The Logitech HD Pro C920 Webcam is one of the highest performing webcams on the market.
It wasn't long ago that the concept of having a video conversation over the internet was completely unheard of, but technology has come such a long way over the past decade. One of these technological advances was the creation of the webcam and the concept of recording video or the ability to video chat over the internet (see our ooVoo review). At our current stage of this technology many companies are now producing impressive webcam devices that are capable of full HD quality photos and video. At the top end of Logitech's current webcam lineup you will find the HD Pro C920, a 1080P widescreen capable device that will give you crystal clear still images and HD quality video capabilities at a competitive price.
In terms of build quality and design, the C920 is pretty flawless. It is hands down the sleekest webcam I have ever seen and definitely adds a professional touch to any computer setup you choose to accompany it with. The device itself is made out of a durable high quality material and even features a high-precision Carl Zeiss glass lens. The base of the webcam can be adjusted to mount to the top of virtually any modern monitor. If that doesn't suit your needs it also features a handy tripod mount so you are able to attach it to any tabletop or freestanding tripod that you may desire. The microphones are placed on both sides of the front of the device ensuring you will receive an equal amount of audio distribution to the device throughout your audio recording.
The features on this webcam are pretty remarkable. Boasting 16:9 widescreen full 1080P HD video and 15MP still images, there really is not room for many competitors that can compare in this particular price range. A nice new feature to the C920 and an upgrade from the C910 is the ability to automatically encode your recordings into H.264 which allows for smaller files sizes and a faster upload to video sites like YouTube or Facebook. The 20-step built in autofocus does its job well and Logitech's Fluid Crystal Technology keeps my recordings fluid and smooth.
Touching on performance, this webcam truly is one of the best. It's HD quality video is remarkable though you should keep in mind just like most cameras the low light performance will cause dark shots to come off as a bit grainy (see video above). The 15MP stills are clear as can be, but I was truthfully a bit disappointed with the overall sound quality. It is still pretty darn good in terms of a typical webcam's capabilities, but I didn't think it was on par with the video quality and I believe it should be of a stronger quality for the price tag. Should this discourage a potential buyer from purchasing it? No, I don't think so unless your planning on buying this webcam to show off your vocal ranges singing or something of that sort (if this were the case you should seriously be investing in a professional microphone). The color quality is rich and natural thanks to the a combination of the Logitech Fluid Crystal Technology as well as the Advanced Logitech Rightlight 2 correction technology that this webcam comes standard with.
Something else that I was significantly disappointed with was the included Logitech webcam software. From my limited use it has been very buggy, crashes too often, and causes errors resulting in other software such as Camtasia not allowing me to capture audio/video while the Logitech webcam software is running. Luckily, the simple fix to this is to just exit the Logitech software when I am using a 3rd party application that utilizes the webcam or microphone though it is still a pain to deal with. I'm expecting them to release an update to this software in the near future that will hopefully improve it's stability and compatibility.
In the end, this webcam is far superior than the vast majority of its competitors in this price range. The video is stellar and the built-in features are impressive. There are some disappointing factors such as the rather mediocre sound quality and the relatively unstable software that is included with the webcam. In the end, I still recommend this webcam to anyone looking add or upgrade their webcam's capabilities. The positives surpass the negatives overall and this product is still is a killer deal.
For more information visit: Logitech.com
