Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision ( 961471-0403 )

Logitech promises vastly improved image quality in this webcam because of its new lens, which is all glass. They aren't kdding. The image quality is superb, approaching that of Hi-8 videotape up to 960 x 720 video resolution and the interpolated 4 Megapixel still image size of 2304 x 1708 pixels.

Installation of the Logitech QuickCam 10 software is simpler than earlier versions, with a much cleaner interface. My tests were conducted on a laptop running a Pentium M 1.6 Ghz CPU. Logitech suggests a Pentium 4 at 1.4 Ghz as a minimum, 2.4 Ghz recommended. They aren't kidding. The Pentium M 1.6 Ghz is somewhat underpowered and recorded video is a tad jerky, though Logitech's software does a commendable job of "tweening," making the jumpiness far less annoying than it might otherwise be. I must stress that this is a limitation of the computer I used for testing, not the Logitech UltraVision.

The visual resolution of this camera is simply stunning.

If you're grandparent using a webcam to stay in touch with your grandchildren, get one of these today and send it to the kids: every little dribble of leftover jam on the little tyke's face will be beautifully visible - as will the radiance of their smiles. (Can you tell I'm a big, big fan of using webcams to stay close to grandchildren?) Marketing and sales reps will appreciate the clarity of the image. Be forewarned because Logitech doesn't seem to tell you this: minimum focusing distance appears to be about one foot. Everyday webcammers best be prepared to hear oohs and aaahs from others. Great visual resolution and the video, even on an underpowered machine, is exellent.

The new lens alone is worth the price and makes the Logitech UltraVision a must-have for any serious webcammer. Field-of-view, incidentally, is excellent: not too narrow, not too broad at default settings. Moderate use of the digital zoom will give you precisely what you need.

But there's lots more. The noise-cancelling microphone is truly excellent. You don't need a headset ever again. In tests without any background noice, the audio was crisp and clear. In my tests, there was no hint of echo or the dreaded "down in the well" quality. Really cool! In another test, I turned the television up in the background. Still excellent noise-cancelling characteristics. This is a second solid reason to buy the UltraVision.

The Logitech RightLight feature does a good job of optimizing low-light or unbalanced light conditions.

The digital zoom is very noisy at higher magnification. A keyboard shortcut for implementing the digital zoom would be helpful for those moments when you feel like playing.

The Logitech FaceTracking feature works which is about all I can really say about it. It's not a feature I really make use of.

The Logitech software has a new and much cleaner interface. The (in my opinion) stupid avatars are still with us. Kids might like them, but I have no use for them. The control panel as a whole is more accessible than in the past.

The UltraVision camera itself is a nice piece of design. It is surprisingly bigger than the product illustrations convey. The tapered cylindicral design is, to my eyes, more pleasing than Logitech's classic orb design. The simplified mount is more adaptable to laptop screens. Overall, do not consider this as a webcam to travel with. It's bigger than most people would want to carry in their briefcase or computer tote.

Overall, this is probably the very best webcam Logitech has ever produced. The visual quality is heads and shoulders above anything else in the webcam market. Absolute stunning. The noise-cancelling microphone is vastly improved and means you'll never need a headset again. A great package and well worth the premium price.

Jerry

Like many folks out there, I just don't understand in this day and age, why can't multi-million dollar companies come out with a decent peoduct that actually works? I've used several other webcams, mostly all with the same results. Grainy picture, lousy lighting, slow response - the list goes on. Logitech started advertising this thing several months ago, and pushed back the release date for whatever reason. I really wanted to believe the hype and get a decent webcam.
The camera itself is not as small as you might think. It's about the size of a sideways salt shaker, and about as heavy. The flexible clip isn't entirely useless, it just doesn't hold well on a thin screen like say, a laptop. It's a bit more of a balancing act than a secure hold. It does appear to be well built, and the lens side of the cam tilts about 60 degrees up - only up, so aim low. Harder to do when it doesn't hold the screen too well. You see how the problem compounds as time goes on?
The directions are literally 2 step - install CD, plug in camera. Fairly straight forward. The installation is very intuitive as well, kind of hard to screw it up. Once installed, pick a USB port and plug it in. Tada! Easy.
You will notice 2 things as soon as it fires up. One, the picture really is significantly better than the majority of the cameras out there. The Right Light2 really works, skin tones look more accurate, not shaded or yellow. You can opt for the highest resolution and it's actually quite nice, somewhere along the lines of a cheaper Hi-8 camcorder. Snapshots are pretty good as well - remembering clearly that this is a webcam, not a dedicated digital camera. Still worth mentioning, it does take decent pics. Wide field of view as well, so check on what/who is behind you before you go live on the air. The adjustments available to you in the software are nice to have and well organized.
The second thing more astute users may see is the tremendous CPU usage this thing takes to run. Not all computers will do it, but some frag out at 100%. I personally use it on a Dell laptop, configured well above the minimum requirements as stated by Logitech. I verified all my hardware and software are up to date, I disabled every single non essential program, turned off every option on the cam - still a piggy. Go go google search - it seems that this is a well known issue for the latest software release, version 10, and Logitech isn't addressing the problem publicly. Version 9.5 doesn't have this issue as often, (still there) but it's no longer available from them or anyone else that's easy to find. It is out there though.
I think that it's deplorable that such a company that touts itself to be the purveyor of the #1 selling webcam could ever release this software. That's similiar to Ford putting Firestone tires on their cars knowing full well that there was a safety issue. Morons.
This doesn't put anyone's life in danger, but it might make it dangerous for anyone standing next to you when you realize you just dropped $130 on a really nice paper weight.
In all fairness, look at it this way - Amazon has excellent customer service and a great return policy. This camera might work for you, especially those of you running with a biggens processor and a buch of memory. It does not appear to be an issue with every computer, just a bunch of them. I don't know of a pattern or common thread for the problem computers.
The picture quality really is better, significantly better than many. The voice clarity is excellent as well, no echo at all. It has a nice blue light that come on when the camera is transmitting. It will, in turn, take up more bandwidth, more memory and CPU usage. I have since reverted back to a Creative Labs Live Ultra for notebooks. It gets the job done, installed stupid quick with no issues at all. It sits quietly and snugly on top of my screen until I ask it to turn on. The video quality is not on par with the Ultra Vision, but at least it works.

