Creative Webcam Go Plus

N.B. This product was reviewed in 2000 and has since been superceded.Please check www.europe.creative.comfor the latest products availableI’ve never used a webcam beforeand I’ve yet to own a digital camera, the latter being something I’veparticularly wanted to have a go with but the prices of most brands areexhorbitant when it comes to one with a high picture quality.

Although this particular portable webcam won’t turn you into David Bailey,it’s a great start for the beginner. Let’s start with the good points of whichthere are many. Note that I haven’t tried the previous Webcam Go productso cannot compare.

Firstly the camera contains 8MB of built-in Memory (6MB for stills/videos and2MB for audio). For single pictures, you can take up to 94 still images, butwhen storing ten consecutive frames using that mode (more to come on thislater) the number increases to around 200 images. This is at 640 x 480resolution, so the lower the resolution chosen, the more that can be stored.On the plus side, the memory within is non-volatile, meaning that snaps aresafe when the batteries die.

For those of you with frequently brilliant ideas springing to mind, or ifyou wish to note quickly where the nearest stocked-up petrol station is andhave no pen/paper combination to hand, the webcam also contains a digitalvoice annotation feature. This appears to allow up to two minutes of voicerecording.

According to Creative’s website – and I’m not an expert by any stretch of theimagination, “the CMOS Sensor used here produces brighter and clearer picturesthan ever before. Many other cameras use an inferior CCD sensor. CMOS offersbetter color reproduction than CCD, particularly in capturing skin tones.CMOS sensors are also less sensitive to “hot spots” caused by uneven lighting.”So now you know.

There are four methods of taking pictures while portable, each selectablewith the mode selector button on the back of the camera :

1. Single image – point and click. This takes a second or two to complete afterpressing the button.
2. Multi-frame mode – press the button and ten consecutive still images willbe taken over the next few seconds capturing the desired image.
3. Delayed single image – Same as (1) but the webcam makes beepingsounds getting faster over the course of a few seconds, making sure you’reprepared for your shot.
4. Video ‘mini-movies’ – Although you won’t be able to capture acresof footage you can record video at up to 30 frames per second while you’re atyour PC, or up to 10 per second while portable.

You can easily upload your photos from the webcam’s memory, organise theminto a separate photo album folder and save them as bitmap or jpeg filesfor importing into other graphics programmes or its very own photo editor,allowing you to assembles the video footage filmed or implement your photosonto a calendar or a greetings card. There are many ways to improve andenhance the picture quality too, such as making dark pictures brighter.

I’ve learned this is a valuable tool for brightening up picture files fromother sources, such as screengrabs taken from DVDs.

Oh, and of course it can be used as a webcam! Plug it into the PC via theUSB port, configure the software to take photos as often as possible (every30 seconds or so, or whenever someone walks in front of the camera so peoplewatching your website don’t just see the dodgy wallpaper) or at set periodsfrom every minute to several hours. The black rubber on the front gives thewebcam grip when laid down on its front with the camera piece bent back toface forward.

Quickly and simply, if you’re online the software will upload them for youonto its own webpage, or incorporate the jpegs as you wish. Perfect for thosewho want to start their own similar service to theJennicam

Century 105FM celebrate their second birthday
at the Trafford Centre, Manchester.
Sunday, 12th September, 2000.

Now the bad points. Firstly, the batteries supplied run out very quickly.They lasted all of four days even though the webcam appears to switch offautomatically when disconnected from the PC and not used for around fiveminutes. I’ve since plugged in some Duracell and they’ve lasted a good weekat least so far.

Next up, while very good pictures can be taken outside, even if they don’tquite have the clarity of a standard photograph, the lack of a focus (or anycontrols on the unit) and even a flash make taking pictures inside not alwayssomething to be recommended. The same goes for using the webcam indoors.You’ll need plenty of light to get reasonable images, or a visit to thePhoto Editor to improve things. Don’t try taking photos in Manchester eitheras there’s no sun at all!

Although it’s a cheap unit, it doesn’t contain a screen so you can’t checkwhat you’ve just snapped until you get home or can plug it into your laptopif you have one. It may be a very handy way of taking photos and can hold94 in its 8Mb memory (at max.resolution), but if you took it on holiday you’dwant a bigger capacity. Ideally, a laptop abroad would be the best thingas then you can email the pictures to all your friends instead of sending apostcard that arrives the day after you come home.

An alternative to this would have been something which Creative tout as abonus – the fact that there’s “no hassles or need for diskettes or memorycards”. Well, the latter would have been a nice idea for exactly theholidaying purpose.

Increased contrast: before and after screengrabs
experiencing the ‘pleasure-pain’ theory
from the just plain weirdSex and Zen 2

Overall, as I stated earlier this is a great gadget for the beginner andthe ability to automatically upload to your website is a major plus, butit does leave you wanting more in terms of a features that a dedicateddigital camera would provide.

OVERALL

For more information, please visit theEuropean Creative websiteand theCreative Webcam website