Best Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

The LifeCam HD-3000 is placed in the middle of the Microsoft range, just behind the LifeCam Studio . Like its big sister, this model is Plug and Play. It is therefore very easy to install. The webcam software and drivers are downloaded automatically when the webcam is connected to the computer.

Best Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 Webcam – Black

2. Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam – Gray

3. Microsoft LifeCam Cinema

4. Microsoft LifeCam Cinema

Ergonomics

The head of the HD-3000 is made entirely of glossy black plastic, unlike the LifeCam Studio which is made of aluminum. These two webcams still share a similar foot. The latter is flexible and covered with rubber, which allows it to be easily placed on a desk, a CRT screen or an LCD monitor. First negative point: it is not possible to tilt it on the vertical axis, but simply to the left and right. This requires tilting the screen or twisting the foot so as to perfect the framing of the image.

In terms of features, there is an automatic focus and a 720p video sensor at 30 frames per second maximum – we will come back to this. The sound is limited to mono with an anti-noise filter.

Image quality

After reading the technical sheet, you would think that this webcam films in 720p at 30 frames per second. Well no ! It can in fact only go up to 30 frames per second in 640 x 360 pixels. In 720p, it drops to 10 fps, which is not enough to deliver smooth videos.

In a bright room, the jerks are annoying. The HD-3000 therefore incorporates a 720p sensor, but we do not recommend using it with such a definition. Better to be content with the 640 x 320 pixel mode which displays good responsiveness. The little annoyances, however, do not stop there. The webcam tends to overexpose the image. Bright areas are burned which results in loss of detail in white.

In a dark room, the image quality is quite good. On the other hand, as is the case for all webcams, the afterglow is more marked. For their part, the whites are no longer burnt – it must be said that they have turned gray. This time it is the blacks who are blocked. In fact, dark areas lose detail.

Sound quality

During conversations, we quickly realized that the noise filter is not up to par. The surrounding noises are audible or even amplified. It is very unpleasant! In addition, the sound quality is just average. The voice is recognizable but a little too metallic for our taste. The Logitech HD Pro C510 keeps a nice advantage.LifeCam software

LifeCam software is easy to use. The right side contains dozens of video effects as well as the various configuration parameters. It’s fun the first time, but the lack of responsiveness is quickly felt. The most useful function is finally video capture. Once the videos have been recorded, the software offers to send them to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

STRONG POINTS

  • Correct image quality (day and night) in 640 x 360 pixels
  • Auto focus and face tracking
  • Complete software suite

WEAK POINTS

  • Frame rate too low in 720p: 10 frames per second
  • Overexposed in a lighted room: burnt whites
  • Mouth black people in a dark room

CONCLUSION

The LifeCam HD-3000 displays a correct image while offering a very affordable price. It is just a shame that the bit rate is so low in 720p.

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