Best Web Cam for X61s

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E350 · #1 Post by **E350** » Sat May 07, 2011 10:31 pm

Best Web Cam for X61s?
Uses primarily for Skype.
Running Vista 32 now but likely upgrading to W7 32 or 64
Your assistance appreciated.

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun May 08, 2011 6:06 am

AFAIK the most popular one is: Logitech QUICKCAM PRO 9000 Web Cam. ~$45.- on eBay
We are a 3-person household, and we all have this webcam.

hunterman223 · #3 Post by **hunterman223** » Sun May 08, 2011 8:36 am

I can vouch for the HP Premium Autofocus, model KQ245AA. It has similar specs to the Quickcam Pro above, but goes for $20 on eBay. It is very good in any light condition, and as the name suggests it is autofocusing. The microphone is also very good and can pick up voices from people in the next room.

I use it for Skype-ing family back in the states. It does very well, and several members of my family back there are happy with it too.

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

E350 · #4 Post by **E350** » Sun May 08, 2011 9:10 pm

Thank you both.
Regards,
E350

#5 Post by **pkiff** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:41 am

If you are more interested in style than substance, then you might also consider the Lenovo USB Webcam [ibm]. I cannot vouch for its quality compared to the others mentioned above, as I don't think it is probably as good as them. It was first released in 2006, so it doesn't deal as well with things like low light levels or autofocus, and it is only 1.3 megapixels. Not sure about availability of drivers beyond XP.

But as far as style goes, it is the coolest! And it matches the look and feel of the X60/X61 series very well:
http://www.lenovoblogs.com/designmatter ... t-stirred/

Here are some more pics and reviews:
http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/leno ... m-2007032/
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3271

Phil.

loyukfai · #6 Post by **loyukfai** » Tue May 10, 2011 2:08 pm

1. Do you need HD resolution (1280 x 720)? Last time I checked, only a handful of them are supported by Skype HD (cause it requires built-in hardware encoding blah blah blah IIRC). And none of them is cheap. (See http://shop.skype.com/webcams/#gold)

2. What's your budget? There's a HP listing for less than $10 on EBay.

3. Personal preference - A removable USB cable. Easier to manage.

4. Find one with UVC support, means no special driver needed. Years ago I had a Logitech Quickcam, the hardware was okay but the proprietary software was not so brilliant.

5. Built-in mic...? - My box's internal mic has gone south so.

6. Swivel and tilting support - If you need it, I prefer not because it usually makes the cam larger and less portable. YMMV.

Personally I have a USD7 Chinese webcam.

Cheers.

E350 · #7 Post by **E350** » Tue May 10, 2011 2:40 pm

Although I like the design of the Lenovo webcam, it is no longer available and, in addition, apparently is not supported by Windows 7 at least in 64-bit.

Quite frankly, the X61s is small and that is what I like about it most, so I would like a small webcam which will attach to the top of the 4:3 (something I really really really like because like most of us I work on documents not video!) display bezel. Most manufacturers seem to tout their resolution, etc. but they don't show or explain how you physically attach the webcam to your display bezel. So any suggestions as to what add-on/portable webcam will attach securely without slipping off, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for all your responses so far. (Bill I searched for "USD7 Chinese webcam" and came up with nothing and only belatedly realized that you must have meant it was a seven US dollar Chinese-made webcam. I certainly like the price. Any suggestions where I could search?)

hunterman223 · #8 Post by **hunterman223** » Tue May 10, 2011 3:07 pm

The webcam I linked to is not that big, I used it with my old ThinkPad R40 for a short time and it was perfect. It has a big hinge-type clip that is very forgiving with screen shape and thickness. It also folds flat to sit on the desk, and the camera is on a tilt and swivel joint.

Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

loyukfai · #9 Post by **loyukfai** » Wed May 11, 2011 10:20 am

The resolution figure is often misleading. But you may try comparing the highest video resolution, which is usually 640 x 480 (VGA) at 30fps for most low-end models.

There are literally thousands of low-priced Chinese webcams on EBay.

Cheers.

loyukfai · #10 Post by **loyukfai** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:12 pm

To whom it may concern, I'm seeing some Logitech C510 well under the MSRP on eBay. They're certified for Skype HD and, if I'm not mistaken, supports UVC (no need to install a bloated software suite).

Cheers.