Customer Reviews

Hercules Deluxe Optical Glass Webcam

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The webcam works very well. The picture is clear,the video is smooth when the internet connection is adequate and the added light source does a good job of sensing poor light conditions and turning on automatically to bighten the picture. The color is also good. My only complaint is that I ordered a new camera and evidently I received a used one since the the camera had obviously been repackaged.

This is a great camera for general video chatting. I initially bought it for $35 but now it's available for $20 on other websites. I've tried using it mostly with the new video chat in GMail and it works great. the quality is like TV quality and it's fast with a great microphone that can easily pick up your voice and the built in LED lights really help in a room that's not well lit. It works best on a faster computer but it works pretty well even on my laptop which is about 3 years old. So for basic video chatting I would highly recommend this camera and it's so cheap!

It has an automatic light that can be turned on in low (no) light situations. It can of course be always turned on or off. The disadvantage of this is the sensor is in the lens so when the lens is covered the automatic lights come on.
You'll probably have to adjust the camera so that you or your victim is in focus but that is easy enough to to do by turning the lens.
This does not come with a driver disk so you may have to download it from Hercules.
If you look around you can get this for less than $20.

This webcam is easy to install and configure. I bought five of them in all, one for myself and the rest for children spread across the country. I've used it with Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Skype, and now [...] to hold video calls with them.

Purchased the camera to video-conference/video-chat with friends overseas. This is one of the best quality products I have used. The video quality is fantastic. Very good white balance. Built-in microphone works very well, and the base can be used to either grip to the laptop screen, or as a stand-alone on the side.

Solid construction, good quality, easy to set up. What else could one want in a product? ;)

I am an Electrical Engineer and have always managed to fix my computer .... however; I suggest you go with a company that supports its products. The camera worked fine and then suddenly quit working. I reloaded the software and have tried a number of checks ... but it does not run and there appears to be some interference with the Windows Defender or Anti-virus ... but there is no hint where. I have probably spent 10 hours reinstalling and trying to get it to work.

The company's web site is terrible and the support function is almost non-existant. It is a nice little camera ... when it did work ... but suggest you steer clear.

I bought this webcam for my parents to use for skype with some relatives in Vietnam and I have to say that both my parents and I are well pleased. It is a great little camera for its price and the LEDs make it a bit nicer (though I don't think they help too much but you shouldn't be in such a darkly lit room staring at a computer screen). I installed the drivers from the website and its own software pops up on the lower right window of the screen whenever you start a webcam, which my parents like.

The video quality was better than I expected, and it was able to record movement well enough as long as you aren't going too crazy. It's not as good as my quickcam 9000 but obviously that's not a fair comparison since the price is only 1/4 for the quickcam's. I have tested it with both Skype and Google chat and was happy with both.

The build quality is very nice, the clip seems to hold onto the monitor, just make sure its not a sloped back because then the clip will eventually slide off. The clip also has an adhesive strip if you would prefer to clip. The 4 LEDs are nice and bright and the manual focus ring is tight. The webcam itself is not a swivel and seems to be very tight so hopefully won't loosen over time and not be able to hold itself up at an angle.

I wish the webcam had autofocus but at this price point I can't complain. I prefer not to deduct points off of a webcam for things that I cannot expect it having at such a price point so be sure to take that into mind. Besides, most don't really move back and forth (depth-wise) when they video-chat.
Pros:
1. Good video quality (for the price)
2. Software and drivers are compatible with my parents' Windows XP machine, as well as Skype and Google chat
3. Good build quality. Clip is strong, swivel is tight, manual focus ring works well.
4. Lens comes with a cap for travel purposes

Cons:
1. Clip might not work with all monitors and inclusive adhesive is most likely permanent.
2. Semi-annoying popup window when video-chatting (since most programs already have a self-portrait video window)

I highly recommend this product for anyone who wants a cheap simple webcam that has relatively impressive video quality. Hercules may not be a well-known brand in the US but I was impressed with this product and it suits my parents' needs very well.

Great product. Fantastic price. Works much better than any of my friends much more expensive cameras. I already bought three. Built-in microphone is awesome.

This webcam works very well in low light or bright light. Works so well in low light I never need the LEDs that came with it. Software included makes it easy to turn lights off or on again. My only problem with this thing is the mounting. The clip is sturdy enough but only opens to about 3/4" wide which will not clamp onto my "thin" monitor. Might work well for a laptop though. Then I tried using the double-stick foam tape included but it doesn't stick very well at all. After only a few minutes the camera fell off my monitor onto the desk. Stilll trying to figure out the best way to mount this thing. The picture is so good it's worth putting up with the mounting problem.

This webcam works perfectly as soon as I plug it into my computer. The picture quality is decent, i've seen better and i've definitely seen worse. The software though is a little confusing and didn't install on my laptop. The software isn't necessary to run the cam. The lights on the cam are love/hate, they do a good job of detecting the lighting in the room but I would like a button on the cam itself to turn it on or off, the only way to turn them on or off is through the software (which didn't install). So I'm left to either be blinded or turn all the lights on in my room. So in the end it's got decent picture quality, one of the best i've seen. The included software didn't work right for me. If you're looking for a good webcam for a quick cheap setup, this is your best choice.