Microsoft L2 LifeCam HD-3000, Black

We use this webcam mainly for making skype calls from our desktop PC. Previously we had a Microsoft lifecam VX-2000 - a VGA (640x480) webcam about 3 years old - but the cable had been severely abused and was no longer working. There were of course HD webcams around at the time we bought it but the price seemed excessive. (And long before that I owned a logitech quickcam zoom (from 2004) - but let's not go there!) so being relatively happy with the other microsoft webcam I decided to plump for another one, just a few pounds more than we originally paid for the VX. On receiving it, though, the difference is night and day. First of all, the size was smaller than I expected. From the picture I expected it to be wider than the VX, but actually it turned out to be shorter and about the same width. This is a good thing (I thought it would be ugly at the size I was expecting it to be, but the design suits the size it actually is) The stand is not just stuck in one position like it looks in the picture - it's flexible so that you can easily adjust it and get it into position, which means you can get it to stand up well either on its own or on top of a screen - without resorting to it intruding on the screen. It's quite a clever thing actually. Picture quality is another level compared to an old VGA webcam. What I was most impressed by is the improved dynamic range. With the VX webcam, if there was a TV in the background, the rest of the picture would dim slightly to accommodate, but of course the TV would still be a glowing blob (a lose lose situation!). With this webcam, the improved dynamic range means that the room does not appear dim, and yet the picture on the tv is visible. Not that I'm spending time watching TV with our skype contacts, but it's a good example of how a newer webcam cuts out problems with the background interfering with the brightness of your picture. Of course being an 'HD' webcam the picture detail and clarity are also improved - that is to be expected, and our contacts have commented on how much better it is that they can actually see us. I should add that It's also far superior to the picture from the (old) nexus 7 which we use for skype calls around the house. There is not a great deal more to say. We don't use whatever software may come with such devices to add funny effects or whatever to your video. And there are of course features in more expensive models that you may be missing - but if you don't know what those features are, you probably don't need them and won't miss them. If you are looking to shoot professional videos - well you should probably just buy a proper video camera. If you just want a webcam for making calls, maybe youtube videos etc. this is a very good combination of budget and quality.

Introduction We bought this camera to keep in touch with our son at university. We went for the Lifecam HD 3000 as I had used this device previously at work and it was a relatively cheap camera. In the box Although the packaging for the Lifecam HD 3000 was quite bulky, the only thing in the box was the camera itself. No installation CD is required as the camera is plug and play, meaning that it will automatically detect and install the drivers when you plug it in to a free USB port. Setting up the camera As previously mentioned, all you need to do is plug the camera in to a USB port and wait a minute or two and the camera is ready to use. There is no additional software that ships with the camera so if you need to get photo or video capture software, you will need to source this yourself. If your primary use is for Skype or any other kind of social media video, then you will be ready to go within minutes. Using the camera Now several reviews have described problems using this camera with Windows 10. I have had no such problems and it has worked fine from day one. The picture quality of this camera is excellent as you would expect from a HD camera. My experience of the sound was that it was a bit low and I had to raise my voice to be heard at the other end. The base is very flexible, allowing you to either sit the camera on a desk or hook it over the corner of the monitor. My personal preference was the desk as the base did obstruct the screen slightly when placed on a monitor. Conclusion I would recommend this web camera for the recreational user. It is cheap, easy to install and offers quality images.

as a webcam this is excellent value . i could not get it to work on skpe . It seems the extra software causes the camera to work on other programes such as windows media player . The solution is to uninstall all other software and just allow the drivers . I believe that was what another reviewer was suggesting . If you just want it for skpe ; this works fine is good quality image and seems to work faultlessly now . Probably other programmes can use the camera ; though I don't require its use in other ways . Very good value . Sits nicely on top of monitor . i don,t think it would work well as a more conventional cam corder . I am sure most people would have one anyway . My advice if you just want it for Skpe etc. is to say no to additional software offered after plugging in ; it will work fine then . I wasted several hours because I didn't do that .

The Microsoft Life-Cam is, by comparison with other webcams, compact. It grips neatly to the top of the screen and whilst the lead is not long if your computer is on the same desk it should reach easily. The picture quality is good, although the microphone does to come up to the same standard. I have installed it on an HP desktop running Windows 10 and it connected immediately, with no need to download external drivers. This was bought specifically to be used with Zoom which it does easily. Overall good value for money, good quality.

