Due to the increasing number of computers and laptops with built-in webcams, selling a separate web cam just became even harder and prices have reached rock bottom. If ever you find yourself looking for a web cam, you might want to check out the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000. The casing of the VX-5000 comes with a subtle color ring. It also has a bendable hinge as well as a clip for your laptop screen or desktop monitor. Setup is as simple as plugging the unit into a USB port. The VX-5000 has a 1.3-megapixel, 640-by-480 sensor which offers average performance. However, it offers a few tricks to improve the feeds. The reviewer stated that calls using Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger were consistently crisp and bright no matter what the lighting conditions. The camera offers digital pan, 3x zooms and up-and-down tilts. As long as you are sitting not too far from the unit, audio quality is passable. The web cam comes bundled with a little program called LifeCam 2.0 that lets you take a digital photo, record audio, and record a video snippet. If your video chat needs are basic, the $50 Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 will serve you well.

Selling stand-alone web cameras might be tough, now that built-in cameras usually come with new notebooks. You would need to deliver excellent video as well as an attractive design - qualities that the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 has to offer. Considered by the reviewer as the cutest webcam ever, the VX-5000 has a small, square face with rounded edges. It has a wide, flat rubber surface that is malleable, allowing you to attach it to any surface. It comes bundled with Microsoft’s LifeCam software that lets you record video and take pictures, as well as edit your footages. Performance-wise, the reviewer noted that the VX-5000’s 640 x 480 video was fluid with no latency. The built-in mic produced sound quality which was accurate. The 1.3-MP pictures showed accurate and sufficient brightness. Skin tones looked flush but the rest looked quite dull. It comes with different, albeit primitive, special effects. While other software suites offer filters, avatars and backgrounds, the LifeCam is stuck with two-dimensional screen decorations with juvenile objects. If looks are more important for you than the special effects, the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 is a solid choice.