Tech-Com Web Camera SSD-641-MP

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Tech-Com Web Camera SSD-641-MP

Milind Bandekar, Aug 23, 2005 1010 hrs IST

Not just affordable but even better in performance and you'll know how.

Good quality in lowlight, quick and easy setup, 100% compatible (no extra drivers in XP)

Tacky build quality, delicate unit might break easily, jammed lens rotary, incomplete software CD

Expert Rating :

Expert Review

Another plus is its ability of digital video recording. The 4.86mm by 3.64mm sensor covers a wide range of the view and lets you save your own video sessions of parties, special events or maybe your personal portfolio with its brilliant video capturing speed. It can take video in at 160x120, 176x144, 320x240, 352x288 and 640x480 pixels. It encodes video as AVI or MPEG for VCDs (at 320x240/NTSC). You can also choose the frame rate from 15 to 30 fps. The VCD format MPEG option is handy as it means you can take a video and burn it quickly on a VCD and distribute it to your friends or family. Now, don't get any nasty ideas. Adding audio is also an option with its built-in Mic facility, which again can be streamlined according to the desired output. The microphone that comes built into the camera is highly sensitive and delivers smooth flow of audio through the messengers that support audio chat, which includes mostly all of them.

With instant messengers I didn't have to play around much with the settings. By default it adapted well to the room ambience. However, with the color controls and adjustable brightness/contrast settings, the output can be optimized to give a sharper and clearer look. And to top it all, it comes with a classy, elegant and ergonomic look that adds a charm to your desktop look and feel. We're kidding. Really.

Post-Production

The software CD that came along with the package claimed to have the drivers, Ulead Photo Express, Photo Explorer and Photo Cool360, but on inserting the disc none of that could be found. It just installs the basic drivers and "Sunplus SPCA561 Demo", which can be used to take snapshots and video etc. Compared to the Typhoon Webshot II 300k USB Cam that Aalaap had reviewed a few months back, the software bundle on this camera is rather trimmed. However with 3rd party software you can avail the extra imaging and video editing features.

Final Cut

I am quite impressed with the image and video quality of the camera and its performance in dull light conditions. But I'm not too happy about the manual lens focusing. But other than this there is nothing much to complain about and certainly not much at the price that it is offered for. For around about 700 to 750 Rupees, this is definitely a value for money product that also comes with a 1 year warranty. A good camera overall!