The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam is an ideal companion for small groups to conduct video meetings without having to huddle around a single PC.
I use Skype on a daily basis but, because my PC doesn't have a Web cam, I have learned to settle for using the emoticons to express myself without the use of facial expressions.
So when the Logitech BCC950 landed in my hands, I had to explore its functions thoroughly.
Look and feel
The base of the BCC950 ConferenceCam looks similar to a small alarm clock radio. The actual camera is a small round plastic ball you can either attach directly to the base or to the supplied 10-inch stick.
The stylishly designed base has a six-button control pad on the far left; two direction keys on the right and left; the zoom keys on the top and bottom; and the answer and end call buttons occupy the centre.
On the far right are the volume rocker and the mute buttons.
The Web cam also comes with a small black remote control that allows the user to control pan, zoom, tilt, answer and end call functions as well as adjust the volume. Basically, it's a duplicate of all the functions of the buttons on the base.
What I like about the buttons on both the remote and the base, is that they're made of a solid, soft rubber-like material, which means there's no sound when you click them.
Performance and quality
Setting up the camera is easy. It comes with a USB cable that allows the user to connect it to the PC and also an adaptor to connect to the power socket. However, if a group decides to conduct a meeting outdoors, there's a second adaptor to power it via a USB port instead.
Caller voices are crystal clear through the base speaker, thanks to the full duplex omni-directional speakerphone and noise-cancelling microphone which also allows all meeting parties to hear and be heard up to two metres from the base.
The camera has a 78-degree field of view, 180-degree remote-controlled video as well as 55-degree tilt up and down, which makes it easy to direct to whoever those on the opposite side are supposed to be looking at.
The Carl Zeiss Optical camera with a nine-point auto focus presented great image quality and live chats on Skype looked stable and sharp.
In a nutshell
[REVIEW]The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam is a nice simple device to combat the issue of huddling over a single PC to conduct conference video calls. It's stylish, has good camera quality and can be used indoor or outside. Another factor making the BCC950 a winner is the fact that no software installation is required and it can be connected to devices running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.6 and above.
For me, it ticks all the boxes for a great Web cam; however, the only concern I have is its price. But if you're a regular user of a Web cam, you'll overlook the price tag of R3 085.