Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/427

Creative WebCam Go

by Jason Clark on December 24, 1999 4:55 PM EST


Introduction
See-You-See-Me. Just in time for Christmas. We are taking a look at Creative's new WebCam Go. Creative Labs is a company that is always looking for ways to make their products unique. Well, they accomplished just that with the WebCam Go. This WebCam can also front as a standalone portable still image camera. This is the first web camera that does this, which is a step in the right direction. I don't know about you, but it gets tiring having to buy multiple devices that could really be one with multiple functions.

The WebCam Go was launched at Comdex '99. At the show, this camera could be purchased for $69.00, which is how this one came to be on top of my monitor. The use of these WebCam devices is becoming more and more popular everyday. A good portion of the PC packages that can be bought from the major vendors come with a webcam, be it the HotWheels Computer :) or various other models. The usefulness of these cameras can be debated, but if you want to do video conferencing with remote employers, or with family, this product's usefulness is obvious.

Specifications

When used as a desktop PC camera:

* Capable of 16.7 million color, live video capture at up to 30 frames per second at a resolution of 352x288, and up to 15 frames per second at 640x480
* Supports still image capture at 160x120, 176x144, 320x240, 352x288, and 640x480
* Focusable lens with a range of 6 inches to infinity
* Snapshot button on top of the camera captures an image and automatically displays it on your screen
* Connects to your PC's USB port. 6' USB cable included.
* Includes drivers for Video for Windows, WDM, and TWAIN

When used on the go:

* Capture still images in 16.7 million colors at 320x240 or 640x480
* Four image capture modes: standard, multi-frame, time delay, and time delay multi-exposure
* 4MB of internal memory stores approximately 200 images at 320x240 resolution or 90 images at 640x480 resolution - no diskettes or memory cards to lose
* Two AAA alkaline batteries (included) last for approximately 300 snapshots
* Three-position fixed focus lens with settings for 10 feet to infinity, 3 to 5 feet, and 6 - 8 inches
* Optical viewfinder
* Configurable auto-shutoff saves battery life
* Black and white LCD displays number of frames left, mode indicator and low-battery warning
* Audio confirmation of image capture


WebCam GO: (WebCam Mode)
Since the WebCam can do two different things, we tested the camera as a WebCam and as a portable still camera. Since I run a home-based business, I had some use for this camera. I had set up a video conference meeting with a developer I work with. We tried out NetMeeting, and ICUII. We concentrated on ICUII, due to Netmeetings stubborness behind firewalls :) The camera added a whole new perspective to our meeting; being able to look at someone while carrying on a conversation adds more than you might think. The WebCam has a focus option on the lens that helped getting the perfect picture for the distance from the cam to the object/person. The camera uses USB to connect to your PC, making it a snap to setup. Overall, I found the image quality to be as good as any other camera, if not a bit better.

WebCam GO: (Portable Camera)
This is the unique part of this camera. After taking shots in different quality settings, the fact that this is not a digital camera was even more evident. You should not mistake this camera for a real digital camera. The image quality of the stills is poor. Personally, I think the image quality could have been better. I know it's not a digital camera, but if you are going to market it as a portable camera, shouldn't the images, at the very least, be clear? To offer some comparison, I took some shots using the Webcam go and my Olympus D-340R to show you the image quality difference. Not that the pictures should necessarily look as good as from a digital camera, it should perform better than it does in my opinion.

Image Comparison:

Digital Cam
WebCam Go
Digital Cam
WebCam Go

Software
The camera ships with its own software for the WebCam, and MediaRing Talk 99, and Polaroid PhotoMax Image Maker software. Creative did a fantastic job on the software. It's easy to use and sports a very, very nice interface. With the software, you can: set up the webcam to do the normal webcam video routine, make the camera take random stills and send them to a website via FTP, take the stills you captured off the camera, change camera settings and more. Overall, the driver setup and software functionality is excellent.

Conclusion
The WebCam Go offers a bit of both worlds. You can take stills and record video. This is a very decent WebCam no doubt about it. The software is great, and the WebCam part of this camera is top notch. The only bad side was the image quality of the stills it took. I think they could have been better. So when you are shopping around for a WebCam, take a look at the price of this and other comparable WebCams, and make your decision from there.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now