TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Pretty good image quality
- +
Great recording quality via dual microphones
- +
Widescreen
- +
Good software
Cons
- -
Not amazing image quality
- -
Expensive
- -
Weak base
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If you have friends, family and loved ones spread across every corner of the world, then getting a decent webcam is pretty essential. While budget and built-in webcams do the trick, spending a little extra on a better webcam can make all the difference to those you're talking to.
At around £90 in the UK or $99 in the US, the HP Webcam HD 5210 is not a minor purchase, sitting firmly at the higher price end of the webcam market. It's also a rather altruistic expenditure - after all, those who will benefit the most out of your investment in a decent webcam are other people.
The HP Webcam HD 5210 is a very good webcam, although £90 is still a lot to ask for it.
Image quality is alright, bur don't let the declarations of 'Full HD 1080p' make you think that you'll be getting Blu-ray-quality footage from this camera. Details are OK, but not great, and the image is a little blocky.
Still, it's good for a webcam, and considering the strain that higher quality footage would put yours and your contact's broadband bandwidth under.
The dual-noise cancelling microphones are much better at convincing us that the HP Webcam HD 5210 is worth the money with effective elimination of ambient noises - even in busy environments.
Buttons on the top of the camera enable you to quickly load up instant messaging programs, or the video effects software that comes with the camera.
A nice touch, but the flimsy stand means that when you push the button, you end up moving the camera, which could be annoying if you've spent a while setting it to point just where you want it to.
