Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam - Gray

Customer Video Review Length:: 3:15 Mins

I have been using a Microsoft Lifecam Cinema for several months now, with good results. The "Cinema" is quite similar to this "Studio" webcam, except that its highest resolution is 720P rather than the 1080P offered by the "Studio" webcam.

First disappointment: the "Studio" webcam does not really provide 1080P video. A footnote on the box reads "1080P HD recording requires: commercial video software (not included); (...) Enclosed software supports 720P HD recording."

In other words, you have to buy more software before you can capture 1080P video. I am unable to extract details of this software from the Microsoft support representatives. I must say, I find it rather puzzling that Microsoft did not include software that exploits the full resolution of their hardware.

The "Studio" webcam has a problem with autofocus that is not present in the older "Cinema" webcam. It will hunt for the right focus, resulting in a hopelessly... Read more

I'll start by saying that this is a very capable web camera. For standard web cam communication through services such as Skype or Yahoo, this camera will do everything you need it to and more. And the picture is great quality. As noted in some of the other reviews, there is more to be desired by the camera's low-light functionality. In low light, it tends to go into a full length focus at random intervals. So you'll have to wait a second or two for it to grab focus. Since this is not so much an issue if you have a light near by or in the background, keep one nearby. And the microphone is very worthy - clear, crisp sound.

The camera certainly looks cool and is sturdy in structure - especially compared to some of the flimsy plastic competitors. I'm not a huge fan of the prop stand - it is not a clamp or stand. It is designed to just rest on top of an item of your choice, and also has a tripod bolt hole. It takes a bit of adjusting and it certainly won't hold onto the top of a... Read more

Let's get one thing out of the way: you probably can't use this at 1080P resolution with the software you currently have, unless you really go out of your way to prepare for this. The camera is capable, but the computer may not be able to process it fast enough. Moreover, MSN and Skype doesn't currently support HD resolution as high as these, and most of time you will just end up seeing VGA resolution on your chats. Those capability will come to be more widely available, but as of now you do need commercial software and expensive hardware to achieve full 1080p potential offered by this web camera.

Pros:
-excellent build quality--the camera has a aluminum barrel and end cap that's 1mm thick. It has coated glass lens and coated lens filter glass. I cannot find manufacturing defects with the unit I received, not even a single hairline scratch.

-It's very portable: much more portable than many other competitive HD cameras out there, particularly from industry... Read more