This is my first webcam experience and I have been very pleased. I've owned it for a little over a week and have used it quite a bit so far. Everyone on the receiving end of my Skype calls have been very impressed with the quality of the video and sound (I use the integrated microphone, not a headset).

It is a bit expensive... but I have no complaints. Install went smoothly and worked the first time.

I've owned a few webcams and nothing compares to this one. Software installed without a hitch and camera was up and working in 15 minutes. Right light technology even works as stated. Takes such clear snapshots you wish you could take it with you as a digital camera. Very happy and Amazon shipped overnight.

The picture quality was great compared to my 5 year old classic 3Com HomeConnect which I had to replace because of conflicts with Orb. But I would have had to return the QuickCam Ultra Vision had I not spent many hours discovering how to fix a conflict with Beyond TV. It turned out I had to set the service which enabled cartoon-like avatar effects for the UltraVision to manual startup so it would not be loaded. This is done in Programs, Administrative tools, Services for the "Logitech Process Monitor" - LVPrcSrv.exe. Otherwise my system would not reboot easily, requiring a forced shutdown of csc.exe (the c# compiler program).

Another gotcha was that using light bulbs with a "soft white" color temperature of 2700K rather than "bright white" with a color temperature of 4100K resulted in a very greenish picture. This is a problem with many webcams including my old 3W Homeconnect.

Finally there was a minor setup hiccup requiring you to do a driver upgrade in device manager next to an icon with a question mark next to the microphone driver.

It does use a lot of CPU power. Being a webcam there is a lot of automation going on involving constant autofocusing and color adjustment. It won't give you the quality that a real video camera would. But from what I have read, setting up a video camera for webcam use is not recommended because of the lack of consumer software available for web conferencing.

I did a lot of market research 2 months ago when I got the Ultra. It appears to be the best on the market for PCs. I bought it for use with the top rated free SightSpeed video conferencing software with which it is not officially compatible. But in fact it does work fine with SightSpeed (which works with Macs)

This is a decent usit, but it could be better, especialy for the money.

1) Capture performance

I have a P4 3.2GHz computer. 2GB RAM. 100GB 7200 RPM HD. Very fast. Unfortunately, using the provided video capture software, it canot capture 640x480 @ 30 fps very well. It drops frames. By comparison, my digital camera does much better in movie mode. 640x480 @ 30fps is no problem for the camera.

2) Capture Quality

At night in my office there is no outside light, so I rely on my ceiling lights and desk lamps. This web cam does not do well with lower light levels. The software compensates somewhat, but the end result is not always consistent. By comparison, my digital camera has a movie mode that does much better in low light. My miniDV camcorder also does much better, and it is about 5 years old.

I believe the software deserves much of the blame. It is a system hog that robs performance. This needs to be improved immediately. If there was a cheap or open source program that works with this webcam and can tap into all of its features, I would switch immediately.


This is one of the worst pieces of junk I ever bought. Video quality is horrible. The setup messed my computer up, so it took me 3 days to clean it up and make it work again. Don't buy this cam unless you have money to waiste!

