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Photograph by Todd Tankersley There's a reason it's called YouTube. Put on some fancy clothes—or take 'em all off—and join the DIY video revolution. For our latest foray into live action, we put four top-of-the-line webcams to the test. Each took superb still photos, but the video capture and entertainment extras varied.
Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision
It's the bulkiest of the bunch (3.8 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches), but it makes up for its monster size by shooting the cleanest video. The menu bar is simple and user-friendly, and for those who eschew the mouse, buttons on both sides of the cam itself yield instant snapshots. Its 75-degree wide-angle lens makes sure you stay in the frame.
WIRED Best video quality. Easy access to major messaging and chat services.
TIRED Clunky. Unstable monitor clip.
$130, www.logitech.com
Creative Live! Cam Optia AF
This cam's 8-megapixel sensor delivers clear, high-resolution stills, but struggles with video. Its ample audio and visual effects can make you look and sound like, say, a munchkin in Egypt. The motion detector can trigger shots, or you can program it to do time-lapse photos.
WIRED By far the best visual and audio effects. Highest resolution stills. Flexible clip is steady on the monitor and easy to use.
TIRED Video lags and blurs at high resolution.
$130, us.creative.com
Mustek SI302A
Sitting in front of this bad boy is like stepping into Glamour Shots. The 1280 x 1024-pixel resolution cam displays flattering highlights and lowlights, but images are grainy. Plus, the cam is totally boring and featureless. You'll need your own video-capture software to become a YouTube celeb.
WIRED Perfect for the software phobic—no driver installation necessary. Cheap.
TIRED Craptastic video-recording software. No entertainment extras. Wonky autofocus.
$70, www.mustek.com
Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 The small, sleek, and sexy LifeCam stays perched atop your laptop screen like a pretty girl on a millionaire's lap. Its 7.6-megapixel still photos look smashing. While shooting video, however, movement is so blurred that you appear to be having convulsions every time you nod your head.
WIRED Compact and good-looking. Lens tucks into the housing for safe portability.
TIRED Short 2-foot cord makes it difficult to use with a desktop. Few extras like avatars.
$100, www.microsoft.com
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