Logitech's new webcams add greater picture quality

Fremont (CA) - Logitech has teamed with optical specialist Carl Zeiss to bring more clarity to webcam video, a format once markedly plagued with low resolution.

The Quickcam Pro 9000 and the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks are the latest additions to Logitech’s vast line of webcams. The accessory manufacturer is the top seller of webcams, recently announcing the shipment of its 50 millionth unit.

The new Quickcam cameras incorporate Carl Zeiss’s Tessar lens, the same lens used in Sony’s line of DSC-P100 Cyber-shot digital cameras. In addition, the webcams incorporate an auto focus system to help keep images clear and sharp.

For video recording, Logitech says the cameras can capture video at 30 frames per second, and they support 720p high definition video. This means the resolution is as high as 960 x 720 pixels. Both cameras also include a two megapixel sensor for still images.

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The Quickcam Pro 9000 includes a flexible base to rest on top of "nearly any monitor", says Logitech, and the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks comes with a travel case and spring-tension clip to attach to the computer.

Both models will be available next month and will carry retail prices of around $100.