I purchased the Logitech QuickCam for my daughter and myself for Christmas so I could see my Grandson in New England. I live in the Northwest. We found it wasn't as easy as we had anticapated using as we both have had to experiment with the sound and picture transmission. Once set up the pictures are clear and the sound is great. My daughter's husband was able to give me a tour of their house following my grandson with his laptop. The Logitech QuickCam is easy to install and the pictures and sound are clear. I am pleased with the purchase and am amazed we can communicate directly acrossed the country. Great for grandparents everywhere!!

This web cam is so awesome!! It is very clear and streams extremely well. I received it promptly even in the bad weather!

Received on time. Installed with ease. Works Great! I enjoy seeing and talking with my Grandchildren more often.

I have always loved to get the best piece of technology available on the market. Apart from the price, my purchases are greatly influenced by reviews given to products. I bought this cam as a replacement for my quickcam pro 4000 and am greatly disappointed since the image quality and clarity is no where near as good as that of my previous cam which happens to be at least 4 years older than this one. No amount of tweaking or driver updates have allowed me to get an image as defined and pronounced as i was able to with my previous logitech camera and to think this was more than twice as expensive as the quickcam pro 5000 which i now feel would have given me far better value for money.
I would not recommend this camera to buyers who are serious about streaming image quality and I sure did not expect this from logitech whose products account for over 50% of extended arsenal of computer peripherals

Very good resolution..doesn't need much light to make a good picture...and the mic seems to be VERY sensitive,,,GOOD BUY!

I have the QuickCam Ultra and several QuickCam Fusion webcams. The glass optics in the Ultra does give a better image than typical webcams but both the Ultra and Fusion webcams have been and are still crippled as a result of driver problems[...]

If and when the driver issues are resolved, the glass optics, right light (low light) technology and echo canceling microphone technology of the Fusion Webcam will result in a superior webcam experience.

I have an HP laptop and had quite a bit of trouble with other cams, they would freeze up my computer, BSOD, or the video performance was horrible (Microsoft LifeCam .. BOO!) Also tried the Logitech Orbit MP 'motorized cam on a stick', which didn't perform very well either, not to mention video quality bit hard. While on the phone with Logitech tech support the guy told me about this new cam. BTW, Logitech support is GREAT -- and NOT in India or Pakistan! I got an actual person that spoke English as his primary language! HOORAY! (The same could NOT be said for MS support.)

I had no problems setting this specific cam up, the performance is great .. I LOVE the way it adjusts for lighting automatically. The new software/drivers surpass the old version by FAR.

The little 'extras' ('video effects' emote sorta things) were fun at first, a bit glitchy and overall PC performance would suffer; but quickly the fun fades and you stop using them. Though, I do like the 'privacy shade' feature (puts an image up instead of live cam)

The only thing I don't like about it is the 'zoom' .. the lens itself doesn't zoom, it just zooms in on the area of the screen capture -- so video quality drops like a rock.

I also really like how it fits on my laptop screen -- the adjustable 'arm' (read gumby-like adjustability--like, strong wire in rubber) is great. The cam was bigger than I thought (about the size of 2/3rds of an empty TP roll) but it does NOT impede my laptop screen at all!! Completely out of the way.

all in all, I like it a lot. big thumbs up. I use it at least once a week, if not more.

This camera caused the BSOD every once in a while. Previous Logitech 5000 never did that once. Today, downloaded new software (v 10.5) from the Logitech site, and the BSOD problem occcurs every other time the camera is turned on.

When the camera doesn't cause the computer to crash, the picture is okay in good lighting. It is very hard to adjust manually and the right-lite software barely makes a difference.

Stay away from this camera until Logitech comes out with a solid software fix.

I previously had a Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000 which I returned. I brought home the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision. I stood around the webcam section of the store for almost 30min trying to decide if I wanted the QuickCam Fusion or this QuickCam Ultra Vision. The difference was $30.00 (Fusion=$99, Ultra Vision=$129). I decided to get the latter because of a few things written on the shiny box:

1. "Unsurpassed image quality through 5 precision engineered lens elements."
2. on the back side of the box shows "Snapshot button" and "Quick Video preview button" (the Fusion only has the former).

Aside from the two points above and the physical looks of the webcam, I don't believe there are any other differences with the cheaper QuickCam Fusion. My reasoning was, ok.. so maybe the two points are really worth the extra $30.

Installation:
Installing is very easy. Always install the software before plugging the webcam. The QuickCam installation will ask you to check the internet for the latest version. It is the same as the LifeCam. The only difference or annoyance I see is that the LifeCam ask you to install the Microsoft Live Messenger. The QuickCam on the other hand is a little more subtle in that it senses any installed programs that you have already which you can see in the "Applications" section and you have the option to download the rest.

