN Messenger but takes separate software (included). The only catch is the other side has to download special Logitech software to see it with AOL and MSN (I don't know if Yahoo requires an add-in or whether the webcam feature is already included). Still, when I used it with a friend they could see me in less than 5 minutes including the download. As you'd expect, the quality of the feed depends on the connection on both sides. Overall, a good product for a small investment.