Creative PC-CAM 550

A budget webcam that doubles as a digital camera.

Creative is no stranger to webcams. It's been churning them out since the mid-90s, offering users a relatively cheap way to get streaming video on their PCs.

The PC-CAM 550 is the newest Creative webcam. Like some of its previous models, it can be used as a digital camera when away from the PC.

It can take still pictures at a resolution of around 0.5 megapixels, which are then interpolated up to 1.3 megapixels.

As a result, image quality at this resolution isn't great but it is acceptable if you're only going to be emailing your shots to friends and family.

Its internal memory can store 88 high-resolution images and 195 low-resolution pictures. This cannot be expanded as there are no memory card slots.

As a webcam, the PC-CAM 550 fares better. Using the supplied software, you can capture video in a variety of quality settings depending on your needs.

Unlike most webcams though, it needs batteries even when the USB cable is connected.

At £70, the PC-CAM is reasonable, particularly when the bundled video and image editing software is taken into account.

It's no substitute for a still camera but it is an interesting compromise.

Contact: Creative 0800 376 7954
www.europe.creative.com