Looks/Design/Function:
Comparing this to the Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000, the LifeCam looks much more of what a webcam should look like. The QuickCam Ultra Vision on the otherhand has a peculiar shape. It looks more like a salt/pepper dispenser or a cologne bottle. This is just my opinion since beauty is in the eye of the beholder say as far as looks are concerned. Functionality wise, it is much sturdier than the LifeCam VX-6000. You can tilt the webcam maybe around 60% of a 90 degree angle. Unlike the LifeCam VX-6000, it does not have a horizontal swivel. Personally this is very trivial as I would rather stay centered to the webcam or you can just slide it left to right or adjust via the QuickCam software. There is no privacy shutter or slide cover on the Ultra Vision unlike the Fusion, but you do have the software version of it which you can even assign a graphic file as your privacy cover. People watching your webcam stream will see a picture instead of a black screen with just a click of a mouse.

Video/Still Picture Quality:
Obviously, the video portion is much better than the LifeCam VX-6000 or the QuickCam Fusion. The "Rightlight 2" techonology works well which the Fusion uses also. The focus is fixed. In a way, I seem to like the fixed focus so I don't have to fiddle with the focus adjust dial that the LifeCam VX-6000 has. One less thing to worry about. Snapshot quality goes to the LifeCam VX-6000 in that the QuickCam Ultra Vision has a problem with taking snaphots that are over 960x720. Almost all the pics have these horizontal lines appearing as anomalies with anything higher (ie 1.3mp 1280x960, 2.0mp 1600x1200, etc, etc). Hopefully Logitech can fix this with a software update. As of now, 12/27/2006, the latest QuickCam version 10.4.0.1401 has this problem.

Extra Features:
Hands down the Logitech QuickCam software package outshines the Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000. The QuickCam software can easily use it's video effects (avatar and face accessories on most of the video chat programs, while the LifeCam video effects (Dashboard) seems to only be enabled with Microsoft Live Messenger. Video capture is saved on WMV format. You can easily import and capture video using the webcam on a 3rd party video editor and save them as AVI if you want to though.

I would have rated this product a 3.75 Stars actually since there is a problem with taking snapshots at high resolutions (horizontal lines appearing) and Logitech needs to get this fix. I would have to say though that this problem could just be my webcam and I might have to get it exchanged. Aside from that, the feedback quality of the video on the webcam is great! So I rounded the rating to 4 Stars.

If you are contemplating on getting the Fusion or the Ultra Vision, they are both good webcams, the former would be around $30 cheaper, the latter obviously has slightly better picture and an extra feature button. The Ultra Vision larger and heavier. The software it comes with (QuickCam) is basically the same. It depends if you're willing to spend extra just for these few differences.


I am not frequent user for it, but I used several Logitech webcams. It is the best webcam I've used. One of the best features is to adjust brightness. Even though I use it with only LCD backlight (no lamp in the room), it adjust brightness perfectly.

Bought 2 of these babies for the holidays, sent one to my daughter in Utah and kept one here in New Hampshire so my grand daugher could stay in touch with her aunt. 4 year olds don't understand the concept of distance too well. The real time audio and video work well and we have had a lot of fun using the units to stay in touch. Neither of us had any trouble installing and configuring the units. I highly recommend this camera to anyone with a similar need to "see and talk to " friends and family in remote from home locations

this product is just average and i dont see much any difference with cheaper webcams. when you use this with yahoo messenger it looks like crap. it's like any other cheap webcams out there. i wasted my money on this. i should've got lower priced cam.

The setup was easy. The video looks great,close to modern camcorder quality when the lighting is good and far better than the average webcam I've seen when lighting is poor. Built in microphone is a big plus, the microphone has good sensitivity and clean audio. I'm happy with this product.

I was amazed at the ease of installation, and the high quality picture, and sound, that this unit delivers. This is easily the best of the QuickCam line. The conclusion of all the research that I did before I purchased this unit was that the Logitech QuickCam is the best webcam available, and the Ultravision is without a doubt the best of that line. The Ultravison is easy to install, easy to use (literally two clicks and you are online) and delivers a superior picture and sound, compared to others. The experience delivers nearly live sound and actual time video with nearly zero freeze-frameing, mosaic, or that irritating, under water-type sound you get from most webcams. Highly suggested for long-distance families, conference callers, or chatters!

(Major update 4/24/07 has been added to the review at the conclusion. This is the original review. Certain flaws have now been corrected, so please see the update at the bottom!)

The Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision is a product that should be an instant success. The hardware engineers who designed the camera created a winner - a glass precision lens capable of delivering far sharper images than the majority of webcams on the market, a noise-cancelling microphone that should allow you to hold conversations online without a headset, and a camera that just looks darn good and can be seated on top of virtually every monitor and stays there.

Early reviews in the summer and fall of 2006 indicated Logitech had indeed released a winner in the high end of the web camera market. Reviewers were impressed with the image quality, its ability to cope with low light situations, and the relative ease of use with software that could capably minimize the amount of user tweaking needed to achieve a high quality picture.

