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C-it USB Digital Video PC Camera:Handy package, handy price This nifty little camera plugs into the USB port on your computer and sits on top of your monitor or desk. It differs from a regular digital camera in that it is dependent on your computer to take pictures and video. It cannot operate separately. Although this may seem like a drawback, it works for anything within 7 feet of your computer, including video conferencing. The Basics: The contents of the box are about what you’d expect: the camera, with integrated 7’ USB cable, and the installation disks for the camera and included software. The manual is included in digital form on the camera’s installation CD. The camera itself is a small beige unit, 1.5”x2.5”x2.8” (HWD) on an adjustable base. The camera is heavy enough, and the cable flexible enough that you won’t have problems keeping it in place on your desktop or monitor. This is good compared to some devices that tend to flop around whenever the cable is moved. There is also an oblong button on the top for taking still shots (more on this later). Installation: As a USB device, the camera installed simply. I plugged it in, and Windows 98 detected it immediately. However, it did require installation of the included C-it software. I elected not to install the bundled publishing programs—PrintMaster Gold, Ultimate PhotoWizard, and Key Internet Publisher—though I have used PrintMaster Gold before and found it an excellent program. The installation of the drivers and C-it video capture software went smoothly, and it didn’t try to add anything without my permission, as some things do. (I find it extremely annoying when an installation program decides to fill my hard drive with programs I will never use without even asking me.) After that, all you have to do is have the C-it camera plugged in and run the program from the start menu. Use: When I first started up the camera’s software, I saw the picture, but it was a little blurry. The blurriness was easily corrected by adjusting the focus ring on the front of the lens, a nice feature that allows focal lengths from less than an inch to infinity. After that it was a breeze to use. Still pictures can be taken either by pushing the button on the top and holding it for about a second (I used this the most), or by pushing the "Snapshot” button in the program. Shots can be taken at a number of different resolutions, from 128x96 all the way up to 704x576. Video capture is also simple: push the "Capture" button on the program to start it, and push it again to stop. The video will automatically be saved as a 30 frames per second avi video (though there are several options for changing the quality), and will show up in your C-it Album, a nifty feature that shows you thumbnails of all the pictures and videos you have taken. All pictures and videos are also saved in the directory where the C-it software was installed (the default is C:\Program Files\C-it). In general, this is a great little camera for taking a few pictures to send over the web or for video conferencing. However, it’s not good for print-quality photographs: you aren’t going to be able to make 8x10 glossy pictures with it. Also, it helps if it’s either daytime or you are in a very well lit room: the camera does not work well in low-light conditions. But for basic video capture (no more than a minute or two, it gets large fast) and quick shots of yourself, friends, pets, family members, etc., it works like a charm; and it’s hard to beat this camera for simplicity of setup and use.
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