Microsoft LifeCam Cinema 720p HD Webcam - Black

by Microsoft

• 720p HD widescreen: 720p sensor captures true HD quality video at up to 30 fps.
• Auto Focus: Images stay sharp and detailed even during close-ups.
• High-precision glass element lens:High quality lens delivers more accurate colors and sharper video.
• ClearFrame Technology: ClearFrame image-processing technology delivers smooth, detailed video, even in low light conditions.
• Digital Microphone: Digital microphone with noise cancelling technology helps improve speech quality for crystal clear audio.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 2.5 x 8 inches ; 10.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B002MCZJ78
• Item model number: H5D-00001
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (593 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #29 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Webcams
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 20, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

LifeCam Cinema HD

Capture and Share it All in Glorious HD

Don't miss a thing-enjoy high-quality 720p HD widescreen video together with crystal clear audio, with the LifeCam Cinema. Relax while the camera automatically sharpens your images and TrueColor adjusts exposure for bright, vibrant footage. And for even sharper video, take advantage of the high-precision glass lens and ClearFrame Technology to improve the picture even in low light conditions.

Share every detail with friends and family

Do more together in HD, with Skype certified HD LifeCams from Microsoft.

720p HD Widescreen Video

720p sensor captures true HD quality video at up to 30 frames per second.

World Class Optics

With Auto Focus and high-precision glass element lens.

Clear, High-quality Video

ClearFrame Technology delivers smooth, detailed video, even in low light conditions.

Key Features

1. 720 HD video chat - For a true HD-quality experience.

2. Auto focus - Images stay sharp and detailed, even close-ups.

3. High-precision glass element lens - Provides sharp image quality.

4. TrueColor Technology with face tracking - Automatically controls exposure for bright and colorful video.

5. 360-degree rotation - Rotates halfway in both directions for an all-around view.

6. Wideband microphone for premium sound recording - With noise cancelling technology, helps improve speech quality for crystal clear audio.

Product Details

• Crytal-clear audio - Digital, noise-canceling microphone helps improve speech quality.
• Aluminum body
• Flexible stand for notebook and desktop PCs

Find a Webcam That's Right for You:

Webcam	LifeCam HD-3000	LifeCam HD-5000	LifeCam HD-6000 for Notebooks	LifeCam Cinema	LifeCam Studio
Product	HD Video	Good HD Video	Mobile HD Video	Better HD Video	Best HD Video
Video Resolution	720p (1280 x 720)	720p (1280 x 720)	720p (1280 x 720)	720p (1280 x 720)	1080p (1920 x 1080)
Lens	Plastic Element Lens	Plastic Element Lens	Plastic Element Lens	Glass Element Lens	Premium Glass Lens
Microphone	Digital Microphone	Noise Reduction Microphone	Noise Reduction Microphone	Noise Reduction Microphone	High-Fidelity Microphone
TrueColor Technology
Auto Focus
360° View Range
ClearFrame Technology
Aluminum Body
Carrying Case
Lens Cap

System Requirements:

• Computer/Operating System
  Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or higher (Excluding Windows XP 64-bit); minimum: Intel Dual-Core 1.6 GHz or higher, 1 GB of RAM; recommended: Intel Dual-Core 3.0 GHz or higher, 2 GB of RAM
• Hard Drive
  1.5 GB free
• Other
  USB 2.0
  Windows-compatible speakers or headphones

Product Description

Connect with clients and coworkers in HD720p HD widescreen sensorAuto focusTrueColor technology for bright and colorful videoClearFrame technology for smooth detailed video

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

237 of 244 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great alternative to Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 September 24, 2009

By THATCH TOP 50 REVIEWER

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a big Skype user and have used the QuickCam Pro 9000 for quite some time. While Skype doesn't recognize this Microsoft cam as an "HQ" cam (or at least not yet, if ever), I have found that this cam excels as compared to the QuickCam Pro 9000 in three ways:

1. This cam produces much richer colors. Some may say it borderlines oversaturated or "technicolor" but I really enjoy the brilliance of the colors
2. Low light conditions keep rich and bright color. I find with the QuickCam it loses contrast to brighten up the picture.
3. Launch time. I find with the Quickcam Pro 9000 the "ramp up/turn on" time is undesirably long when receiving an auto answer Skype call. This cam is ready to go immediately.

As far as focusing goes, both the QickCam Pro 9000 and this cam aren't great at it in dark lighting conditions.

