Budget Buys in USB Desktop Cameras

Video cameras for the PC--those cute little balls that perch on top of your monitor--aren't new. But up to now, even low-end models haven't been cheap. That's changing: Easy-to-use USB models deliver excellent features at new low prices. I was impressed by both a preproduction version of Logitech's QuickCam Express and a shipping Video Blaster WebCam 3 from Creative Labs.

With a street price of $50, the QuickCam Express ain't fancy, but--like most Logitech products--it boasts a neat design. It's basically a bone-colored ball on a small metal stick anchored to an included rubber stand (or a tripod, if you've got one).

After you've installed the software on a Windows 95 OSR2 or Windows 98 system, you simply plug the cable into a free USB port; the installation finishes in moments. A simple little desktop application has buttons for recording, playing, and e-mailing video clips (in Real Media's .rm, Windows Media Player .asf, or .avi format; or as applications that the recipient simply clicks to play). You can also create still photos or start videoconferencing using Microsoft's NetMeeting (which the setup software installs). You can adjust the focus with a small ring around the lens, or tinker with brightness, hue, and other settings in the software. Novices might wish for more printed instruction than the quick-start pamphlet provides, but the on-screen help is solid.

Put Pix on Your Site

The sleek, charcoal-colored Video Blaster WebCam 3 (for Windows 98 only) looks a bit more sophisticated than the QuickCam Express, comes with a bit more printed setup help, and has a steeper price--$80. The camera lens, which also has a focusing ring, is mounted in a hinged attachment to a small base with four tiny feet. The software bundle has two principal applications: WebCam Control helps you adjust settings and create and manage video clips and stills, and WebCam Monitor lets you put "live" photos on a Web site and update them automatically at intervals you determine. Also included with the WebCam 3 are Arcsoft's Polaroid PhotoMax for editing and e-mailing videos and images (more full-featured but not as convenient as the e-mail capability in Logitech's video-capture app), and Microsoft NetMeeting.

I found the .avi videos I made with WebCam 3 a bit smoother than the default captures I made with QuickCam Express (which use compression). QuickCam supports up to 15 frames per second at 352 by 288 pixels, or 30 fps at 176 by 144; WebCam 3 supports much higher resolutions at the same speeds (640 by 480 images at 15 fps, or 352 by 288 at 30 fps). Using one of several templates included in WebCam Monitor, it took me only a few minutes to start putting images of my cluttered work space on my Web site. In addition to updating the image at preset time intervals, the application can also update it whenever the camera's motion sensor detects movement--so you can use the camera for remote monitoring. WebCam Monitor will even automatically dial up your ISP to update images over a phone hookup. But don't expect to put full-motion video on your Web site--WebCam Monitor just updates a still photo, and visitors to your site have to reload or refresh the page to get a new still.

Both desktop cameras performed adequately on NetMeeting, a videoconferencing tool that still feels more appropriate for home use than for business meetings. But at these prices, and at this level of user-friendliness, desktop videoconferencing may well be poised for a great leap forward in consumer acceptance. QuickCam Express is a good deal for most users, and its simple software interface outweighs its lack of extensive printed documentation. But if you want to run a personal Web cam, create higher-resolution images, or do more image editing, spend the extra $30 for Creative Labs' product.

SUMMARY

QuickCam ExpressVideo Blaster WebCam 3 PRO: Great price, supereasy video e-mail and conferencing, excellent USB connectivity. CON: The printed documentation is skimpy. VALUE: Terrific way to get started with desktop video. PRO: Excellent USB connectivity, simple setup for continually updating a photo on a Web site. CON: Not as great a deal as QuickCam Express, nor as easy to use. VALUE: Software and higher resolution are worth premium for some. $80 Logitech Creative Labs 800/231-7717 800/998-5227 www.logitech.com www.creative.com