Logitech 720p Webcam C510

Fantastic HD webcam, but be wary of Skype compatibility, July 8, 2010

By 

K. New –

  

My wife’s family lives in Europe so we spend lots of time on Skype – especially since we have a 4 month ancient baby. Our Acer laptop has an OK webcam built in, but I sought after my protect-in-law to feel “nearly there” when she was seeing her granddaughter. So I researched HD webcams looking for the sweet spot between price, portability and quality. The C510 hits the mark. It is evenhanded in price and is very compact with a nifty storage case for when we are just using the built in webcam.

Initially, I was dissapointed when there was no noticable increase in video quality while Skyping. I soon learned that the problem was not with the webcam itself, but with my research (and Skype). Currently, this camera will not work as an HD Skype camera. If you want that, you need to buy a webcam with a built in HD encoder, which are more expensive. If not, Skype will be a low-def experience. I don’t know why Skype has this requirement when so few webcams have an encoder. I suspect that as more and more HD cams hit the market, we will see Skype change its restrictive plot.

Fortunately, the solution is simple. If you want full 720p HD video chats, look no farther than the Logitech C510 installation disc. Logitech was smart enough to make a very simple, yet high quality video chat program called HD Vid. Once you install it, you send an invite through the program to anyone who you want to chat with. They simply accept and auto intall the software on their notebook and you are in business. They don’t even need to have a HD webcam. They will still see you in HD, while you will see them in standard-def. And if they don’t have a webcam, they can still see you in HD, while you will hear them – so this program is very compatible and much simpler than anything else I have used. My 80 year ancient dad even installed it when he accepted my invite, not that he knew at the time. And he was thrilled to see us in HD the next time I called.

So all in all, this is a excellent buy and the software is heads above Skype in regards to video quality and simplicity. In fairness, Skype does much more beyond video chats, but if you don’t need the added features, the included HD Vid software is a huge value added feature that comes with this camera. Sweet!

I recommend this webcam, especially with the bundled software. It’s a fantastic set up for a fantastic price.

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Logitech has really done something incredible…., August 4, 2010

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William Amato “Billy Amato” (Manhattan) –

  

Logitech HD Webcam C510 with 720p Video and Swivel Design …
Logitech has really done something incredible with this webcam. running on a windows 7 apparatus I had this webcam installed in 5 minutes and was able to use skype and all my other applications with no hiccup. the lighting adjuster on the webcam works fantastic not matter what kind of light you are in and the built in microphone is fantastic with auto adjusting the volume, had no problems with feedback from my surround sound speakers also. This is a fantastic buy no matter what you are in the market for. The HD video on this web cam lives up to the promises. Quick auto focusing, excellent image quality in low light, very excellent frame tariff at 720P and below, works out of the box in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (64-bit) without installing anything else, clever stand that works on the desk or on a watch or lap top, decent cable length too. Not like the Logitech C910 USB 2.0 1080p HD Pro Webcam, that has Poor frame tariff at 1080P resolution, base is not heavy enough so it moves easily, software takes a long time to install in Windows, software is annoying in Windows (pop-up, starting at boot, registration prompts, etc.), audio quality is not very excellent. Stay with the Logitech HD Webcam C510 with 720p.

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Fantastic quality, couldn’t be any simpler to install. Like the size and portability., June 23, 2010

By 

J. Haggard (Nashville, TN) –

  

  

I have had logitech webcams for the past 8 years. In fact I’ve pretty much been using the same camera for the last 8 years. At one point I tried a Microsoft camera and was disappointed and always went back to my logitech. That being said, my logitech I had was really ancient, but it still works. So when I got the chance to try this camera out I jumped at it.

I have 2 computers at home that I use. One is a mac, this camera is NOT compatible with the mac initially. If you are technically inclined you can get the basic features of the camera to work, but this isn’t supported or for the everyday user to try to do.

On the windows PC which is a supported system installing the camera and software is a breeze. I had the camera up and running in about 15 minutes.

I played with many of the features and wow has logitech come a long way in the webcam development. The software works fantastic with Microsoft messenger; it says Skype even if I haven’t tried it there yet. The video quality while isn’t right HD at 1080p, it is a 720p HD cam and you can really tell the difference in quality from this model versus one of the logitech cameras from the past.

By and large I am very pleased with this camera. It is really simple to use, really simple to install and the quality of the camera and built-in microphone are phenomenal.

I am thinking of ordering a few more of these for my family to use so we can all keep in communication with eachother via video chats. With the simplicity of this thing I reckon even those in my family who have issues with basic notebook functions can get this running with no distress at all.

***UPDATE**** 6/25/2010

Since I use a windows notebook at work I chose to bring this webcam in and hook it up to my work notebook. I found in the list of app’s this camera supports is a software app called “FastAccess.” I had by no means heard of FastAccess before but downloaded the app through the Webcam’s software boundary and tried it out. Basically it allows facial recognition login to your notebook. At work our computers have to be locked if we are not at our desks and I tend to forget to do this at times. Also, everytime you come back the “auto lock” feature they place on requires you to enter your password. With FastAccess and this camera you can now literally sit down at your notebook and have your notebook automatically log you in. I have it on “continuous security mode” so that if the camera doesn’t see my face for 10 seconds in a row the notebook will lock itself. Then as soon as my face is seen it unlocks automatically. No more keying in the 8+ reputation long passwords. This thing is making my life so much simpler!! I will add the FastAccess is a free trial, as of the day I’m writing this you can buy a license for it for $25, something I will be doing since it works so well with this camera and is even integrated into the main software menu. Another thing FastAccess will do is auto log you into websites via facial recognition. So if you go to Gmail or eBay you can have the camera software detect the login form and automatically log you in without you having to push a button. Very nice especially for the internal web apps I use at work!

With exploring what all I can do with this camera at work I highly recommend it. Like I said I’m using the continious security mode where my face has to stay in the picture of the webcam, I was worried that the camera would not always recognize me, but it hasn’t missed a beat yet. I can see the company implementing this technology as it will help secure everyone’s computers.

This is a fantastic quality camera and the software that it comes with and it supports is outstanding!!

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