Microsoft LifeCam Studio Review: Video calls made easy

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Microsoft LifeCam Studio Review: Video calls made easy by VR-Zone.com

Microsoft's latest webcam, the LifeCam Studio, is equipped with a 1080p sensor with auto focus and a high fidelity microphone. Furthermore, with TrueColor and ClearFrame technology, it makes video calls to loved ones even at night or low-lighting possible.

Introduction





Design:

Looking from the box, the Microsoft LifeCam Studio sports a mix of silver and black aluminium finish which looks fairly stylish. The 1080p sensor sits behind a high-precision glass which promises to capture high-quality images. The LifeCam Studio is the first webcam to use a lens hood, which is normally found on digital SLR cameras, to prevent glare and lens flare.



On the top, we find the high-fidelity microphone that is protected with a nicely designed mesh.



The Lifecam Studio has a four-way adjustable joint and a thread hole for tripod mount. Users can set up the webcam on the tripod to capture steady high definition videos. The LifeCam Studio can be adjusted 360-degree laterally and about 30-degree vertically.





Microsoft has also included in the box, a rubber lens cover to protect the webcam from dust when not in use.

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Software:

Microsoft LifeCam Studio comes with LifeCam 3.0 software which is simple and easy to use. The LifeCam 3.0 offers many fun effects such as afro-hairdo and cowboy hat which you can apply for your own personalized image.



The software also allows you to set the image resolutions as well as adjustments such as brightness, contrast and colors. Unfortunately, we noticed that with the Microsoft software, you can only record video at 720p (1280x720) resolution, or capture images at 1080p; the software does offer the option of taking image (only) at up to 8 megapixel (3840x2160) interpolated.



Performance:

Despite its limitation of capturing videos only at 720p HD resolution, the Lifecam Studio performed much better than we expected. It managed to maintain vibrant colours even under poorly-lit conditions. We also noticed that the video frame rate drops significantly if the ambient lighting becomes dimmer. Unlike most webcam, the Microsoft uses wide-angle lens which makes video call with multiple people in the picture possible without the need to move further away from the computer. However, one complaint is that the sensitive microphone lacks noise-cancellation and this causes it to pick up background sound easily which would make the video call experience not as ideal. Microsoft has also improve the auto-focusing on the LifeCam Studio unlike its older LifeCam HD5000 which requires refocusing constantly to each and every movement.

Lastly, 720p HD video calling is only possible on the Windows Live Messenger Beta althought that greatly depends on one's connection speed. If you use other applications such as Yahoo! Messenger or Skype, you can only do video calls at VGA (640x480) or lower resolutions.



Conclusion:

Priced at US$99.95, the Lifecam Studio is one of the most expensive webcams in the market. Although it is capable of recording videos up to 720p HD resolution, it does so impressively even under poor lighting. As the Lifecam Studio can be mounted on a tripod, it will be great for bloggers or users who want to do live streaming. The microphone, on the other hand, could have been much better if it had noise-cancellation. On the whole, the Microsoft LifeCam Studio is a great webcam if you are looking to get one to do HD video recording and video calling.


Pros
Sturdy construction
Great video performance
Easy to use

Cons
Pricey
Poor audio performance