Unfortunately, Logitech's software engineers have not been as astute, and this is one of the few products I've encountered which has actually regressed in performance as software updates and new drivers have been released.

It's the classic story of the clash between the Marketing Department and the Engineering divisions of Logitech. In an effort to make this camera stand out from many others in the market, and perhaps to also justify its high end price, the Ultra Vision has been packed with extras, and the software engineers are then tasked to update the drivers and software packages that accompany the product to support them.

Unfortunately, it has become clear that as the camera is asked to do more and more, the engineers have been less than successful at properly supporting those features. More on that later.

Out of the box, the camera is slightly larger than I anticipated, but its well designed base is easily adjustable to allow it to hang on top of virtually any monitor without slipping or falling. The product also arrives with a brief instruction booklet and a driver/software CD. The attached cord is some six feet long which should be more than enough for most people.

The first mistake people make in installing USB products is that they plug them in before installing the drivers and software. Despite warnings not to do this on the plug end of the USB connector, it's clear many people do not heed this warning (based on the messages in Logitech's support forums). Don't make the same mistake. Install the software first and it will prompt you when it is appropriate to connect the camera.

The software CD shipped these days is v10.0, which represents Logitech's first foray into the trap of over-bloated software and hardware drivers. And this is the beginning of where things started to go wrong.

I'm not going to dwell on the added extras the Ultra Vision provides (especially the video effects which allow you to superimpose cartoonish images over your face) because you won't be dwelling on them yourself. One wonders why Logitech would invest so much time and effort into a feature that is going to be a passing novelty at most for the vast majority of its users. Nobody is going to purchase this camera for that feature.

Unfortunately, such add-ons require software to make them function, and as more and more has been piled into this product, the software required to support it has grown... and grown... and grown even more. To date, the current release of the driver/software package now exceeds 120 megabytes.

As you install the driver CD, you will be prompted to check for software updates. As of today, you'll find two - the first some 120 megabytes, the second just over half of that size. Even at broadband speeds, grab some coffee because you'll be here awhile.

Although the initial upgrade doesn't require a system reboot, the second one will, so be prepared for that.

After installation, a two step calibration process will confirm you are seeing video and attempt to configure the camera's built-in mic. I was not as impressed with the microphone calibration procedure because it relied on you adjusting a level based on watching a dot change color. A better alternative would be to have the configuration program dynamically adjust the volume itself based on the sound it hears as you read sample text aloud.

When everything is installed, up pops a sidebar applet which lets you quickly capture video, play around with the special effects, and change settings.

As my image popped up, I was surprised to see how dark the image was on my screen, despite it being a bright winter's day and four 120 halogen light bulbs beamed additional light from fixtures above. It looked more like I was sitting in a dark room. After several moments, a pop up message from the software indicated that my image was too dark (no kidding) and it recommended deploying Logitech RightLight(tm) technology - the product's built-in low light management feature which is touted as improving the product's performance in low light situations.

I gratefully accepted the recommendation and... the image actually got darker.

Unimpressed, I then began my journey into the settings and advanced setting control panels to do what I have done so often before with other web cameras I've owned - dispense with their automated configurations and attempt to tweak the video myself. Despite tinkering with three different control panels, I simply could not get this camera to deliver anything close to an acceptably bright image. Turning brightness up just washed the image out, and nothing else could bring the QuickCam UltraVision into the realm of a picture that rivalled the older cameras I've owned, from a $30 no name brand to the 3Com HomeConnect camera which this camera was to replace.

Typically when one encounters a problem like this, the best bet is to find a support forum, preferably run by the company, to verify if others are experiencing problems, and what resolutions are available.

I discovered Logitech does not run a technical support forum per se, but instead runs a "user discussion forum," which is a nice way of saying they've gone through the motions of allowing users to vent their problems and share their experiences, but it's not part of any technical support process, so don't blame them if nobody solves your problem.

It took just a few minutes to reassure myself I was not alone with my lighting problem - this "special feature" which turns day into night and night into night has brought howls of complaints from users running the latest released drivers and software.

A volunteer who seems to be active in most of the support threads on the forum replies to most messages bringing up complaints with a terse "repeat issue" or "known issue" which may be reassuring that you're not the only one suffering through it, but provides little real information to guide you to resolve it.

In fact, other users were more helpful in uncovering the heart of this problem. In short, it is a known issue that was introduced into more recent updates to the software and has grown progressively worse with each subsequent software update.

Yes, Logitech has managed to do what few companies have - they regressed the performance of their product.

Making a bad situation worse, despite their knowledge of the problem, the company is hardly in a hurry to resolve it, telling customers to try and "shine more light on the subject," put up with it until the next software release, or just return the product.

