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Purchased Apr 2, 2007, $29.99
Check the about my lighting page to understand the tests.
This camera worked well in broad daylight but poorly under all other conditions. First off, don't be deceived by the LED light that is built in, it is not brite enough to illuminate your face. As the package indicates, it is only advertised as a keyboard light. The front of the package lists SVGA photo resolution, but this is an interpellated result, the actual images sensor is only 640x480.
In my software, I can't adjust the camera live, I have to take it off line, adjust it, then turn capture back on. I was frustrated by the camera control system. Each time I turned off the full auto mode, made an adjustment, then clicked OK in my application, the camera went back into auto mode. This made it very difficult to achieve any decent adjustments with exposure.
When actually making manual adjustments, the sliders would jump between settings, using a numbering system from 1 to about 5 with no soothe transition between. This is why the mixed daylight test image is so over exposed. Either over or under exposed, no in-between.
The bendable tube which holds the camera plugs directly into the USB port of your computer. Use caution when plugging it in and adjusting the camera as it has physically damaged the USB port of the computer I used to test cameras with. Bend it around into whatever shape and position you want, before you plug it in.
About all I can say about this model is, don't bother. For the same price you can get almost any of the current low end models which will perform better. A disappointment from Phillips which had some of the best of the USB 1 cameras.
As of this date, (Dec 7, 2007) it appears that Phillips has a new generation of webcams out, but I haven't seen any of them in the stores around me yet.
 | Sample images showing how this camera performs under different lighting conditions
Large images taken under bright light.
640x480
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