In an age when all cameras, TVs and monitors are judged by the quality of their high definition imagery, Microsoft has produced two new units in its LifeCam Webcam series that attempt to be ahead of the pack without costing a fortune.

While the LifeCam HD-5000 is geared towards general desktop usage, the HD-6000 is specifically designed for use with laptops. Bearing in mind that virtually all modern netbooks and laptops come with built-in cameras, you might wonder why you'd need to perch an additional one on your cover.

Well, the first thing you notice about the HD-6000 is just how neat and compact it is. Styled in chic glossy black, it measures just 62mm high and 28mm wide and is divided into two sections. The lower part is the grip which easily and firmly attaches itself to the notebook, while the upper section contains the HD camera itself. The two halves are linked by an attractively backlit blue ‘spine' and connection to the laptop is made via a relatively short USB 2.0 cable.

The lens provides 1280 x 720 HD video at 30fps and makes use of Microsoft's new TrueColor technology which is designed to boost light and colour contrast in particularly dim lighting conditions by automatically adjusting exposure.

In practice this works remarkably well and the HD quality will be particularly welcome for both social network users and video conferencing. The lens also has built-in auto-focus which sometimes takes a few seconds to readjust when you're moving away or towards the camera, but on the whole does a good job of keeping up with the action.

Another strong feature is the ability to rotate the camera 360 degrees so that you can switch between broadcasters and illustrate your surroundings. But the undoubted star turn of this camera is its huge library (42 in all) of special effects which will keep fans of Windows Live Messenger, Skype, et al, amused for hours. You can alter your facial features in just about every direction, add animal faces, hats and masks and even turn yourself into a watercolour or etching. A dedicated Windows Live Call button on the top of the camera automatically searches who's online and then you're ready for endless hours of silliness.

Naturally you can also take HD quality still photos and capture sound recordings and make manual adjustments to the TrueColor settings. If, however, you also wanted to use the camera for security purposes as a motion sensor, that facility is not included here.

Verdict
The LifeCam HD-6000 is a small, neat, classy notebook Webcam with 360 degree rotation, excellent HD quality even in low light conditions and a large, fun selection of special effects for social networkers.

Company: Microsoft

Contact: 0844 800 2400

Tags: microsoft skype windows live messenger camera high-definition video windows live call lifecam universal serial bus