As for the first suggestion, after adding a 300+ watt halogen lamp just a few feet away and still delivering substandard performance, short of bringing the camera into a tanning salon or causing a sun to go supernova, it's probably impossible to expect good performance from this camera with the current drivers in all but the brightest locations.

Attempts to pin the company down to a schedule as to when we might expect a correction for this fundamental flaw, forum participants have been given vague statements about a possible February release, with no promises this bug fix would be included.

Unfortunately, Logitech has been driven more to support its bloated set of extra features and make sure they are compatible with Vista instead of giving higher priority to a known flaw which impacts the most basic performance on this camera.

With all this in mind, I was profoundly disappointed with the Logitech Ultra Vision web camera, and surprisingly so considering its former positive reviews and its higher end price. The company's attitude towards correcting known problems has been far less urgent and involved than it should be - bug fixes of this magnitude should be released immediately.

Those who already own this camera and who have avoided the software upgrades Logitech prompts you to install may still be having a good experience with this camera. Others just buying it should probably avoid the upgrades it will prompt you to install. At the very least, you may be able to avoid some of the performance issues while tolerating the bugs that will exist primarily in the special features you likely aren't going to use much anyway.

For those contemplating a purchase, my recommendation is to not reject this camera out of hand - because it is capable of delivering far more than it does today, but instead I'd either wait until the company delivers on its promise to fix these known problems, or be willing to be patient running an older version of the software and wait for the problems to sort out.

It's really not fair for a company to expect customers to spend $100+ on a camera that is hampered right out of the box, and Logitech should be rightly criticized for allowing such things to happen and not get them corrected until it dumps another 120 megabyte plus "upgrade" package on its users every several months.

**Update: 2/5/2007: Logitech support officials claim an updated driver will be released by the end of the month to correct some of the issues with the camera. I urge people to avoid the product until the new drivers have been released and independent reviews confirm that the problems have been corrected. I do not have confidence in Logitech's ability to correctly diagnose and release timely, working driver upgrades for their products based on their past history.

** Update: 4/24/2007: Logitech released a major driver upgrade in early March which has made significant improvements in the performance on this product. The worst problem - low lighting, has seen dramatic improvement and has now been corrected to the satisfaction of myself and many participants on the Logitech support forums, although there remains some room to improve it further. This does not excuse Logitech's extremely slow response to a known major product flaw, one they admitted existed. But for those contemplating a purchase of this product today, I am very happy to report this problem has been more or less corrected. I would definitely upgrade the drivers upon installation of the camera.

Amazon does not allow you to edit the number of stars given to a rated product once a review has been published. If given the chance, I would now rate this camera with four stars and put it on the "Recommended" list.

After using the Intel PC Camera Pro for several years for video conferences with relatives, I wondered if I there is anything new which would provide better image quality to them. After searching around (Google, Amazon, etc.) I decided to give the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision a try.

The camera looks nice and the installation was a breeze. Playing around with it on my own I found that it is hard to handle when using it to track objects like kids which are running around (very important because grandparents like to watch that). Also, the image seemed very dark to me even with RightLight(tm)2 Technology enabled.

Naturally the ultimate test was a video conference with relatives. Without telling them I started using the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision. Instantly after the connection was established they asked me if the lights were off in my room. After some playing around with the controls I asked them how they liked the image. They told me that the image is not very good. After revealing that I was using the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision I switched back to my old Intel PC Camera Pro. They told me that they really preferred the old camera over the Logitech QuickCam.

In summary, if you are thinking of upgrading you might be disappointed if you choose this relatively expensive camera. For people who are buying new, you might want to think about e-baying for a Intel PC Camera instead (unfortunatly Intel does not sell cameras any more).

For me I'm sticking with my old camera for now.

Don't let the attractive specs of this camera lure you. This camera looks good on paper but will provide nothing but instability and mediocre image capturing.

Logitech claims it is a software issue that causes poor and impossibly dark images, constant BSODs and hardware incompatibilities. Regardless, the camera simply does not work and should not have been released yet.

I worked diligently troubleshooting but ultimately wasted many hours of my life on this paperweight. Do yourself a favor and buy another camera or wait till Logitech is kind enough to release stable drivers (hint. Don't hold your breath)

Also avoid the forums if you are looking for support as they will offer one of two responses:

"Repeat issue, search!" or "Try a clean install of the drivers"

This product severely lowered my opinion of Logitech.

Video on WinVista looks extremely dark and color balance is way off. It's safe to say a FAR or $5 webcam looks better. Logitech claims it's driver problem yet not a single solution has been released since Vista beta. Logitech, please at least finish alpha and beta test by yourself next time!

3/6/2007 Update: To Logitech's credit, dark image problem has been fixed in the newest driver release. But color balance problem only gets slightly better. What's funny is now there's a new issue: whenever webcam is in use, CPU usage stays in 100% on a Sempron 3400+ machine!!! Again, Logitech probably doesn't bother with any alpha or beta test, they let you do it!

