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Overview
After getting over the fact how funny this little
USB Webcam looks with its big sombrero, I then went over to actually
try this cute looking USB gadget. The Webcam 352 is technically a
standard webcam with capture modes of 160x120px with 30fps, 320x240
with 25-30fps and 640x480 also at 30fps (with the webcam 352, the
model that I have is actually the older my-cam 120 where 640x480 is
interpolated).
Important when installing the drivers is to not connect the camera
before the software is installed. In the webcam package is a big
flyer telling that, follow it. I did not the first time and had to
fiddle a bit with the drivers to get it to work. The camera
registers as TWAIN interface and is also supporting Microsoft's MSN
Messenger 6.0. The camera comes also with the old Microsoft AMCap
tool.
The Webcam 352 is bundled with It's Me a avatar creation software.
The software allows to create 3d animated figures with imported
mug-shots projected on the face. See below for some details on this.
The Webcam 352 has also a built-in microphone in the "ears". On top
is a button to take snapshots.
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Hilarious looking webcam with
sombrero and little shirt. |
Usage
After the software is installed, I can plug in the
camera and the webcam is operational. The image quality is average.
There are always some moving noise typical for those kinds of
webcams visible. The frame rate and image quality is fine for video
conferencing. The head is movable left and right to adjust the
camera. The lens itself can be moved up and down. The focus can also
be adjusted. The capture button is very useful. After pushing the
button when the AMCap software is not running it launches the
application. The second click is then capturing the image. The image
sizes and frame rates can be adjusted in the AMCAP program under
menu item Video Capture Pin.
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captured test photo with the
Webcam 352. |
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front view with hat. |
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Webcam 352 as package in wedding
outfits. |
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Without clothes the webcam looks
like kenny from South Park. |
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It's Me Software
The bundled software has only marginally
something todo with a USB Webcam. It takes photos from captured
with the webcam to project it on a 3d head. The software can
take any photos. I tested with the head of the model in the
latest
T3 Magazine desktop image. The face editor is easy to use
and the only thing i have todo is to scale the image in the tool
to fit the green lines indicating the facial features like eyes,
nose and mouth. Once I have the head i can then put together a
complete 3d avatar with different outfits, shows, accessories,
hair and what not. After that I can apply movement patterns to
the figure and then export it as animated gif and other
animations. See this
little avi movie (300k) as an example.
The It's Me software is from Realillusion Inc. and sells on
their site for 69.95. |
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It's me facial editor.
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It's Me avatar creator. This one is doing aerobic.
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Conclusion
There are tons of USB webcams on the market. This
one stands out with its little cartoon style shape and of course the
little outfits. Most
USB Webcams look just to techie. From the quality standpoint the
camera is fine and comparable to others in that price range. The
camera is easy to use and is compatible with TWAIN and MSN Messenger
which makes it usable for all typical applications.
How to Buy
FancyLogic sells the
Webcam 352 for $38.50 and is shipping it international. This one
does not come with an outfit. The
Mexican Webcam 352 also sells for $38.50. The
Webcam 352 wedding package sells for $72.50 (incl. 2 cameras).
This one has outfits.
Specifications
- Built-in JPEG Compression
- VGA 640x480 @ 30 frame rate per second
- USB Interface with Plug and Play
- Snapshot Button for Image Capture
- Lens Focus from 3 cm to Infinity
- Full Screen 640 x 480 Display
- Built-in Microphone
- High Quality Lens for Sharp Pictures
- Multi Color Shell
- High-quality still pictures and motion
video capturing
- Sensor: 1/4" CMOS 350K Pixels
- Video Format: 24-Bit True Color
- USB Interface: Compliant to USB 2.0 and 1.1
- Image Res: 640x480, 352x288, 320x240,
176x144, 160x120
- Video Resolutions: 640x480, 352x288,
320x240, 176x144, 160x120
- VGA 640x480 @ 30 frame rate per second
- Adjustable Focus: 3 CM to Infinity
- Automatic White Balance
- Automatic Exposure
- Automatic Compensation
- Store Digital Videos in AVI and WMV File
Formats
- Store Digital Photos in JPEG and BMP File
Formats
- CE , FCC
see also the O'Rite
product page.
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