A webcam typically isn't good enough to stand in for an actual camcorder. But Logitech wants to change that with the HD Pro Webcam C910, which can record video at full 1080p resolution. It also features a Carl Zeiss glass lens, dual stereo mics, and a cleaner mount design than last year's Logitech Webcam C600($69.99, 
). As a result, it's our new Editors' Choice forwebcams.
To get started, Logitech recommends a 2.8GHz, single-core Pentium 4 PC runningWindows 7, Vista, and XP (SP2 or higher). For HD video recording or live chats, the company recommends a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo chip or faster, with 2GB of RAM and a free USB 2.0 port. You'll also need 1MB/sec upload speeds from your cable or DSL modem. I tested the C910 on a custom Intel Core i7-860 PC with 6GB of RAM and 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate Edition.
As a rule, webcams don't exactly excel when it comes to high-quality images. Recorded videos usually look washed out compared with a properdigital camera or camcorder. Keeping that in mind, the C910's video quality looked pretty great in 1080p HD mode. Images were sharp and smoothly animated, and roughly equivalent to what you'd get from a second-generation Flip MinoHD ($229.99, 
). Something to note: recorded images default to 720p (to change to 1080p, you need to go toQuick Capture > Video Recording mode, and then choose Controls > Resolution).
Logitech's automatic light correction balanced out light sources well. Some very bright rooms looked a little pale and washed out, but it's the best quality I've seen from a webcam to date. I noticed some compression artifacts in recorded video. The effect isn't that visible in Logitech's bundled video app, which reduces the live video size. But the recorded files themselves were larger; when I played them in Windows Media Player, the compression was more obvious. Logitech confirmed that there's no way to turn the compression off, at least with the bundled software, although they company is looking into it for a future release. On the plus side, you can share videos almost instantly via Facebook or YouTube with a single click.
For HD video chats, Logitech bundles its Vid HD software; it works in 720p, not 1080p, though. With Skype and other major IM programs, video chats drop back to 640 by 480 pixels when using the C910, though the impressive picture quality remains. (Note: Skype is working on certifying a few webcams for HD chat.) The C910 also takes 10-megapixel snapshots; test photos were sharp and detailed, but they lacked the color vibrancy and contrast you'd get from a dedicated digital camera with a larger lens.
Most desktop and laptop PC owners will balk at dropping $100 on a webcam since you can get a desktop model for as little as $20 or $30 these days, and most new-model laptops have them built-in. But if you can spend the money, the C910 delivers full HD video that looks and sounds excellent; you get what you pay for here. Two lower-cost options: the $70 Logitech Webcam C600, is less expensive and also offers good video quality, although it's a bit more ungainly and can't record at 1080p resolution. Microsoft's LifeCam Cinema ($79.95, 
) also delivers sharp video recordings, although its light balance isn't quite as good, and its built-in monophonic microphone lacks noise-canceling circuitry.
