Customer Reviews

Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Length:: 3:26 Mins

My main use for this camera is Surveillance. Let me explain....

I use this camera to scope out my back yard during the night. Within the included software, you can set the Motion Sensor to capture people, objects or anything else that moves. When the object or person crosses within the field of vision of the camera, it will automatically start recording onto your computer. Now, I suggest using a motion censor light to brighten the area you would like to view because the Auto Bright setting on the camera is just ok. The camera does not see in the dark well if not at all.

Now thats my personal use. Obviously you can use this camera to chat with friends, or post videos on youtube. I use this camera for so many different things its amazing!

This is a fantastic webcam with a great set of software tools. I use it for conference calls where we share whiteboards and the picture quality is fantastic. Also Skype allows you to do high-def video calls with this camera. Highly recommended with very good price / quality ratio!

This camera provides a very good picture but mounting it is a challenge. It doesn't sit on top of a flat screen monitor and if you use the pedestal you have to put it up on a 12" stand in order for it to be in front of you. The only other choice is to have it off to the side, but then your guest thinks you're being rude by not looking at them. It's like when the news anchor is looking at the wrong camera.

I decided to purchase a webcam, and as long as I was going to get one I figured I might as well get a good one. I had a dinky one many years ago, so old it wouldn't even work with today's operating systems. One feature I knew I wanted the new cam to have is autofocus. This Logitech Orbit delivers a beautiful picture indeed. I've read just about all the previous reviews, the positive and the negative. Yes, the servo that controls the "follow me" movement of the camera isn't perfect, but it's good and I'll learn how to work with it. The manual controls are easy to use anyway and they work fine. The built in microphone is excellent. All the other commenters that said how easy the driver is to install are all correct. Setup was a piece of cake (you do have to disable any security software prior to installation.) For me, the most pleasant surprise was all the little features like avatars etc. They are really fun! In sum, great pictures, great sound, easy install, great extras. I love it! I wish I had enough technical expertise to know how to set the webcam away from the computer, to use like a security cam. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

I own a Logitech Quickcam 4000, two 5000s, this orbit plus just ordered a 9000. I fought with myself for quite some time on whether to order the cheaper 9000 or the orbit with the pivoting internal movement capabilities, but in the end evidently made the wrong choice.

Don't get me wrong, the quality's nice, and comparable to my 5000's, it's not bad, however I ran into one major flaw (other than the whole it cannot be mounted on your screen, so you have to move it elsewhere thing) - It cannot handle brightly lit rooms! This is the complete opposite of what I've experienced with every other webcam I've ever owned. They always do great in daylight, but poorly in low light situations. This one is pretty much worthless if you've got any daylight at all (even muted behind curtains), behind you when you're attempting to use it, but at night it works fantastically. I'm stuck only using it once it's dark outside. :(

Update 3/10: I use this all the time on Skype with my kid at college. I got the latest upgraded SetPoint software but find it doesn't find the camera, I had to manually update the unit's software. My only other comment is on a review that I read that it isn't part of the monitor so you're presentation isn't face on, ergo rude. My monitor's top is as tall as me, since my monitor sits 4" off of my desktop and my keyboard is below in a tray, so I can sit without hunching over or looking down at a monitor all day. When my kid videos from the laptop, I'm looking up her nose half the time -- nothing wrong with a nice semi-profile. YOU can always look into the camera to make a point, it just takes practice. Since my wife sometimes joins me, the camera's ability to swivel on it's own to follow people is great. We bought two of these units. At first since my kid's old laptop didn't have a webcam we needed two, now my in-laws have one so they can video with the grand kids and us.

Original Review:
I got one of these recently and we're going to get another, it is fantastic. Great picture, you can adjust the rate to either 50 or 60 MHz and there are lots of different preset picture sizes. Very clear, sharp and the face tracking works well but not perfectly. (Animation and tracking are not active at the same time, btw.) The built-in mike is also very good and has background noise suppression. The stick extension is a fantastic idea for desktops and is a mini-USB cable encased in a hard plastic tube. It's sort of creepy when this `eyeball' moves on the end of its stick as it tracks you. The active light is noticeable. There is a manual control via software, too. The unit can be setup for snapping photos or short videos based on motion detection. Its RightLight tech works well when you are not lit correctly but isn't good enough or effective/enabled to run calibrations for the animations. It is not a camera for very low lighting situations.

The included Animations are very funny, they have three kinds, one is a full animation, but you have to be very expressive (that is animated :-0 ) to make the characters move from side to side, really open their mouths. Everything from dinosaurs, aliens, wizards, lots of animals or SIM type avatars are available. The second type is 'video add-ons' so if you want to add a goatee, pig's nose, a crown or an arrow through your own head, that type is available, here you DON'T want to move too much (but this might vary by your computer's processing powers). The third type is picture masks; want to be a talking Mona Lisa, a kitty, a pair of baby foxes? You can, your eyes and lips will be superimposed on the photo. Here, again, you can't move forward/back and side to side too much. Only a few of each kind are bundled with the software, but there are lots more on the Logitech website, each with processing requirements. Additionally there are some photoshop type filters too, mosaic, fisheye, slow motion blurring, neon edges (that one is very kewl), and various styles of cartooning you and your surrounding available.

Animations and some of the other filters require calibration. A window is displayed asking you to hold your head still in a superimposed box, don't smile and the computer determines where you eyes, mouth and nose are. You need to be well lit and hold still for it work well.

