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Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 | 
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| Brand: Logitech
Category: CE
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $69.06
You Save: $30.93 (31%)
New (61) Used (9) Refurbished (2) from $59.00
Rating:  411 reviews
Sales Rank: 11
Format: Cd
Platform: Windows
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Windows
Native Resolution: 1600x1200
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 3.4 x 7.6 x 8.9
Warranty: 2 years warranty
MPN: 960-000048
Model: 960-000048
UPC: 097855044914
EAN: 0097855044914
ASIN: B000RZQZM0
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| | Box Contents - Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000, USB cable (6-feet), QuickCam Software CD including Logitech Video Effects, one-click video e-mail, QuickCapture for photos, Windows Live Messenger, Skype with free full-screen video calling, video-enabled AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, HP Photosmart Essential application for capturing, editing, customizing, and printing images (Web download required) and Quick-start guide | | | Conveniently clips to virtually any flat-panel monitor or notebook | | | Logitech Video Effects - Personalize your conversations with hundreds of avatars and face accessories that mirror expressions and motion using Fun Filters to add playful photographic effects such as fisheye, '50s Movie Reel, neonize, and more | | | Universal monitor clip mounts easily on any type of display or notebook computer | | | Carl Zeiss optics |
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Product Description
Enjoy image-perfect detail and clarity. Carl Zeiss optics and Autofocus keep images razor-sharp, even in extreme close-ups.
From the Manufacturer
As Internet connections have matured to faster and faster broadband pipelines, webcam manufacturers have been keeping pace with higher resolutions and improved optics to take advantage of the larger bandwidth. And more than just communicating over chat and VoIP, webcams are increasingly used to broadcast Truman Show-esque live video feeds of one's every move (such as at Justin.tv) as well as high-quality mini-movies uploaded to sharing sites. And that's where the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 really shines, with its 2-megapixel image sensor, smooth-tracking autofocus, high-end Carl Zeiss optics, and HD video capabilities (with the capability of recording video at 960 by 720 pixels). 
The combination of Logitech's RightLight technology and 2-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics produce improved clarity and lighting (Pro 9000 on the left, MacBook integrated camera on right--both captured in the same lighting conditions). | 
Add a variety of special effects from filters (above) to facial accessories (below). |  | First, a little about Logitech's touted technological and optical advantages. Designed by Carl Zeiss (known for high-end film and digital camera lenses), the Pro 9000's optics use a five-element lens arranged into four optical elements. As a result, the lens focuses the light onto the sensor with maximum detail and minimal aberrations. The 2-megapixel lens also offers an autofocus mechanism that automatically adjusts as your face moves about. It also incorporates Logitech's RightLight and RightSound technologies, which improves the webcam's image quality under difficult lighting conditions and provides noise cancellation, respectively. We found the autofocus feature to be much smoother than another similarly specced webcam from Creative that we previously reviewed (which felt stuttery to our video chat partners), and the RightLight feature was able to render an image of our face in both highly backlit and low-light situations--something that other webcams we've tested have completely failed at. And the combination of RightLight, Carl Zeiss optics, and the two-megapixel sensor helped to enrich both the clarity and the color of our images. While it's true that broadband Internet has gained speed, unfortunately none of the major chat or VoIP programs are can stream the high-definition video (960 by 720 pixels) that the Pro 9000 can capture. Thus, this feature is really only usable for recording video to your hard drive and either uploading to a video sharing service like YouTube or for inclusion into a movie project to be burned to disc. The Pro 9000 also enables you to take still images at larger than its native 2-megapixel sensor via software interpolation (up to an 8-megapixel resolution). Note, however, that shooting at a higher resolution causes a lengthier shutter lag. The Pro 9000 offers easy plug-and-play operability on either a Windows PC or a Mac--just slide in the USB 2.0 plug, select the camera from your chosen video chatting program (it works seamlessly with Skype, Yahoo!, Windows Live, SightSpeed, and iChat), and you're good to go. While the Pro 9000 works brilliantly right out of the box, you'll only be able to take advantage of software add-ons such using the included QuickCam software (which is for Windows users only). The QuickCam Control Panel is where you can select from a host of special effect add-ons that range from a selection of avatars (such as a dinosaur or cat) to facial accessories (including a crown and Borg hardware), and a variety of filter effects. The avatars didn't seem especially responsive unless we were overly hyperactive, but the limited face add-ons and filters were more successful (with our favorite being the rotoscope animation effect). The double-hinged clip on the back of the lightweight Pro 9000 can be articulated to fit both the thinnest notebook screens to thicker LCD TV/monitors. A rubberized is placed right below the camera housing to help prevent slippage, and the camera itself can smoothly tilt up and down about 90 degrees. The Pro 9000 has a single microphone on its right side, and while the left side has a control button that automatically opens the Logitech QuickCam software. And in the middle is a Logitech logo, which is given a red glowing halo when the camera is recording. It uses a single USB connection that does not require external power. With its arsenal of optical advancements combined with an invitingly affordable price tag and easy portability, the QuickCam Pro 9000 is a great alternative to the standard VGA/1.3-megapixel cams built into notebooks. --Agen G.N. Schmitz Pros: - 2-megapixel sensor helps to improve both clarity and color
- Automatic autofocus smoothly readjusts as you move around the screen
- Double-hinged clip easily fit on a variety of laptop and monitor surfaces
Cons: - While capable of capturing HD-quality video, you can only utilize this for video saved to hard drive
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| Customer Reviews: Read 406 more reviews...