Top quality images: the optics are excellent, the best in this price range.
Easy to install, easy to use. Nice design.
Built in microphone is not of same quality, and Logitech would do well to provide a bypass feature for users who want better sound. Gimmicky video effects good for kids, use up space.
Highly recommend.
Doug

Software installation was easy. The camera and built in microphone work great. The resolution is fantastic. Easy to use and lots of great software options. This product works seamlessly with Skype.


Awesome cam... my first one... but it does everything right.

I "upgraded" from a Logitech 5000 - an excellent camera for the money - and expected an improvement in performance. As other reviewers noted, the image is dark, regardless of settings. There are nice features, such as head tracking, but what's the point when your viewers can't see your head? I've used web cameras since they were first available for the Mac - and this is my worst experience with image quality. Muddy and dark for $100. The 5000 is a much better camera if you're considering Logitech. Too bad, the specs look so impressive.

WOAHHHHH!!!!!!!
THAT'S THE WORST WEBCAM FOR LOGITECH SO FAR.EXTREMELY DARK EVEN WITH A NEW FEATURE THAT'S IMPROVE THE DARK VIDEO IN WEBCAMS.A LOT OF ISSUES WIH THE SOFTWARE AND COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHERS MESSENGERS LIKE YAHOO MESSENGER.
IF YOU ARE A VISTA USER, EVEN IF THERE IS A NEW FIX SOFTWARE IN THE WEBSITE DON'T EVEN TRY IT !!!!! GET A BETTER PRODUCT.

My boyfriend and I were expecting the release of the Ultra Vision camera for quite some time, since for the time being we are forced to live in different cities. My first camera was the Logitech 5000 and it is a decent camera, so I was expecting some great things from this new Logitech camera. Unfortunately, I am here to report it is much worst than earlier versions. Not only does it have extremely serious software compatability issues, it is finicky and unreliable. The quality of the picture is unacceptable. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is a problem with the driver that messes the light filter controls and you end up being in dark half the time.

Moreover, Logitech has been extremely arrogant in its dealing with the faults of this camera. I have been so turned off by this camera that I have sworn off all logitech products. Do yourself a favor and buy a different camera! At least, take a look at some of the logitech forums that document in detail some of the fatal problems with this camera.

no issues here. Picture is nice and big. It compensates well for poor lighting issues, but I would recommend that you have some special light on your face, for quality's sake.

The camera resolution would be good if the Rightlight 2 didn't make the image so dark, even with lights on. I called Logitech but was on hold forever. When they gave me the option to leave a call back number, they never called back. I returned this product and got the Logitech Communicate CTX instead. Lower resolution, but it uses Rightlight 1 which actually seems to work. One would think if Rightlight 2 didn't work, they would not push that for any of their camcorders.

But I would recommend avoiding any logitech cams that use Rightlight 2 until some one actually says they fixed the bug. Sometimes more expensive is not better.

The camera itself looks nice though is a little bigger than you would expect. The problem is that the image is simply -- as noted many times below -- too dark to be usable. Now apparently this is a known logitech problem, but also apparently, logitech does not care enough to fix this problem on their flagship webcam.

I purchased this camera because my wife is far far away for a few months, and I would really have liked to be able to see her once in a while. She's somewhere where there are no webcams to purchase. It's such a crappy picture, that we are not even bothering to webcam anymore. So I'm giving logitech two-three weeks, and if it's not fixed I will (a) file a Better Business Bureau complaint;(b) never buy anything from Logitech again; and (c) post this review everywhere possible on the internet.

Go elsewhere.


On the sad side :( I was excited that there was a camera to replace my previous Logitech Web Cam since it no longer was compatible with Vista. I ordered it and Amazon did a great job (as usual) of gettign me the product the next day. I dilligently followed the directions and installed it. It was working pretty good for a week or so when it decided it needed an update. After the update my entire system went into trouble mode. My laptop would freeze for no reason. I would reboot multiple times as it was just stuck doing nothing. After I could not take it any longer I did a restore to the day before I installed the new Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision. Subsequently I have reinstalled it 2 more times and this time it does not seem to be casuing any problems - except that it decided yesterday to get the same update! I hope that there is an update soon to fix this.

On the happy side :) The camera has some really neat features: It really does track you well. It also is very clear. It has a terrific resolution and is absolutely amazing. The microphone works great. It cancels out any reverb that may occur. Skype and MSN Video work great! The sound is superior than the old camera. There are some neat video enhancements that you will have to see if you order one. I can't tell you as it will give away a neat feature that is video enhancement at its best (for now).

Overall it will be really neat as soon as the updates make it more stable. Then watch out - because is it me...is it captured video..or is it me with video enhancements. You will have to get one to find out.

