First of all, as in most new hardware devices I have added to my computer, you install the software first, before you connect the hardware device to your computer. Once your software is installed, which will include the addition of necessary drivers; you can plug the device into your USB 1.1 port. One true thing about USB connectivity is that plug ‘n play works really well in these devices. USB hardware items are truly “hot swappable”. In my experience, the more recent Windows operating systems (Windows 2000 and Windows XP) usually have no problem with USB devices. However, my particular Windows 2000 system did not want to work with the Watchport V camera. I moved the Watchport V to my Windows XP machine and had no difficulty at all. In an effort to discover the problem, I learned that Windows 2000 has an issue that is correctible with a download of new drivers. To be honest, I did not retry it on my Windows 2000 system for the sake of time and in order to complete this review by the deadline.

The Watchport V is touted as an industrial strength digital Web camera that has many uses and applications. For example, it could be plugged into a computer and utilized as a monitoring or surveillance device, set up in a kiosk, at point of sale or as an ATM camera. Other unique features include its ability to record video at 60 frames per second at the low resolution of 160x120 or have an extremely high (software enhanced) resolution of 1280x960. In between, you can obtain 15 frames per second at 640x480, 30 fps at 320x240 or you can use it at 352x288, 176x144 or 128x96. It utilizes VLCE ( Vista's Lossless Compression Engine technology), which allows for streaming video with faster frame rates without the loss in image quality usually expected with a video compression codec. It can also utilize software that lets the user conduct or participate in videoconferences.

Last, but certainly not least, the 4.9 mm, F 2.0 adjustable lens that comes with this camera has a flexible, easy to use, manual focus. Below, the lens was focused on my face with the words on the installation CD I was holding up near the lens clearly legible.

This camera takes very sharp pictures and they are quite clear. For example, in the photo below, I have adjusted the focus and placed the installation CD very close to the camera lens and the text on the CD is still very clear.

You can purchase an additional lens pack that will provide a 3 mm wide angle lens, an 8 mm close-up lens and a 12 mm telephoto lens. The Watchport V camera has light compensation (< 1 lux), which is not usually found in PC or Web cameras. For example, it can automatically adjust to lighting extremes from bright sunlight to the romantic radiance of dinner candles. As proof, I tried it out in the middle of the night, with all the lights off in my computer room and only the glow from the PC monitor illuminating the scene.

The Watchport V performs very well, even in low light conditions, and is not as fuzzy as other Web cameras I have used. I was duly impressed with its overall performance, especially in low light conditions and its sharp focus in close-ups was remarkable. Its picture quality performance is significantly better than that of my old Intel PC camera.

What do you need in order to operate this PC camera on your system? The requirements are fairly broad, as you only need a system running at least a Pentium 166 MHz CPU, 32 MB of RAM, a Sound Card, an open USB connection, a 28.8 modem, Windows 95SE, 98, NT 4.0, Me, 2000 or XP, 2 MB of free hard drive space and a CD-ROM drive.

If you have been concerned about the quality of the Web camera you are using or if you are thinking about getting a new Web camera, I would strongly recommend that you consider purchasing the Watchport V camera. You can find it online at Inside Out Networks, with a regular list price of $189.29 but when I called for a price, I was quoted $169.95 and at the time of this review, there was a “monthly special” listed on the company Website for $99.00. Furthermore, I did a search on the Internet and found a low price of $154.85. The camera lens pack is listed at $54.00 on the Website but on the Internet I found it for $42.00. With this kind of pricing variability, I would recommend that you shop carefully to obtain the best price.