My girlfriend insisted that I buy a webcam last week. I’ve been camless every since I switched to Vista as my old webcam wasn’t compatible.
I decided I might as well get a good camera rather than a cheap number, and after a bit of research I opted for the Creative Live! Cam Optia AF. As you’ve probably guessed from the AF in the title this cam is the first to include auto focus, but what really sold me was the 2 megapixel camera, which I have to say provides an amazing picture quality.
As soon as I opened the box I was impressed with the Creative Live! Cam Optia AF. Creative have clearly taken a leaf out of Apple’s book, and the webcam not only looks good, but came well packaged. Included in the box was the webcam itself, as well as a very good set of headphones with an attached mic, as well as nice soft bag to carry the Optia AF around in.
The cam itself is very well put together. The clip is very well designed, allowing the Optia AF to attach itself to my flat monitor very well. The camera can also be swivelled up to 270 degrees, allowing the viewing angle to be adjusted.Technology wise the Optia AF is well specced. In addition to the 2MP (1600×1200) CMOS sensor with auto focus (7cm to infinity), it also has a dual microphone system with ‘Live! Audio Technology’ that eliminates background noise. Other features include:
- USB Video Class (UVC) compliant for plug ‘n’ play installation on PCs and notebooks without driver installation. Certified, high-speed USB 2.0 connectivity for video at 30 frames per second in VGA resolution
- Live! Audio technology improve speech quality and reduce background noise.
- Live! View technology provides optimised light exposure, colour balance, and frame rates. Smart Face Tracking keeps the speaker in the centre of the video.
An added bonus was the inclusion of SightSpeed software in the box. SightSpeed in my view is still the best video service out there. Yes, SightSpeed is free, but it was still nice that this was setup automatically.
If you are looking for a new webcam, then I recommend checking out the Creative Live! Cam Optia AF.
