I was very impressed with the studio camera which has now replaced my Microsoft Lifecam cinema HD. Compared to the Cinema the lower resolution look clearer and brighter. At 720p the picture is much brighter than the Cinema and the fact that it does stream using Nefsis at 1080p is amazing.

The common-or-garden webcam has fallen into the same bracket as keyboards and mice for most PC users: as long as it works, the cheapest one will do. That makes Microsoft's ￡47 inc VAT LifeCam Studio quite the difficult sell.

The LifeCam Studio is Microsoft's top-of-the-range webcam and is a direct rival for the Logitech C910. It has the same cylindrical design as the LifeCam Cinema but with some fancy aluminium detail.

Design and finish; Excellent picture quality in good light; Automatic focusing and good audio quality; Software package supplied; Screw hole for tripod attachment (the same size as a camera

No 1080p video (only for photos; Bitrate isn't quite high enough for low-light conditions

Microsoft's latest webcam , the LifeCam Studio ($99.99 list), offers quality video recording and Internet video chats at a reasonable price. It's a Best Buy exclusive, available now at BestBuy.com and in Best Buy retail stores in October.

Sharp, crisp images and video recording; Most natural color balance we've seen from a webcam; Built-in TrueColor and automatic light correction works well in less-than-optimal environments; Warm vocal reproduction; Flexible 360-degree mount includes tripod thread

Mono mic lacks noise suppression; Video recording maxes out at 720p and 15 frames per second without extra software; Buggy live effects

So far, we are impressed with this cam. It works well in different lighting situations, and has fit our needs thus far. We have not tried the built in microphone as yet, but the camera works well.

Good Value

I've had this thing for about a year. It's served me well. The picture quality is pretty good. I don't have much experience with webcams so I don't have much to compare with. It's certainly miles beyond any built-in laptop webcams I've used before.

Picture; Adjustable Mount

Software

I purchased 4 or 5 of these for my users for Skype. After about 6 months 3 of them now render the video with a VERY annoying green hue. The sound quality is good but doesn't justify the price. If you want a GOOD quality HD webcam for about $20 cheaper, go with the Logitech C310.

Ships Fast; Good Adjustment Variance; Good Mic Quality

Bulky; Cord Could Be Longer; Expensive for the Quality

A 1080p webcam sounds a little ridiculous doesn't it. But of course, webcams aren't just for video calls, they're for recording your thoughts to YouTube, presenting a video podcast or lip-syncing to Carly Rae Jepsen.

Beautiful picture quality; stylish and compact; great sound

Somewhat expensive; autofocus is dreadful; plugging into USB hub caused us picture problems

Microsoft's LifeCam Studio looks like a CCTV camera from a dystopian nightmare – forget the eye of Sauron, this feels like the eye of Microsoft, and it's pretty terrifying. Perched on top of our monitor, we were frightened to use our iPads and iPhones while in its gaze, lest a warning light went off...

Great picture quality Easy to use - lens cap not so good, does not stay on