I had previously been using the Logitech communicate STX which is a great little camera and I was expecting to see major improvements in the Ulta Vision (especially due to the VERY hefty price tag). Unfortunately Im somewhat dissiapointed. Compared to the STX the colours using the Ultra Vision are vastly superior but the STX handles a much wider range of lighting scenarios. For example, during the day time with the sunlight comming though the window I appear as a sillouette with the Ultra Vision whereas the STX corrects for this and I appear as normal. Yes, you can improve this by tweaking all the settings but you can never get it to match the STX AND it should be doing this automatically. The bundled software with the avatar capabilities and the masks etc are fun but lets face it, they're ultimately pointless. For this price I expected a webcam vastly superior to one less than half its price in terms of image quality.......this does not live up to my expectations. The increase in colour is not worth the extra money.

This Web cam has to be the best one that I have ever owned
I am amazed at the quality of the image on IM and the still pics are really good too
I really like the face tracking feature and the slim size of the camera makes it easy to place just about anywhere
I am extremely pleased with this product and the price was much cheaper than buying anywhere else
Logitech makes great products !!



The only bad thing of the camera is its arm, which is not flexible enough to orientate the webcam where you would like it to be.

Installation time, it prompted me to check updates online and it installed the latest from web. During the web cam video and audio config time, it prompted me to stop all using the audio. After finishing the total installation, I am unable to listen to any music from CDs or online through the computer speakers.

Anyone had this issue? Any thoughts on resolution. Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision ( 961471-0403 )

This was my first try at using a webcam. I bought one for myself, and one for my less technically savvy girlfriend. She's never had to ask for help. I'm impressed with the simple installation and plug-n-play performance. The software is quite good and feature-laden without being overwhelming. We tend to chat late at night and the images at low lighting levels is more than acceptable. As pleased as I am with the product, and it's attractive design, I'm not sure I would have purchased it without the rebate. It's worth [...]-[...]bucks.

I bought this camera for my Intel MacPro that I also run XP on and it works great in either OS.

This is an outstanding value in a webcam. Easy to install. works great with Yahoo messenger as well as its recording(capturing qualities). Look no further than the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision.

It fits perfectly on my 21 inch Dell Flat monitor.The best pictures I have seen, I can see everybody just like being there.

I don't like having to troubleshoot a product and try and figure out why it's not working with my computer. I plugged the Quickcam into the USB port and was talking to and looking at my son in Denmark in a matter of minutes. I didn't have to do anything. It is a quality, well thought-out product.

Basically I purchased this camera to speak with my husband's family in France. We got to use it literally 1 or 2 times before the blue screen of death hit. I've had to use the restore option on my brand new computer twice to try and fix the issue and have definitely figured out that it's this camera because it is the only aspect of the computer that comes up with an error afterwards and that I have to re-install. Now I don't use it at all and it simply sits on top of my monitor serving as a decoration while it mocks me with its uselessness. Don't buy this camera unless you want to get your hopes up and be dreadfully disappointed.

I got excellent feedback when using this unit on SKYPE. Auto features for light and echo make video conferencing quite easy. The unit also can record an HD version of Windows Media video as well as large still images when not used for live conferencing. There is a privacy feature that displays a still image rather than live video if you don't want to be seen on camera. I hope this feature is improved and designed to be used as a slide show presentation. I've been looking for this feature for a long time. During a live video conference I've often wanted to show recently taken digital photos while chatting. This feature lets you go to a folder on your computer and display images in place of your live video as you talk. I love this feature if they would only improve the resolution of the image displayed at the distant end. The camera turned out to be a bit larger than I expected but it performs exceptionally well.

I installed this and I had read that there were problems with the drivers but I used the option to check for upgraded software on install and the update software was installed and all seems good. Picture clarity is quite good.

I have purchased the "special edition" one (only difference is that that one I got was black. Previously i had Logitech Orbit MP which never ever gave me any problems and I used it a lot, with Yahoo, MSN, Skype talking to relatives and friends all over the world. First it was working fine for about a month, until just last week all of the sudden while chatting the BLUE death screen showed up where my face was...my computer stopped to responding so i restarted it thinking this will "fix" whatever the problem was...NOPE!!! since then i ended up completely reinstalling my windows XP hoping that whatever was causing problems with this webcam will be removed during the formatting of a hard drive. Installed the software on the "fresh" hard disk, and again...I wasn't able to fire it up. I mean when i did couple seconds later I had that infamous Blue screen instead of a picture, sometimes it was showing me a message that my computer could not recognize a webcam or it's not connected at all and to reconnect it....I gave up, looks nice but that's pretty much where it ends...I'm going to start using back my "old" Orbit MP - no problems whatsoever for about a year. DON'T waste your money on this one and consider yourself warned, I ignored it and got stuck with this $100+ dollars piece of junk.