Logitech today unveiled its first Mac-compatible webcam with premium autofocus technology and Carl Zeiss optics - the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac. The new Logitech webcam of course works with iChat and Skype and features a 2-megapixel camera sensor.
The new Logitech webcam uses a voice coil motor for its autofocus system, instead of a stepper motor. According to the news, "Focusing is fast and fluid - crisp even in extreme close-ups only 10 cm from the camera lens. Logitech's autofocus system compensates for changes in image-edge sharpness and refocuses images in less than three seconds"
What I don't get is why Logitech chooses to make operating system specfic webcams. Isn't USB supposed to be an industry standard? I should be able to take any USB device and plug it into a Mac, Windows XP, or Vista, and it should have drivers available that just work. I have plenty of headsets and USB VoIP devices that work on multiple operating systems. I just don't get the point of operating system specific webcams.
In any event, similar to the Logitech Quickcam Orbit AF I reviewed, the new Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac leverages Logitech's RightLight 2 Technology, which enables the webcam to adjust intelligently in dim or harshly backlighted situations.
Features:
- VGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second
- the QuickCam Vision Pro records sharp video clips in the 720p high-definition (HD) video format (960-by-720 pixels).
- Complementing the style of your Mac computer, the new webcam for Mac computers presents a black-and-silver profile with a prominent built-in silver microphone.
The Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in July. The suggested retail price to buy one in the U.S. is $129.99.
Technorati
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Digg
"What I don't get is why Logitech chooses to make operating system specfic webcams. Isn't USB supposed to be an industry standard? I should be able to take any USB device and plug it into a Mac, Windows XP, or Vista, and it should have drivers available that just work. I have plenty of headsets and USB VoIP devices that work on multiple operating systems. I just don't get the point of operating system specific webcams."
Perhaps a better question is, "Why doesn't Mac OS X support most USB webcams?" We were crabbing about this very point over in the CrabApple Forest blog a few days ago. Oh, and did you happen to notice that this particular Logitech QuickCam is priced $30 higher than their "QuickCam® Pro 9000", which appears to have the same styling and specifications, but it a Windows only unit. What did they have to do to make it work with a Mac that makes it cost $30 more?
It seems like it's always "gouge the Mac user" time - either you buy this camera and pay $30 more than what a Windows user would pay (and even that comparable camera is a fairly high-end model) or you cross your fingers and buy a webcam that's supported by the third-party macam program (which, thankfully, is free) but which would allow your camera to work with Apple programs that come bundled with OS X, such as iChat and Photo Booth - for that you have to purchase a different, extra-cost third-party program. Why Apple doesn't make using any off-the-shelf USB webcam as simple as plug-n-play is beyond me. The non-support of webcams is a real bruise on the old Apple reputation, in my humble opinion.
The operating system specific stuff has to do with how enhancements and special features are implemented.. On Windows there are features in the Driver. On Mac the driver is generic so some of the features are implemented in hardware / firmware on the device itself. Each model has advantages and disadvantages..
Its nice to see a premium option for Mac video.. Hooray Logitech!
I have just received a 9000, and plan to use it with my G4 tower. For the time being I am using it with my G4 laptop. I can't find any information concverning camera settings. Do you know wehere they hider?
Thank you...