The widescreen view is a really nice change from the normal 4:3 perspective. It really helps show your surroundings more and give a better feel to where you are.

Installation was easy, and the cam itself seems far smaller than I was expecting.

Under some conditions Skype callers on the receiving end prefer this video over the HQ Skype capable Quickcam Pro 9000. In some cases they prefer the Quickcam.

I saw that some people mentioned the high hardware requirements so I wanted to let you know what I'm using it on:

Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit
Core i7 2.66
3 GB memory

I'm not going to outright say that this is a better webcam than the QuickCam Pro 9000 but it definitely gives it a run for it's money, and offers a few unique features that the QuickCam Pro 9000 does not, all in a smaller more attractive cam size & style....

---update--

After several months of use, I have found that I'm using this cam more than the Logitech Quick Cam 9000. They're both equal in stature in my mind, but this one is better at low light use. I often Skype at night when the room is comfortably dim, so this has become my preferred camera. Even though it's not listed as an HQ cam for Skype, it still provides better overall performance for the way I use it. Read more ›

812 of 854 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Hardware, Lackluster Software October 7, 2009

By Brian Geisel

Amazon Verified Purchase

Length: 3:11 Mins

Summary: It's a great product, but the software is lacking. It does require a lot of processing power to produce decent videos, so do everything you can to let the capture software have all of the processing power.

For reference, I was using an AMD Athlon 64 XP Dual Core 6400+ CPU with 4GB of RAM when recording this video. I am running the software on a Windows XP 32-bit machine.

This video was recorded with minimal software interference, but I'm also happy with the quality of the processing for low-light conditions. In this case, I was looking to get the best motion performance, so I turned off all of the auto features in order to get the best picture with the light I was using.

As you will hear in the video, the built-in microphone isn't terrible, but it does have a pretty high noise floor. That is fine if you're using Skype, but lousy if you are trying to record higher quality videos. In this video, I used the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone (except for the built-in mic demo).

All in all, it's a great webcam for producing online videos. If you don't have external software, or don't have a top of the line computer, there may be a webcam that does what you need without so much hassle. For high quality stuff, this may well be the best hardware on the market.

124 of 127 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good in very low light September 30, 2009

By Bay Hunter

Amazon Verified Purchase

I like the Lifecam Cinema webcam because it is the best webcam in very low light. With only the computer and TV on at night, the Lifecam Cinema webcam produces a viewable video for chat. In this same light settings, the Quickcam Pro9000s video is all black.

In better light conditions, the Lifecam cinema will produce a good video with good color.

This camera will focus as close as 1 inch. Good to play around with as a microscope, but a hassle everytime it does an autofocus. I turn off autofocus most of the time.

People mentioned that this camera takes a powerful CPU. It only uses a lot of CPU power when you turn on the video effects, such as modifing the eyes, nose, face, and others.

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars HD quality comes at a cost March 10, 2010

By frustratedtech

I just want to start out and say that this is a REALLY great webcam. Of all the webcams I have used in the past, this one blows them out of the water. The standard quality is more than anyone can ask for, and Skype calls are crystal clear. Movement is captures very well. There is a small delay, but only noticeable during fast movements. The typical users would never notice.

Why did I give it 4 stars? The HD quality is fantastic, but it does come at a cost. I own a quad-core processor with 4GB's or ram. My computer is VERY fast and can handle nearly any program you throw at it (I'm a web programmer and designer). This camera WILL take up the majority of your resources when capturing the HD video. My quad-core is hovering at about 40% cpu usage when the HD camera is running. Standard definition works without this additional load.

I recommend this camera to ANYONE that has a Pentium 4 and above. I only recommend using the HD capabilities if you are running a high-end dual core or any quad-core processor.

This was my first review of any product. Please be gentle ;)

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great video and audio, fun features, easy to use for Windows PCs (5- stars) February 8, 2010

By Debbie Lee Wesselmann TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Length: 2:32 Mins

This tiny, well-made webcam has great video and audio, as I hope you can tell from this review. Drawbacks include a single save format (.wmv) that may not be recognized by programs that use .avi or other types; no Mac compatibility; and a prominent window that seems to indicate that you must use Windows Live Messenger with it, even though it works flawlessly with Skype, AOL, Yahoo. etc. Pros: size, metal housing construction, bendable base, fun features (some of which I demonstrate in the video), and yes, clarity.

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann