Microsoft Cinema HD Web Cam...

[Rob Wadsworth]

Microsoft LifeCam Cinema HD Web Cam...

I just ordered one of these cameras from Amazon.com for the sum of $52(ship incl.).
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-H5D-00001-LifeCam-Cinema/dp/B002MCZJ78

I researched a lot of web cams before I purchased. I looked at a lot of YouTube video demonstrations from non-Microsoft sources. True 16:9 HD and extremely sensitive to low light conditions. Auto focus as well being able to auto compensate for changes in light saturation. Five-element coated lens; 4x zoom and the close-ups are very nice. Very decent audio as well; much better than the Logitech. Color is sublime. Skype users will get a kick out of it; but optimized for Windows Messenger. Will work on latest versions of Linux and Mac too...

The price is very affordable and the quality is finally there. It looks pretty decent to me at this point. I thought the Microsoft camera blew the Logitech Pro 9000 (which has the reputation -until now- of being the 'big boy on the block') in the weeds! For ~$50; the MS Cinema HD had better results than the $100 Logitech unit from what I could see...So I bought one...

Does anybody have one of these units?
What are you using for a web cam?
Have you made a choice to use a webcam yet?

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/hd-done-right/default.aspx

I will update this thread after I get the unit and post a YouTube video here so that you can decide for yourself. I never wanted to get one of these in the past. The older web cams always had choppy frame rates; nothing more than artifact-infested grainy trash. This camera is what changed my mind about them. So did the price.

Gee; I wonder how one of these would work with my laptop and my still camera window mount on a chase?
Not the reason I bought it -but- Hmmm...

 

[Terry Tyler]

Does anybody have one of these units?
What are you using for a web cam?
Have you made a choice to use one of these yet?

Yes, The MS HD cinema was the camera of choice at the time given Staples limited selection. This is also the model i use when streaming footage through ChaserTV. When i first sat down and tried to choose a webcam for streaming. I researched what other chasers were doing, and learned that they used actual camcorders tethered through their firewire port using a program called Dazzle. My laptop does not possess a firewire port, so i had to settle for a USB camera for streaming. I had to choose a webcam that did not white out in the sunlight, and could produce higher-quality video in rough conditions (such as blinding light). The first thing that stood out about the camera was the 720P HD capability and Glass lens. I had purchased two webcams before this one, both Logitech Pro models. They whited out when i set them on the dash, and were not acceptable at all for streaming. The HD Cinema was on sale, and i bought it and am fairly happy with its performance. Honestly, after using it on 10-09-09. I found myself dissapointed with it, but it was too late to take it back and it costed too much to justify throwing it away and getting another one.

The image quality is good comparatively if your using it for streaming. It is not exceptional, and tends to suffer in bright situations or dark situations. The biggest problem with this camera, and the reason why i have alot of problems is the fact it does not possess a manual focus option. The camera likes to focus on rain drops or other vehicles and constantly changes focus. If your using this webcam for streaming, stay away from it. Its got decent image quality, but like i said the focus controls can leave your shot fading in and out. Honestly, it seems to be a higher-quality value webcam with the "HD" and "Pro" labels put on there to lead you to believe there is something more there then what is. Basically, if you have already bought it and plan on using it for that. Your going to have to deal with the focus going in and out, especially when it rains.

One thing i did like about it was the flexible rubber head. You can bend it in about any position, and it works well with velcrow. I have three different velcrows put on my dash to switch between views. It likes to "grab" and you can clip it on your passenger or drivers side window and it will be stable if you roll it up. Also, it does an awesome job with catching a wide-angle. When you get it focused in right, and your stationary it will get the whole horizon and produce an image quality comparative to almost any other video you see streaming on a similar bandwidth. Overall, the Microsoft Pro HD Cinema is slightly better then nothing but certainly not "Pro". Im not an expert on webcams, all i can do is tell you my experience on the matter and hope it helps you make a balanced decision. Either way, ill be stuck with it for next season and it works so.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Thanks for the response Terry.
Gave me some insights if I plan to use it for chasing at all.

I understand that some major revisions in the software is still pending.
I am hopeful that it will cover the autofocus issues.
One review I read said as much; I won't hold my breath on that one.
We will see - I guess...

Have you used it as a webcam at home?

 

[Terry Tyler]

Thanks for the response Terry.
Gave me some insights if I plan to use it for chasing at all.

I understand that a revision in the software is still pending. I am hopeful that it will cover the autofocus issues. One review I read said as much; I won't hold my breath on that one. We will see - I guess...

Have you used it as a webcam at home?

Yes, i have used it as a webcam at the house and it does very well. I believe that is what its designed for; since there is not much need for focus in the home setting. If your using it for IM, its about as good as any and would be a wise investment. There may be a revision coming in the software side of it, but it still wont do anything about the hardware side. I have included a picture of my HD Cinema and pointed to the 'focuser' for lack of a better term.

That eye is whats in charge of focusing, there is no focus ring. When I bought it; I whole heartedly believed this model had a focus ring, but it does not. All focusing is done automatically through that little dot you see there. Another thing i failed to tell you is about the "Microsoft Life Cam" software that comes with it. I was shocked and disturbed at the fact the camera will not operate without this program. When i use it for IM or streaming through the Adobe Live Encoder. It will pull up the Lifecam software automatically and keep it in the backround. If you close the program, it will load itself again. I tried to install just the driver, and remove the software but it comes as a bundle. You remove the Lifecam software and the driver goes with it. I dont know why it does this, and only hope that the revision you were reffering to covers this problem. It doesnt hurt me too bad operationally, because you can just minimize it. It does use close to 24,000K to run and will bog down your tasks if you dont have a powerful machine.

Anyway, Rob I hope that helped you out.