Polycom EagleEye III Camera

Reasons to buy:

Wide viewing angle - up to 270°;
High quality image capture;
12x magnification;
sharp focus;
natural color reproduction.

This model is designed for use in Polycom RealPresence Group video communication suites. This makes the device indispensable for the organization of conference calls of the highest quality.

The ability to zoom in up to 12 times allows you to use the device in rooms of any size without loss of image clarity. And panning makes the camera very practical. The device is able to capture any object, regardless of its location in relation to the lens.

Although the camera comes standard with 720p resolution, it is capable of producing picture quality up to Full HD. You need to buy a license for that.

LogitechVC PTZ Pro 2

Reasons to buy:

Superior color reproduction and clarity;
easy operation;
260° pan;
autofocus;
10x zoom;
Remote control capability;

The device is equipped with premium quality lenses, which, according to the manufacturer, provide the impression of real communication. Ideal for use in classrooms, halls, classrooms.

The wide viewing angle provides an optimal plan of the room, and the intuitive panorama setting control allows you to focus the lens on any point you choose.

To start using the device, just connect it to a PC or laptop via USB-port. Further setup is quick and easy due to Plug-and-Play system. It works with any Mac and Windows video calling software.

The included remote control makes using the camera easy and convenient. It makes quick pan, angle or zoom adjustments.

Razer Kiyo

Reasons to buy:

Quality picture;
autofocus;
two built-in microphones;
auto-adjustment of light sensitivity;
zoom and the ability to take a picture.

Razer Kiyo is used for video conferencing, but it is mostly adapted for streaming. The device has a wide viewing angle, there is a function of automatic face tracking and the ability to zoom in 10 times.

On the body there is a button for quick photography, which allows you to capture an important moment. The device is equipped with two stereo microphones and special backlighting. Attaches easily to both your monitor and laptop.

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Internet technologies are developing very quickly. And the webcam has long been a favorite gadget for most computer users. Probably no need to explain for a long time what a webcam is. The task of this device – with the help of a computer and various programs (such as Skype and others) to provide video communication over the Internet. But the functions of modern webcams are not limited to this: they can also be used to take pictures and send images, shoot, edit and broadcast video. And today, many people can no longer imagine communicating, relaxing or working without a webcam.

As a rule, webcams are already built into laptops, but in most cases their quality leaves much to be desired. Fortunately, manufacturers of smart equipment have developed a variety of options: from expensive professional cameras for streaming to budget models. Cameras from Genius, Logitech, A4Tech, Philips, Canyon, Microsoft, HQ-Tech, Creative, Trust, Gembird, Defender, Gemix and many other manufacturers are doing wonders in the world of video communication.

But when it comes to global manufacturers of smart equipment is quite difficult to make a comparison, or to talk about which web-camera is the best. The right choice depends on the task to be performed by the gadget. Some users need a camera with a good microphone, others are looking for a high-resolution gadget, and still others dream of a webcam with a remote. While for some, the smallest camera is ideal, others are looking for a larger device for video broadcasting. But at the same time, some parameters are equally important to all buyers, no matter what kind of camera they are looking for.

Choosing the right one

Despite the great popularity of webcams, not many people know how to choose a gadget for your PC or laptop and what characteristics to pay attention to in the first place. Therefore we have prepared a small cheat sheet-guide on the choice of webcams.
Matrix

All devices can be equipped with a CCD or CMOS matrix. The CCD options are considered the best. Their main advantage is that they provide a minimum level of “noise”. But these models have a disadvantage – they are much more expensive. However, if the camcorder is designed exclusively for Skype, a CMOS matrix will be quite sufficient. If you are planning to use a webcam to work with programs which recognize faces, it makes sense to give preference to a CCD matrix which will produce high-quality video with minimum noise.

The sensitivity of the sensor indicates the level of light needed to take good pictures. But in low light, even CCD-based webcams will produce a picture with noise.
Resolution

The image quality depends on the resolution of the device. This parameter is measured in pixels. Leaning towards one or another option, you need to understand what image quality is needed for certain purposes. And the first thing to know: the lower the resolution, the more grainy the image on the monitor will be. For home use webcams with a resolution starting from 640x480p are suitable.

For example, VGA 640×480 or 800×600 (never mind, even 320x240p) resolution will do for standard video conferences. If you’re planning to use your webcam for video recording, then HD 1280x720p or 1280×1024 is the best choice. To make it clearer what parameters are behind these numbers, it should be said that HD is the resolution used in good TVs. A higher resolution (1600×1200 or Full HD 1920×1080) is not only superior picture quality, but also the freedom to share photos and videos.

Number of frames per second

The third parameter of a webcam which directly affects the quality of the picture is the frame rate per second (FPS). The higher the FPS, the smoother the video stream. To ensure that the video quality does not cause irritation and the frame rate does not resemble slow motion, you should choose a device with parameters not lower than 30 FPS. A lower frame rate is fraught with “stuttering” freezes the picture. 40 FPS and more is a great choice for professional streamers.
Lenses

The type of lens has a significant impact on video quality. Webcams use two types of lenses: plastic and glass.

Glass lenses compared to plastic lenses guarantee a higher quality result. This type of webcam is the only right choice when high quality video recording or exceptional picture clarity during a chat is important.