 What Do You Know? I DO Need This! October 20, 2007
fredtownward (Palatine, Illinois United States)
30 out of 30 found this review helpful
Despite being a computer programmer for... longer than I can now apparently remember, I have never been someone with much desire to be on the leading edge of computer technology. Let somebody else try it out, help work out the bugs, and come up with a convincing argument for why I need such and such a thing, and I'll THINK about it... for a few years. Thus, I was late to get on the Internet, late to buy a home computer, and laughed out loud at the thought I might ever want or need a web cam... until now.
As a still camera, the QuickCam Pro 9000 can take better pictures than my old and long gone digital camera, though at maximum resolution you'd better content yourself with emailing them one at a time. However, it is not a complete substitute for it because even with a very long extension cord that desktop will get heavy in a hurry.
As a video camera, the QuickCam Pro 9000 is truly amazing! At maximum resolution people only familiar with older generation web cams will be openmouthed with astonishment, and viewers of the resulting videos will be able to make educated guesses about their dental health. It has a "Face Tracking" feature that can be set to follow one face or multiple faces and will do so quite well no matter how the subject(s) move, though the resulting video is not recommended for anyone susceptible to motion sickness.
In short a person who did not think he needed a webcam now wonders how he ever did without it.
Defects? Well, the software that comes with it is more than a little buggy; you WILL want to download the latest software from their web site, which cleared up my problems. I also don't like the fact that you can select only a single image size for both still and video because only the three smallest image sizes work for both still and video. If you select any of the five larger image sizes for taking still photos, you will have to reset it for taking videos and vice versa, which since the newest version of the software finally saves my settings between runs, is more than a little annoying. (Note: the latest version of the Logitech software has added two more video image sizes: 1.3 and 2 megapixels, leaving only the three largest image sizes as still photo only.)
A nice accessory would be a tiny protective carrying case because it is small enough to haul with you on trips. The original package will do the job, if you opened it carefully enough, but it is too bulky to fit well in a suitcase.
Note: a more expensive Mac version (apparently because certain features available to PC's in software must be replaced by hardware) is now available: Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro. Word is that there is some cross-compatibility, but I wouldn't count on it. Purchase the one that is compatible with the machine you will mostly be using it with.
Logitech have surpassed perfection !! September 7, 2007
Bruno Freitas (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
60 out of 65 found this review helpful
They have got this one right.. That is for sure...
I had the previous Logitech Pro 5000 and this one beats that one (which is also good) miles away !!
The quality that I have all my family and friends reporting on Skype is just asthonishing.
Because of that, I got a 2nd one and start using it myself during all my trips and I could see the diference from the previous one.
The range of colors is what calls the attention, very good in bringing the true colors of the place you are without have to deal with the controls of it.
The Auto Focus on it is just something to bring the attention to, since you can acctually get close up on stuff that other cameras would not pick up.
I could even show what I had on my monitor to friends and they were able to read it ! (using Skype)
The lens are just great (All sony cybershot's uses the same lens if that tells you anything !!), to which I believe is also the reason for all this image perfecion they have reached with the camera.
And the sound is really good, with eco cancelation and all the bells and whistles.
I mainly use it for web conference, but if you would like to make videos and send them out, that does the job with an A+!!
You will be satisfied with this one, and the price is worht the equipment you are going to get...
That's why I got 2 of those already for my family !
Go for it !
