Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 Webcam - Black
by Microsoft
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Category: CE
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: MicrosoftFormat: CD-ROM
Platform: Windows
Model: 68A-00001
Product features:
- Superior video quality and high definition still photos
- Automatic face tracking software
- Crystal-clear audio with built-in microphone
- Video effects let you express yourself during chats
- Optimized for Windows Live; Windows Live Call Button, LifeCam Dashboard, and One-Touch Blogging
- Optimized for Windows Live - Windows Live Call Button, LifeCam Dashboard, and One-Touch Blogging
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female Extension Cable (3.3 Feet/1.0 Meter)
- AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to B-Male Cable (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters)
- AmazonBasics Ultra-High-Speed HDMI Cable Braided (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Braided Cable (6.5 Feet/2.0 Meters)
- AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable (9.8 Feet/3.0 Meters) [Supports 3D + Audio Return Channel]
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 Webcam - Black
Customer Review: Mediocre Video... Disappointing Picture Quality... With Too Much Juvenile Oriented Software
Summary: 2 Stars
I've tinkered with all of the "Dashboard" settings in various combinations, & I find that while the video properties aren't completely absent, they are sparse & spartan. I discovered that its "live video" option looks a whole lot like the "1.3 megapixel, interpolated" setting (ie. "digital guesswork") to the point of being undiscernable. Each looks equally grainy, even in normal daylight. And unfortunately, no amount of photo software enhancement will ever clear up & edit out the grainy, pixellated, digital mess it makes of the still shots in the .jpg images it grabs. Sharpening the grainy pictures mine takes tends to sharpen the pixellation vs. clarifying & refining the overall image. I'm embarrassed to email these pics out to friends. Also, there are a number of frequently used lighting settings that could be added that are not present in the driver software, such as settings for incandescent & flourescent lighting. Logitech included a home security recorded motion detection aspect to its software for the Quick Cam Pro 3000 which was handy & useful. I'd rather they scrap the pointless kiddie stuff in the software - the Dashboard is dominated by cartooned plants & candy & bugs, ect. while useful features are buried in a pull down menu - & include some practical software with this camera that serves a real purpose.
Some features the MS LifeCam has in common with my old Logitech Quick Cam Pro 3000 it replaces are... It falls over just as easily on it's stand due to the weight of it's own cord - & the way the cord out of the back raises the center of gravity too high causes it to constantly get jerked around way too much for its own good - just like the Logitech did. On that point, it's just like old times. Except that I can't unscrew the base & attach it to my tripod to get away from this chronic design problem, like I could with the Logitech Pro. I don't plant a web cam in front of my face & leave it there indefinitely. I like to move the camera around at times & set it near my pet, or capture the view from the window. I don't have the type of monitor I can snap a camera onto, it would set on top at an unsafe angle. The weight of the cord wants to tug it off of anything I set it on. So I hot glued the base to a heavy marble coaster at the lowest setting so as not to damage the base - dramatically increasing it's stability & ease of adjustment. Whatever you do - do not try to take out the screw that attaches the camera to its base to see if it is capable of reattachment to anything else - this camera is not made for attachment to professional tripods or any other device, & once that little screw lets loose - tiny, delicate parts will fall apart at you that go back together in a way that is a real adventure to reassemble.
One extremely irritating aspect of the MS LifeCam is how easy it is to hit that click button on the top of the camera - during repositioning, focusing, & when its own cord unbalances it yet one more time, pulls it over, & I have to pick the cam back up again. Instead of the button taking an instant picture, as did the Logitech if its camera software was open - LifeCam starts up "Windows Live Messenger" - & there seems no way to disable it from launching this program, or reassigning the button to a different task. The solution was uninstalling it, which I did in less than 24 hours. It's an annoying program with gaudy buttons, flashing graphics, & tons of paid features plastered all over it to bait sales. So far as I can determine, Windows Live Messenger does nothing Skype & other Windows messenger programs can't do much more practically & peacefully with a more streamlined, non-sales oriented, less trashy appearance. Now whenever the top button is accidentally hit, it displays an offer to reinstall the WLM junkware - vs. automatically loading it to the screen. I wish there were a way to disable the button altogether.
Some features I do like about this camera are... The automatic light adjustment. As the light brightens or dims in a room (ie. time of day changes, turning on an overhead light) - the camera automatically does the opposite video to compensate & maintain more even lighting. Also, the video flicker some older cameras had to manage is absent in the LifeCam. The manual focus ring is a real plus. Because after you get frustrated with the randomly chaotic tracking feature & finally give in & shut it off, you'll need to use it if you want to reset your focus. Some aspects of the camera don't work very well, such as the automatic face tracking feature...which keeps tracking off with movement & zooming out & then back in on irrelevant, at times embarrassing points. The best thing about the auto tracking is that it can be turned off. After which the manual focus feature then becomes indispensable if you're going to relocate your cam. To it's credit, the audio is actually decent in the .wma audio files the MS LifeCam 3000 generates. The Logitech Pro 3000 was always tinny, loud, & distorted in chats except at the lowest settings. Decent audio is certainly worth something.
And, it does have a very classy silver & black with chrome design. As far as looks go, it looks professional, even if it doesn't operate as such. It fits right in with the rest of my hardware & other electronic equipment, & would look nice in any office or professional environment. There are plenty enough gaudily colored plastic cams out there that look just like the junk they really are - & this is not one of them. I'll leave the gaudy looking cams to kids to marvel over.
One peculiarity unique to the LifeCam 3000 is that odd bright electric green pixel that constantly appears in the upper right quadrant of the video screen that turns up in all the live streaming or recorded video & still shots...that never goes away on any setting, nor with any camera positioning/lighting, & cannot be cleaned off the lense or altered in the environment. It's about the color of the LED light on the front of the camera, but I don't think that's the source, there is nothing in the environment reflecting it back into the lense no matter where it sets.
There is a MS Life Cam VX-6000 model of this same camera coming out soon for twice the price of the 3000 - & one would hope paying twice the price will get the end user a better quality web camera from the manufacturer. I paid $50 retail for mine. Don't pay that price... At the risk of sounding "un-American" as someone said (what? did I put down the war somewhere...??) - it's just not $50 worth of technology.
PS --- Oh yes, & I also would mention "the LAG" in the camera's recorded a/v input...!! :) And the very jumpy, disjointed, rough start each & every .wma video begins with which shows up on playback. Setting the picture resolution below 640x480 before recording helps to make this effect, & the grainy image, less pronounced.
Description of Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 Webcam - Black
The Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 is optimized for Windows Live Messenger, which is used by the largest worldwide instant messenger community with over 200 million users. Three key features give you a superior Windows Live Experience. First, the Windows Live Call Button makes it easy to start a video call. Simply press the button to see who's online, and you're on your way to a video call. Second, with the LifeCam Dashboard you can access video effects and control your webcam from the Windows Live Messenger window. Lastly, with One-Touch Blogging, a single click allows you to upload to Windows Live Spaces, an "online scrapbook" that lets you easily post blogs, photo albums, and personal music lists.The VX-3000's automatic face tracking software, which takes advantage of the camera's pan, tilt, and zoom controls, follows you so you don't disappear off-screen. Meanwhile, the camera automatically adjusts for low-light conditions for improved video quality, and a built-in unidirectional microphone with acoustic noise cancellation provides crystal-clear audio. Video effects give you a fun way to express yourself, and last but not least, the camera's universal attachment base fits on most monitors, including flat screens. Alternatively, the camera can sit directly on your desk.
Note that while the VX-3000 is optimized for use with Windows Live Messenger, Microsoft LifeCams also work with other instant messaging programs, such as Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.
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