Plastic lenses give grainy frames and poor image quality in low light conditions. These are cheaper options that are, however, very popular for home use.

Also, when choosing a lens, it is important to pay attention to the angle of view. A wide angle will allow you to stay in the frame, even if you have to move around while shooting.

Mounting Options

Webcam mount optionsDifferent manufacturers of webcams offer different options for fixing the gadget. The most common are desktop and so-called cameras on clothespins. Desktop – the best choice if there is a lot of free space on the desktop. In this case, the gadget can be placed on a special platform behind the computer. The “clothespin” variant requires much less space – the gadget is attached directly to the laptop or PC monitor. Another common attachment option is suspended. Such “flying” webcams, as a rule, are used as a device for video surveillance.
Connection options

The most popular webcam models are equipped with USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports. You’ll need at least a 1.5 meter cable to connect your webcam to your desktop computer. To connect to a laptop, the length of the cable does not matter.

It is also possible to connect the webcam via bluetooth or wifi. Such models belong to the category of more expensive. But the quality of their work depends entirely on the quality of the transmitted signal.
Operating System Support

Most webcams support the Windows operating system. Nevertheless, when buying it will not be superfluous to test the gadget for compatibility with a particular operating system.

Extra Options
Auto Focusing and Backlighting

Additional options in webcamsThe autofocus models have the ability to automatically zoom in and smart control the clarity and brightness of the image. In addition, it is very advantageous to buy webcams with backlighting. These additional features significantly improve image quality in darkened rooms.
Microphone

Models with a built-in microphone are advantageous. But the sound quality in such devices is not always on top. Meanwhile, for the home such a variant is quite suitable. But if finances allow, you can buy another, more powerful microphone to improve the sound clarity. If the camera is intended for professional video broadcasting, then the purchase of a high-quality microphone is a must. This is the only way to achieve high image and sound quality at the same time. If you still opt for the budget version, you should additionally check before buying whether the computer camera is equipped with a microphone – some brands are not equipped with an audio system.
Special effects

Many models feature a function to create different video effects: from animated images to virtual screen savers and special effects that distort the actual picture. If you do not need this kind of additions, it is better to choose a cheaper model without “gimmicks.

The post How to choose a webcam appeared first on diGI-watcher.

This program has a good functionality, so it is recognized by a large number of users.

With it, you can make both photo and video shooting even in automatic mode where the presence of the user is not required.

Everything a webcam captures with this program is saved in a separate file that can be viewed at any time.

In addition, Live WebCam gives you a chance to see in real time everything that is recorded.

The program uses the most popular formats for saving footage, JPEG and PNG, and also uses video compression for looping recording.

AlterCam v5.3

AlterCam is one of the best webcam applications. It’s pretty feature-rich and easy to use.

It allows you to record video or photos directly from your webcam, broadcast a previously created video or show your desktop, overlay any image on top, split screen.

In addition, the catalog contains more than 50 different effects, including blur, mosaic, fisheye.

Using the application is very easy. It’s enough to select the desired effect from the range of offered effects, and then just start broadcasting.

In addition, it is possible to combine several effects. The program is compatible with all current versions of Windows.

It also knows how to use GPU acceleration to use your CPU less and thus not burden your computer additionally.

D-view CAM

The program from the famous company D-Link is absolutely free, supports the Russian language and has a wide range of functions.

Among the various settings there is a record according to the schedule set by the user, as well as start menu Smart Guard, which has settings for various events and actions.
It is worth noting that this application is able to work with multiple cameras simultaneously and allows you to view video from any of them for a particular event.

The settings allow you to specify the server where all the archive records will be stored and to which you can go to view any of them.

There is an option to customize the on-screen menu with fonts, background and information displayed in the window.

Active WebCam

This multifunctional program is considered one of the best for working with webcams.

Among the available features is the recording of video by motion sensor.

Among the supported devices are local cameras connected to the computer via USB-port, network cameras with IP-interface, as well as remote.

To use the latter, you must have a copy of Active WebCam installed on the remote computer.

In the settings you can select both the method of capturing video and the device with which it will take place.

In addition, it is possible to set the image resolution and select the sound source.

In the “Compression” tab you can specify the percentage of compression, but remember that the more the picture will be compressed, the less information will be preserved, and the quality itself will be wanting.

On the same tab, you can compress the recorded sound.

Item “Motion” allows you to activate and configure the motion sensor so that it will not work in vain, starting a redundant recording video clip.

Xeoma

You can create high quality video surveillance system with minimal time and money by yourself.

First time you start Xeoma starts automatic search for both webcams and any other cameras connected to your PC.
In case the search is unsuccessful you can add another one at any time by clicking “+” icon in settings window.

The button of this menu is located in the lower left part of the working window of the program.

In addition, it is possible to add a random camera of the world, access to which is allowed by its owner. This function allows you to see what is happening in any other city on the planet.

When adding a new camera, the information window of the assistant opens, which thoroughly describes all the steps of this procedure.

The main window of the program will subsequently display all installed and found cameras.

In the lower right corner of the window there is a help icon, by clicking on it you can get any interesting information not only about the program and its features, but also to read various articles on the subject.

When hovering the mouse cursor over any of the available icons, an information window pops up with a description of this menu item, so it will be quite easy to understand their purpose.

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