Webcams

If you teach an online class, you may want to include a welcome video for your students.  You may also decide that brief videos explaining assignments, telling students what to look for in readings, showing artifacts, explaining difficult concepts, or just being present to them are all things you would like to include in your Blackboard course shell.  If so, you need a webcam to make the videos.  We recommend the Logitech C310 HD webcam as a good, inexpensive camera that has all the features you would need.  As I say, they are inexpensive ($34 at Amazon), but if you would like to try one out before buying we have several to check out to faculty members.

The C310 takes 720P (1280 x 720 pixel) video, that is, wide-screen, “HD,” 16:9 aspect ratio video, the HD default at YouTube.  It is designed with YouTube and Facebook in mind, with one-button upload, but can as easily be used to capture video locally.  In fact, you may want to capture it directly into Windows Movie Maker for quick editing.  If not, editing software comes with the camera.  In addition you can use the camera to take 5 Megapixel snapshots.  Of course it will work with Skype too (a service NOT blocked on the wireless network at Palomar).  The microphone is built-in to the camera, eliminating the need for an additional mic.

The C310 is for PCs running Windows XP (SP2), Vista or 7 (32 or 64 bit versions).  It comes with a 5 foot cable, and a couple of software apps that you will probably find unhelpful (though fun to play with, like Logitech video effects and fun filters).  For a general purpose, PC webcam it gets the job done and the picture will look good, even in low light conditions.

Contact Terry Gray in Academic Technology for camera checkout.  The checkout period is 1-week with 1-week renewal.