Review on Logitech C270 HD Webcam, 720p HD, Wide-screen Video Calling, Light Correction, Noise-Reducing Mic, Skype, FaceTime, Hangouts, WebEx, PC/Mac/Laptop/Macbook/Tablet - Black by Jennifer Roberts

We didn’t have a big need for a webcam, to be honest. Previously, a Genius webcam with a clothespin, bought more than 10 years ago, constantly hung on a computer monitor. The resolution gave a maximum of 640x480 pixels and was rarely used. Now the Skype application for dialogues is in any mobile phone. I recently removed the camera from the monitor and gave it to my parents so that they could communicate via video calls with friends located in remote corners of the world. Just in case, I bought a more modern HD camera at home. The maximum resolution is 1280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second. In a large box, oddly enough, there are no discs or additional accessories. Only a camera and a monosyllabic instruction, reminiscent of the volume of an annotation for medicines. All free space turned out to be occupied by a voluminous piece of cardboard, under which emptiness is hidden. The camera takes up a quarter of the box at most, resting on top, so I thought that there would be something else useful under it. The voluminous cardboard packaging was made taking into account the CD, since the model did not appear today. But on the packaging it is indicated that the device is certified for Skype, it works optimally in instant messengers. Logitech is able to afford such certification, because it is the largest supplier of this type of peripherals in the world. The build quality of the camera is impressive. The plastic is durable, the body halves are tightly fitted to each other. Not a tiny dot, but a normal grill is reserved for the microphone. The practical application of webcams is sometimes found. At least you can use them to take pictures of items when writing reviews, record review videos. There are also a bunch of instructions showing how to turn a webcam into a microscope. There are computer games that support control through image transmission. But to be honest, I don’t like to communicate via video link. I used to talk to acquaintances from other cities, they shared their joys, tried to visually demonstrate the landscape. They drag the camera to the window, show a piece of the gray city - "We had snow in the morning"! With trembling hands they point to a small dot under the window from the height of the 12th floor - "We bought a new car!" Webcams 10-15 years ago were not yet HD-quality, 0.3 Mpix devices prevailed. Logitech does not stand still, offering ever more advanced technologies. For example, the older models of this company have an order of magnitude more functions than the C270. Video bloggers, of course, are looking at Full HD and 4K resolutions, for them this option will be too primitive. A distinctive feature of this camera is the shape of the holder without any springs. The bracket can be freely bent. For example, to put the device on a table or other flat surface, where it is extremely stable. On the inside of the bracket there are rubber bands that prevent slipping off the monitor and scratching the plastic. Next, download the driver and software for the C270 HD model from the official Logitech website. The master settings sheet controls brightness, contrast, white balance, and digital zoom. Additional settings also do not differ in variety and richness of tools. Here you can select the aspect ratio of the picture and the refresh rate to eliminate flicker. To record video from the camera, you can install BandiCam or any other similar application. I do not really like Bandicam for artifacts when opening video clips in the editor later, but for domestic needs it will be enough. I liked the built-in microphone, which produces almost no background noise. For a webcam, where the microphone is an appendage to image transmission, it is very suitable. If you set the sensitivity correctly, you can speak into it at a distance of a meter, and the interlocutor will hear you. Logitech software allows you to take photos with a resolution of 3 megapixels, but the pictures are clearly extrapolated. Fixed focus does not allow you to photograph objects that are closer than one meter without additional devices. Actually, the optics are configured for video communication, so that a person at the computer can be seen. (Old webcams had a focusing ring on the lens, by turning which you could adjust the clarity of the image, point at the subject. There is no ring here). The page of the local lore almanac in A4 format is poorly viewed, it is difficult to distinguish letters. This requires at least two pure megapixels (1600x1200), not HD 1280x720. Better even 4K. As for the video, a special technology ensures smooth motion. There are no frame rate issues. Even in dim artificial lighting, the video does not slow down, and its quality remains more or less acceptable. But here's what I noticed - the TWAIN driver refuses to work. Video editors like Sony Vegas and specialized applications like Bandicam detect the webcam, allowing you to capture video, but office programs, photo viewers, and a number of other software that interact through TWAIN do not see the connected Logitech C270, it is not in the list of TWAIN devices. The length of the cable allows you to reach from the system unit, standing on the floor, to the very top of the monitor on the table. Previous cameras had a real problem with wires. This copy is equipped with a normal connecting cable 1.5 meters long. One drawback, unlike models on a swivel clothespin, is the inability to turn the camera sideways at an angle to the monitor. You have to turn the monitor along with it. The folding bracket allows you to securely fix it without fear of brushing it to the floor. The only pity is that she can only tilt up and down. What is more pleasing, the manufacturer even took care of the ferrite ring on the connecting wire. Perhaps it does not make great weather, but at least it looks like a sign of a well-assembled thing. Here on the laptop power supply, the ferrite filter was very useful. I bought a universal laptop charger without a ferrite filter, and then I was unpleasantly surprised why the microphones and line inputs were so noisy. As soon as I put the ferrite ring on the power wires, parasitic pickups in the sound path immediately stopped. Camera strengths: 1) Good, reliable case; 2) Rubberized mount without clothespins; 3) It is convenient to use both in the desktop position and to fix it on the monitor; 4) Cable one and a half meters long with a ferrite filter; 5) Video quality is really HD 1280x720; 6) Sensitive anti-interference microphone; 7) All the necessary configuration software can be downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer. Weak sides: 1) There is no manual focus, the image will be blurry near the lens; 2) The camera is not in the list of TWAIN image capture devices; 3) The design of the bracket does not allow turning the camera sideways in a fixed position; 4) The camera mode only programmatically stretches the image to 3 megapixels, physically it has a lower resolution. 5) Inferior to Full HD and 4K cameras. In my opinion the Logitech C270 HD is worth the money. Can be recommended.