First impressions - nice box but had to destroy it to open it - maybe there is a knack but I couldn't spend more time working it out. A nice very dainty small and well made camera. As with most of MS's hardware it is well finished and professional looking. Feels solid too. The Lifecam software however on my PC at least will not work. It cannot detect my camera. Yes went through the gadzillion things to try after searching MS websites - including registry editing etc, several other USB ports etc, still nada. However "Manycam" software (there is a free version) worked immediately and flawlessly. It found the camera and just worked. Yes black mark to MS there. In Skype the picture is chopped into 3 slices if I call it directly. However in every other webcam software I tried - perfect. One tip of you get this issue - if you run manycam (or a similar program I guess) it can provide the lifecam to skype as a virtual camera. I didn't even have to set that up, just choose Manycam virtual cam in Skype video setup - which in turn lets skype work fine. So 2 Microsoft programs can't find or work with their own hardware but everyone else's 3rd party stuff can. Mmm. The 720 mode worked very well on my higher end PC and was lag free at 25fps (with 3rd party software as I say) but just a heads up anyway. BTW I have Windows 7 64 bit. Just for the record I have nothing to do with Manycam but I am a fan now it actually worked and MS software failed after 3 days of fighting with it :/

The LifeCam HD-3000 is easily the best webcam I've ever used. But then again, it's the only webcam I've ever bought! Before I ordered this webcam, I was using the built-in webcam on my laptop. Back then, the picture image was poor and fuzzy, and the video itself was quite slow! Now comparing my old with this new one, I'm mighty impressed. For starters, setting-up and installing the LifeCam was ridiculously EASY! There's NO NEED to download any drivers!!! NO NEED to download any special software!!! Just simply plug it into the USB slot, and it will AUTOMATICALLY set everything up!(make sure you using Windows 10!). The LifeCam has flexible mounting options. You can mount it on the monitor of your laptop/desktop PC, or you can sit it down on the desk, beside your PC. My favourite feature is the TrueColor Technology, because once it recognises your FACE, it will automatically ENHANCE the picture quality of your video! I was using the LifeCam to join a Skype for Business meeting. Now I can't wait to use it on my girlfriend😁

Alright I ordered this 2 days ago and it's already came so I'm very happy. I plugged it in straight away and it works perfectly I'm only going to use it for skype and it's working fine .. I googled the webcam and downloaded the drivers and now I'm getting perfect 1280x720 HD footage from it. I already have a microphone but I tested the webcam mic and it is actually not that bad for someone who maybe doesn't have a mic they would have no problems with this. So the image is great - easy and ready to go - not a bad mic I'd say for the value this is a great webcam that is perfect for most peoples needs. Hope this helped :)

This is the first webcam I have owned and I bought it on the strength of positive reviews here on Amazon, as well as some video reviews of it on YouTube. It is small and the flexible stand feels a little flimsy, but it works well and the stand is very adaptable to different uses, from on top of your monitor to table top, or anywhere you can stand it or get it to grip on. The camera also can be rotated left and right a fair amount, while the flexi stand holds it in place. It isn't suitable for use anywhere that is subject to a lot of vibration as it is very light and that can also cause a few problems with the USB cable as if moved it will move the camera, but careful setup and placing of the camera will help minimise any problems, a bit of tape or a clip on the stand or cable works well. The camera can also be easily hand held and moved around while in use. The USB cable is more than 1m long, but that can also be extended with a USB extension cable. Installation on a PC (Win7 64bit) was much like any simple USB hardware, but for full driver and free Microsoft Lifecam software visit the Microsoft website and download the software (no registration required) it only takes a few minutes with a good internet connection. It is fairly easy to install and very easy to use the software, but you may notice that Windows update offers several minor software updates related to background software soon after installation. Without the Lifecam software the picture quality will be limited to 640x480 - with the software you get 1280x720 HD and 4xHD photo capture for still photo snaps. Lifecam is very easy to use so you can set the camera how you want it, low resolution if you have a slower internet connection or HD if you have a faster connection - if you have the resolution too high for your connection speed it will cause the video feed to break up and jump about instead of being smooth. If you want to edit captured video or make mini movies then also get the free Microsoft Windows Essentials package (you can choose which bits you install) the Movie Maker software is what you need for simple video editing and upload or sharing options (it isn't included as a standard with Win 7, like it used to be with XP, but it is much improved over the old XP version). If you want to capture time lapse or video triggered by movement or sound then you will need other software such as the free software iSpy. iSpy allows you to use a webcam like the HD-3000 to monitor your home from a remote location or be alerted to activity in your home, such as a break-in or pets activity when left alone. The software is totally free and open source (no registration or email required) and they only charge a small monthly subscription for alerts, if you want to use that service. iSpy allows monitoring and recording from multiple web or wi-fi ip cameras, and allows individual settings and triggers for each camera. iSpy is easy to download, but needs fairly careful setup, but a good help guide is included and there many users on the web too. ispyconnect.com The only limitation of this webcam I have found so far is one that affects all webcams - when using the camera in a constant record mode with any of the software available it appears to be limited to around 2GB file size, which on full resolution is about 2 hours or so. Other than that I am very pleased and impressed with this very reasonably priced webcam - it may take me a while to discover all that I can do with it. I would recommend the HD-3000 for most standard webcam uses and a few non-standard ones too!