When we think “webcam quality”, we usually think about how our cell phones tend to give better resolutions.  For years, these little devices have come with the cheapest and lowest-quality lenses and sensors that manufacturers could buy.  For most people, spending more than $60 on these cameras is unheard of.  Considering how the best devices tend to have the same quality as the old Super 8 videos, I don’t blame them.

Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000I can’t stand grainy images, horrid colour representation and sluggish performance from my camera.  For this reason, I had dropped the $140 on the Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 several years ago and have seen nothing else come even remotely close since.  That’s now changed, as Logitech is preparing to release their new QuickCam Pro 9000 series and, quite frankly, I’m quite impressed with the specs found on these little units.

Logitech has added a Carl Zeiss lens and higher resolution optical sensors to this model, resulting in a sexy 920×720-pixel video resolution that looks absolutely fantastic.  Considering how most webcams are placed less than a meter from our head, this resolution will be sharp enough to catch the little hairs on my face a few hours after a shave.  According to the Logitech site, the QuickCam 9000 comes with the standard features we’d expect from the QuickCam Pro line with auto-focus, built-in microphone and light sensors.  But what’s different is the true 2-megapixel video sensor, making this as powerful as some entry-level digital cameras.

These cameras are expected to go on sale next month and sell for about $100.  Depending on a number of factors, I might just pick one of these up before making the move to Japan.  Being half a world away from my nearest family member means that they will probably want to see me during our brief chats on MSN Messenger, and I’d like to give them the best picture possible.