A webcam for experienced gamers

Logitech… A name that speaks to me, which evokes mice, keyboards, in short, computer equipment. I thought the brand had sunk into oblivion like IBM, leaving behind only the faintest memory for the oldest of us. But I was wrong, the Swiss brand (yes, Swiss and not Asian, you know Swiss, where marmots pack chocolate in aluminum foil!) Still lives and adapts to its time by offering a webcam for streamers .

I look at the box like the holy grail, accidentally fallen into my hands. Not that a webcam for streaming has always made me dream, but because having to test it is almost a miracle, as the latter seems to be demanded on all sides at Logitech. So I unpack the first layer of protection put in place by the transporter, to find a second layer.They like to increase the desire at Logitech! Going beyond the Russian dolls, I finally find the sober box of the webcam.

Inside, everything is tidy, but there is more cardboard than equipment. We take everything out. Besides the webcam and its looooong usb cable (a very good thing for more maneuverability or when you have a fixed PC under the desk) and a tripod. At first glance, I wonder: "Why a tripod? We no longer place the webcam on the top of our screen these days? ". But on second thought, I find it much more practical. In fact, nothing prevents you from taking other shots than from the front, or even outright something other than the one facing the screen.

My last product bought from Logitech (it must date from the previous millennium) still included a CD to install the peripherals necessary for the proper functioning of the latter. But of course, here more flying cake, we count on your internet connection to install everything. Other times, other customs.

Laptop on my knees, I install the camera on the top of my screen (old-fashioned), taking advantage of its rear clip to wedge it properly. I shake the PC to check the stability and everything stays in place. The camera’s eye is on me, the microphones on both sides looking like a cyclops with two big ears. The fixed tripod could probably be useful on a tablet if I was not comfortable in my couch, we will deal with it later.

I connect the usb cable and go for automatic product recognition, installation, authorization clicks for antivirus and everything. Ten minutes will be necessary for everything to be in place and for two programs to be placed on the PC. The first allows contrast and co adjustments. Too early to quibble there, when you have no idea of ​​the result on the screen. The second has a more intriguing name: "Personify ChromaCam". Once launched, this represents only a small info indicating that Personify allows to make clipping on green background (you know, this thing used in the cinema to make you believe that the actors are elsewhere than in a studio) but without green background ! So you can hide your background or replace it with something else without having to stretch a dyed sheet behind your back. " What is this for ? Will you tell me? But of course for streaming (that's kind of the main thing).

"But what is streaming? When is it watching a movie directly on the Internet? »Yes, but not only. In this case, we are mainly interested in people who broadcast videos on Youtube (often monetizable by the number of views) or making "direct" of their gameplay with an inlay of their person. You may not know it, but there are online televisions of people taking turns playing various video games 24/7 (Twitch is by far the best known). To do this, you need a camera, pro is better. The frame being placed, the beast alive, it is time to embark on the digitization of my image.

The first use that comes to my mind is to launch Skype for immediate results. I appeal to mini-me, my young teenager, Bastien. Always ready to assist me in my computer tests, he lends himself well thanks to this one. I have the Skype… Ringtone… Contact. We start with what is basic on my PC, the integrated webcam and the associated sound. This is what we already know about Skype, which we consider correct so far. I go into the menus and switch the image, then the sound and there I hear my son dropping a "Woaw! What a difference. ”Sharper image, brighter sound, disappearance of pixelation, in short everything is better. Just for that, I would keep this little webcam. First successful test.

As it is a tool for streaming and Personnify announces that the clipping of my person sounds compatible with Xsplit (a streamer software that combines the webcam image and the game launched), I download the latter. Excited by a recording of a part of Hearthstone with my inlay, I discovered interested Xsplit and its mode of operation. Everything is simple, I see my perfect image (normal I am the model) and I switch to the camera with Personify. And there, horror, everything is blackened. No more functional webcam, even when I switch back to webcam mode without Personify. Disappointment, reboot, retest, same result, re-disappointment.

Too bad for the clipping and I run Xsplit, Hearthstone and normal webcam recording. No results, everything is frozen, I give up. Last test with Skype and Personify, same black result. Morality, a streamer must have a competition machine that I do not have (yet ... Subliminal message to Tinynews for future tests) because Personify will eat the available resources faster than a standard processor creates them. This does not in any way diminish the quality of the product, but makes it possible to warn those who would like to acquire it for its use of Stream without having high-level computer equipment.

Bastien announces that he would like to use the Webcam to interview a board game creator we know. This falls could not be better. Appointment taken, webcam placed on its tripod, we adjust the contrasts. First problem, "What do we record with?" No associated capture software, or even offered with the webcam, so we must look for compatible software. The Windows Camera tool installed as standard on the PC (thank you Bill for installing things without my prior agreement) is compatible. Great.

Second problem, the white wall at the back causes the image to flicker, even when viewed. Playing with contrasts does not change anything. Fortunately, once the person sits in the chair, close enough to the camera, limiting the white on the screen reduces the effect that can lead to worsened epilepsy. Saved! The recording takes place and everything turns out very well, the sound brought by its two big ears on both sides of the eye of the camera does not give an echo and the interview is done in 10 minutes. He will still have to edit his rush with Windows Movie Maker and present it to the teacher. 

Technically speaking

We have a 2 Megapixel camera that can record in Full HD 1080p at 30 IPS (Frames per second) or in 720P at 60 IPS. Full HD is a plus for Youtubers and other Streamers. Compression in H.264 limits the bandwidth necessary for Viewers. Autofocus is popular, especially when the person being filmed is constantly moving.

Two omni-directional microphones give you stereo recording. Avoid the fan in the background, however, otherwise the blades will spin. A professional user will probably prefer a microphone stand or a headset to eliminate noise. The tripod allows use from many angles and is extendable up to 18.5 cm. A good tool for recordings other than face-to-face.

I did not find any instructions on the minimum configuration of your PC, except that of the OS (Win 7,8,10 Mac OS X10,9). My PC with 6 GB Ram and an AMD E1-2500 dual core processor was not enough. When I see that in the current trade, new laptops sold with 4 GB of ram, I encourage you to check your own capacities before embarking on this purchase. We find it for a price varying between 85 and 95 € on the internet.

Finally

The camera is nickel, beautiful, practical, nothing to complain about. Its cable is long enough to dare various positions and its most practical tripod. The image is beautiful, the omni-directional sound works as expected, so it is a very good webcam in its basic use.

Personnify, who must successfully dissociate you from the decor without a green background, is a technical advance. The opinions of Internet users (who could test it unlike me) is that it is largely perfectible. But its existence alone is a plus.

Compatible with Xsplit and OBS, it will delight those who want to try Streaming at lower cost, as long as their PC is with a configuration other than that of the first prices. For an informed public therefore. The site reports that the webcam comes with a 3 month subscription to Xsplit, but I could not verify this in my copy for testers. I’ll regret that there’s not a capture tool associated with the installation, leaving the user to navigate the ruthless world of possibilities.

On a personal note, if I forget the streaming side which does not work at home, I would do well to acquire this webcam just for its image quality in order to use it with skype, but also for telework and its visioconfére nces. I will summarize the image and sound quality by paraphrasing.