Think this one costs too much? It's worth it! July 18, 2007
Curtis B. (Los Angeles)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
I'm glad I waited this long to buy another webcam. My last one was the 3Com HomeConnect camera that was made popular on Tech TV back when Leo Lapore hosted. That one broke and I swore I would wait until one came out with a good lens. Well it's here.
Maybe you can get a better one somewhere, but for under a hundred bucks, the image on this camera is amazing. You won't be getting HD resolution through MSN Messenger, but you can record that HD to your hard drive and share with friends and family.
I tried out the on-board mic with a friend of mine. He said I sounded good so I will take his word for it. I love that I can ditch my old headset and just use my speakers now!
Installation took about 10 minutes to copy the software to my Vista drive. Then it just worked. I had no issues. Very easy process. I have only tested it so far with Windows Live Messenger. Autofocus works quite well. And it's quiet. You don't hear motors inside focusing back and forth.
I have a 24" Wide Dell and the camera fits very nicely on top. A small amount of "rubber" surfaces keeps it from moving around. Nice design.
The "Red Circle" in the image that you see comes on when the camera is showing/recording video. Software settings allows you to disable this if you want. There are also a lot of manual override settings for almost everything should you want to tweak the image in your own way.
If you are interested in the little graphics - the avatars, hats and mustaches etc... they seemed to work pretty well. As long as you don't move quickly. I was impressed that with the character mode (Where you look like a cartoon cat or a shark), when you blink or open your mouth, the character really blinks and opens his/her mouth. It really works! Too silly for me, but kids and some adults will love this function.
Buy it for the quality of the image. It's impressive for the money!
First time webcam owner - Very easy to use October 11, 2007
TheBandit (SEA-TAC)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Having never owned - or even so much as used - a webcam prior to this, I don't have much point of reference. That said, the installation of this product couldn't have been any easier. On my older desktop system, the installation only took a few minutes. The laptop I have is much newer, and the software installed even faster. Absolutely trouble-free, and within minutes I had a picture on screen and was able to take photos and make videos.
The adjustable clip on the back of the camera is very effective - it doubles as a stand, which came in handy on my bulky old non-flat screen monitor. On my laptop screen it was just as handy, resting firmly in place at the top of the screen.
I was truly impressed by the video quality. Again, I've never owned a webcam previously, but I've viewed many webcam videos posted on websites - and I was aware that the image quality ran the gamut. The lens on this webcam produces a very sharp, detailed image. Even in relatively low-lighting, the picture wasn't bad at all. On my several years old desktop, the image didn't keep up with the movements very well - moving my head from side to side, for instance, resulted in quite a blur. But on my newer laptop, that blur was reduced extremely - the movements registered in more or less real-time. The auto-focus feature seems to do it's job pretty well, and makes operation very simple.
The audio quality was definitely less impressive than the picture - but it was right in line with what I expected for a little tiny built-in microphone. Loud noises clip and/or distort - I tried playing my saxophone and the result wasn't listenable (though some would say that's due to my playing ability). Yelling, or even extremely loud talking, clips. But all things considered, when remaining at a distance of a couple feet and talking at a normal, even volume - the audio quality was very acceptable.
I got a kick out of the various visual features. There are a bunch of filters - my favorite is the '50s style, creating a vintage black-and-white scratched up film look. Neonize was a trip - darkening everything on screen except for neon-colored borders to everything. The 'ghost' filter gives a blurred tracer effect to all movement. I don't know how much need I'll have for these, but they're fun to mess around with. There are also a bunch of options to change the look of your face on-screen - including 'robot face' which makes you look like a cyborg or something. I don't honestly know what the 'avatar' feature was supposed to do - I aligned my face within the red box like it said to, but nothing really happened ever once I initiated the feature...
Bottom line - speaking for total, complete, 100% webcam novices like myself: this is a quality webcam that I could not imagine being easier to use. The video quality is top-notch. My biggest criticism - and this is actually kind of minor - is the utter lack of a storage case or pouch for the webcam. I don't plan to leave mine out all the time and I'd like to keep the lens (rightfully rated highly) in good shape. For the time being, I'm actually putting it back in the box but even a cheap felt pouch would've been nice.
Works on Mac! Awesome webcam July 21, 2007
Pamela A. Christensen (Enumclaw, WA United States)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful
I bought this webcam in search of high quality webcams that would work well on Macs. This works perfectly with iChat and other software on the Mac, just plug it in and it's ready. The image quality is amazing! Even better than iSight! For $100, this is a great webcam.
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