Which Webcam should I buy?

**Stochastic** · May 8th, 2008

Hi, I'm looking to get me a webcam to do some motion capture stuff for my sound synthesis (programs like PD-GEM, etc...) as well as the basic webcam skype stuff. I'm currently running UbuntuStudio Hardy with realtime kernel, and I'd just like a bit of advice on which models of webcam will work well in Ubuntu?

Preferably I'd like to get a better quality one (high capture rate and high megapixel). Oh, and it needs to be USB.

**Sin@Sin-Sacrifice** · May 8th, 2008

So far... with all hardware I've purchased and used easily on ubuntu I've found that if I've never heard of it... it works best on any linux distro. The downside is the quality of them no name contraptions isn't always best. Do some web searching and see what kind of drivers are out there for Hardy and what webcams they will support as oppose to what you want to do with them. I would assume that most webcams work on the same basic principles and you probably would be able to go out and get the most top of the line and it'll be plug and play.

**clueless** · May 8th, 2008

I just bought a logitech quickcam express. It's just a cheap webcam but it worked with skype just as soon as I plugged it in, with no need to install or do anything else. I am using kubuntu 8.04.

**little_penguin** · May 8th, 2008

The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 is a good quality webcam with a built-in microphone. It's linux-compatible, uses the uvc video driver and works with Skype, Kopete, Ekiga...

**Stochastic** · May 10th, 2008

Originally Posted by little_penguin

The Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 is a good quality webcam with a built-in microphone. It's linux-compatible, uses the uvc video driver and works with Skype, Kopete, Ekiga...

Perfect, the specs on that look quite good.

**seventyeights** · May 10th, 2008

I've recently used ubuntu's compatibility list and settled on the logitech communicator. I'm quite happy with it.

However, I've had several cameras, and I seem to have trouble finding one that I can point outside in bright sunlight.

**DkkD** · May 10th, 2008

I have just connected Philips SPC220NC webcam to my Xubuntu 8.04 pc and it worked right away.

I plugged it in, installed a few packages from Synaptic (don't know if that was necessary, I haven't even tried it before that). I searched Synaptic for "webcam" and from the list I installed: "cameramonitor", "camstream", "cheese", "gqcam", "luvcview". I think just the camera monitor would have been enough.
After that I started the Camera Monitor from the menu, opened skype options and the camera was there.

This webcam is about 15-20 euros.