Freetalk Everyman HD Webcam review
Good image quality, and the autofocus works well, but the price is too high considering there's no microphone.
Freetalk’s new HD webcam is available only through Skype’s online shop. It’s cleverly designed with a double-hinged mount that allows it to sit on top of just about any monitor. It’s also small, light and relatively good-looking. The 1.8m USB cable should be long enough to connect to even the remotest PC.
As you’d expect, HD means a maximum resolution of 1,280×720 – at a frame rate of 22fps. If you step down to VGA, frame rate increases to 30fps. Thanks to the autofocus lens, the image was always nice and sharp and colours were surprisingly faithful, even in the presence of strong backlighting. Whether the person you’re chatting to in Skype will see such a great image will depend on the speed of both broadband connections, of course. During our tests, quality was respectably sharp, but frame rates were nowhere near the maximum of 22fps.
We have two criticisms of the Everyman HD: the absence of a microphone and the high price. In the US the webcam costs $60, so paying £61 makes it seem very overpriced. Without a microphone, you’ll need to use your laptop’s built-in mic, or buy a separate one. This is very inconvenient, as well as unusual, since most webcams have microphones.
Overall, the Everyman HD is too expensive and inconvenient for most people.
Details | |
|---|---|
| Price | £61 |
| Rating | *** |