Of 3 computers we tested on, one needed an updated MS Script update installed to run the CD or the downloaded software (error 1720), and this was one of our newer computers, XP Media on a AMD-X2-64. The hardware/software is rated for a P4 2.4. One laptop is such a P4 and it installed without updates and works flawlessly, except for some animations which have higher processing requirements.

Software to communicate is an entirely different issue. I have not tried Skype yet, but did try AIM and Trillian. These two are not inter-compatible, using the latest AIM 6.5 and Trillian Pro (the only version that supports video); an error occurred each time. When AIM 6.5 was installed on both PCs, it did work together. Interesting to point out on AIM, that if set it to auto-accept video on from Buddies, then the display windows DOESN'T pop up, but the camera turns on. That must be an AIM issue, IMHO.

Your mileage with video software is going to vary based on the computer. The desktop AMD-X2-64 with XP Media, was able with integrated graphics to show both the outgoing and incoming video at the same time at the sizes recorded at. A laptop AMD-X2-64 with Vista Home Premium (Toshiba A215-S6804 - a budget laptop) with integrated graphics could not, and the incoming video was very dark. AIM had no controls to correct it only the volume and speaker volume.

All in all, I like this, the auto-focus, the tracking, the ability to make videos or snapshots suitable for blogging, etc. It's turning out to be popular, and the pricing has actually gone up from the mid $80's to an average $100.

First off, this is a webcam and not a IP Camera, obviously. So those looking at this as a cheap security surveillance camera may not necessarily find what they are looking for. This camera has a reasonably high maximum resolution of 1600x1200 (~2 MegaPixel), however I just want to say that if you're going to record using the included Logitech application, the frame rate is capped at 15 FPS and not the 30 FPS written on the specs/box. RightLight technology brightens the picture/video by extending exposure time, thus waiting longer before closing the shutter. the result is a even lower frame rate. This can go terribly low all the way down to 1 fps if your lighting conditions are bad. The Face tracking feature is also very poor and is most likely not going to be what you expected, as it will almost always loose track of you and then focus and stick on a random object, never moving again until you press the 'recenter' button on the PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom) controls. I also noticed that sometimes during panning, it may stick and need re centering as well. The panning is jerky and not smooth, and also not fast which could be one of the reasons why face tracking doesn't work that well. The Zoom on this camera is purely digital which means it crops a portion of a image and attempts to fill in missing details by sampling the pixels nearby, at the max resolution, zooming in max will still obviously produce a blurry image. The pan range (horizontally) is an acceptable 189 degree, but the tilt (vertical) 102 degrees limits its ability to see straight up (or down if on a ceiling) effectively producing a blind spot in your surveillance zone.
On the hardware side of things, this is a USB Camera, again obvious but what you may not know is these kinds of camera have no hardware processing at all leaving it up to your pc to process the data. this means that depending on the speed of your computer, you may not be able to record at HD resolutions. All of the processing that needs to be done is most likely done in software on the PC, even the auto-focus adjusting. It's just a very simple and light camera component on a motorized housing.
The included software does not allow you to turn off the amber LED while it is on, but you can do so with a simple registry edit for the appropriate DWORD value.
This particular model of this camera includes a mechanical auto-focus lens.
You could, clearly use other 3rd party programs to increase the effectiveness of the product. Webcam 7 allows you to monitor your camera remotely, but the Zoom feature does not work from there.
I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars because it is a good product for its intended purpose, but lacks short in several other ways. other than that, it is still one of the most fancy /webcams/ you could buy.

Works pretty well. Best in bright, ambient light. The feature that allows it to track you rmovement is so-so. Not a perfect feature, as the camera sometimes forgets to follow you. The autofocus needs plenty of light, also. At night, you run the risk of creatng hot spots when using indoor lighing that is too powerful.

After using this camera, it would be really cool if it had a remote. Regardless, let's hear some up-sides now...

I would recommend this camera, it delivers a quality picture, and most of its shortcomings (see above) can be overcome with a little ingenuity. We all have to remember, this level of technology is amazing for the price. Just 5 years ago and this sort of thing would have cost a mint...or have been unavailable.

Good camera, good picture, EXCELLENT micropohone. Will pick up a whisper from behind the camera at 10 feet away.

I am going to look into the Sony webcams also, as I really could use one with a remote.

Overall, very satisfied.

Cheers,

Wordman

The hardware and software installed flawlessly and it has been used with Skype and Windows Live Messenger.
I am happy with the video and audio quality. The auto exposure works well in dim light. The face following feature prefers to follow bright lights if your face is in shadow so I had to turn if off. Bad lighting also fooled the auto focus once; so for best results make sure you face is lit. The stalk raises the camera for showing more than the underside of your chin. The mic does not cause feedback and ringing when used with speakers so you don't need to use headphones.

I purchased two Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF's; one for me and one for my girl friend. I read some reviews online and some people said that they had trouble with the installation. I followed the directions and had NO PROBLEM AT ALL. The camera itself is cool/different looking. The picture quality is good and the "Follow Me" feature works pretty good considering the camera is retailed at $129.00. My girlfriend was walking around her room putting on makeup then coming back to type and it followed her back and forth. The software itself is very easy to use and pops up automatically when you start using the Cam on Yahoo Chat or Paltalk or whatever chat service you are using. I like being able to maually control the camera as well. All in all this camera is pretty impressive and I'm happy thusfar. Short of this thing breaking on me I'll be very happy. My roommate in Iraq wants to get one now and is jealous that I found it first. But, that's just how I roll.