Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, Widescreen Video Calling and Recording, 1080p Camera, Desktop or Laptop WebcamCarbon Neutral Certified by SCS Global Services

I needed a camera for my desktop because we use Google Hangouts to keep in touch with family. I looked at cameras from Creative, Logitech, Microsoft, Dell and HP. For the money, this one gives great performance.My computer runs Windows 8.1. Our internet connection is a 2/768 DSL connection.Installing this camera on a Windows 8 machine really is Plug & Play. You plug it in and Windows automatically downloads it's drivers from the internet. Then, you get a message that the camera is ready to use. When you use Google Hangouts, it's automatically selected for video and audio input.The video on this device is awesome for video conferencing. Even though our internet connection is 2/768, the video on the other side is crisp. I use it in my basement that has poor lighting. Yet, the resulting video is very good. If you read the specs on the camera, it's easy to figure out why. It's packed with some pretty good hardware. The camera also has 2 microphones and does a pretty good job canceling out noise. You cannot hear the boiler running in the background on the other side of the conversation. I do not know if much of the processing is done via software on the computer or via hardware on the camera itself. I can say that my system does NOT slow down when I use it. Frame rates are smooth and audio sounds pretty full.There is a Metro camera control app. I have not used it, though. The camera does work with Skype. Skype sees it. However, I have not tried it out with Skype as we mainly use Google to communicate with each other.The camera also has a mount that you can either put on top of an old CRT monitor or table top. Or, you can bend it so that it will clip to your flat screen monitor. Mine covers the bezel and does not interfere with the top of the screen.When it comes to webcams and mice, you cannot go wrong with Logitech. I highly recommend this camera.

this camera's picture quality (see first photo) is definitely superior to that of the iSight camera built into my mid-2011 MacBook Air (see second photo), as well as to that of most, if not all, other webcams i've seen images from - though the Logitech's colors are a bit washed out due to its light sensitivity.the mounting system is pretty ingenious - or so it seems to me, who's been out of the standalone webcam loop for probably 10 years now - allowing you to mount it on top of a flatscreen monitor of just about any thickness, lay it on a flat surface such as the top of a CRT (if anybody still uses those) or an LCD's sunshade - the camera has a rubberized bottom surface and a little bit of weight to it so it won't slide around easily - or to mount it on a mini tripod (not included).it has dual (i.e., stereo) mics which sound decent, though you won't get great sound from them unless you're in a very acoustically dead room, since their integration with the body of the camera means you're going to be at least a foot away from them most of the time, so they're going to pick up any reverberation present and many background noises. i choose to stick with my Blue Yeti for sound input as i can put it closer to where i'm sitting...plus it's just a better-sounding mic to begin with, as well it should be.the camera can be pivoted up and down about 45 degrees, and while it can't be pivoted side-to-side when mounted atop a flatscreen monitor, that's mitigated somewhat by the fact that it's a widescreen camera, so it captures a wider area side-to-side without being pivoted. if lateral pivoting is really important to you, you can mount the camera either on a flat surface or a mini tripod as mentioned before.on the Mac, it's 100% plug-and-play; plug it into an available USB port and you're in business. FaceTime, Photo Booth, Messages, Skype...it just works, and well. Windows users just go to the URL given on the instruction sheet, download and install the software, and i imagine from there on out their experience will be similar.the unit itself is very nice-looking and, again, produces a picture most other webcams can't match. i think Logitech's set a new standard here, and it won't be long before all new webcams on the market produce an image at least this good. at the $71.00 and change i paid, i consider this camera well worth the money. i'm sure i'll be using it for years to come.