Walk into any electronics store and you will see dozens of webcams, but how do you know which one will fit your needs? How do you know if the picture quality is up to par? Will it work in low light or will the picture be too dark? In this webcam shootout, we examine five models: the Creative NX Ultra, Creative Webcam Live!, Logitech Quickcam Orbit, Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000 and the Inside Out Networks Watchport/V.
We begin by giving you a specifications table listing all the important qualities of each webcam. Then we take a closer look at each camera, from the physical characteristics to the software features. Finally we show you snapshots in both bright office light and low light. Which one is the best? Keep reading and let the webcam shootout begin!
Specifications Table
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0
Cable Length
Detachable Cable
Removable Lens
Max Still Resolution
Video Resolutions
MSRP (USD)
Creative Webcam NX Ultra
6 ft
No
No
1280X960 Software Enhanced
640X480 15 fps 320X240 30 fps
$89.99
Creative Webcam Live!
6 ft
No
No
1024X768 Software Enhanced
640X480 15 fps 320X240 30 fps
$49.99
Logitech Quickcam Orbit
9 ft
No
No
1280X960
640X480 15 fps 320X240 30 fps
$129.95
Logitech Quickcam 4000
9 ft
No
No
1280X960
640X480 15 fps 320X240 30 fps
$99.99
Inside Out Networks Watchport/V
6 ft
Yes
Yes
1280X960 Software Enhanced
640X480 15 fps 320X240 30 fps
$199
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Humphrey Cheung was a senior editor at Tom's Hardware, covering a range of topics on computing and consumer electronics. You can find more of his work in many major publications, including CNN and FOX, to name a few.
