Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro Webcam and ClearChat Headset/Mic Problems

Mystery Solved!!!!

I finally got ahold of a very helpful and knowledgeable Tech Support person at Logitech who obviously was extremely well versed with their QuickCam VisionPro, and its use on the Mac. BTW, I am now on my third returned new QuickCam VisionPro camera, so I had already eliminated the aspect of a potentially defective VisionPro. As you can see below, the Tech Support fellow at Logitech gave me the sad reason why my (non-defective) QuickCam VsionPro is not up to my expectations.

He explained that the reason for the over exposure on Photo Booth (and various other problems with the VisionPro on a Mac) is that the Mac OS X does NOT have the necessary Logitech VisionPro specific drivers embedded into it to fully support VisionPro. The Mac OS only has the default Universal Video Drivers (UVD) for most any USB based video camera. This is why the System Preferences on the Mac do NOT show the VisionPro as even a Logitech device, let alone display its proper name (VisionPro). The Mac just says "Unknown USB Device."

The Tech Support guy at Logitech went on to explain that the basic/generic UVD USB drivers embedded in the Mac OS X allow the camera to perform its most basic functions, MINUS most of its custom/advanced features, such as "Right Light 2," and "Right Audio."

As a result, if you do things like wear a white T-shirt under at lest some lighting conditions when capturing a Photo Booth image, it may come out extremely over exposed, since "Right Light 2" is not supported in the Mac OS X. Although there is some degree of exposure control available with a VisionPro on a Mac, it is but a subset of what otherwise would be available if the custom Logitech drivers for VisionPro (beyond the default UVD for USB) were embedded into the Mac OS X.

For instance, I opened Photo Booth on my wife's iMac, which sits right next to my 30 inch Cinema screen on our shared Den desk, and I took my picture in Photo Booth with her iMac, using the built in iSight camera on her iMac's 24 inch screen. The image now came out perfectly exposed, whilst I wore the exact same clothing (T-shirt), and under the exact same lighting conditions.

BTW, I will say that the VisionPro speaker/mic are excellent for Skype. You can really crank up the audio, and yet there is no feedback, thus eliminating the need for the ClearChat headphone/mic. Of course, the Logitech Tech Support fellow confirmed that the same problems exist with the ClearChat headphone/mic set-up: The drivers in the Mac OS-X are universal, and accordingly the necessary custom drivers for the ClearChat to support all of its feature rich functionality do not work, not unlike the situation with the VisionPro.

So, for use with Skype, I'd say that VisionPro is great. But, IMHO, VisionPro is not very good for use with Photo Booth (at least under some lighting conditions), and of course, since it is not firewire based, it will not work with iMovie.

I would hang on to that iSight. Sure wish I had one. Better yet, I wish my 30 inch Cinema Pro had a built in iSight camera, like the iSight in my wife's iMac. Anyways, keep in mind that the VisionPro is $100 at Fry's ($99.99, plus tax), the ClearChat is $129.99 (wireless version) and although they "work" on a Mac, you will NOT get the support of their best advanced features, since there are no custom Logitech drivers for either product embedded in the Mac OS X, at least according to what I was told by Logitech.

Hope this helps! Keep in mind that this is IMHO, and as always, YMMV.

Yeah, the guy from Logitech was parcing his words VERY carefully:

"Since the QuickCam® Pro 9000 and the QuickCam® Vision Pro are both UVC compliant devices, manufacturers drivers are NOT required to operate either camera...no matter what (UVC compliant) OS they are being used on.

Installing manufacturers drivers may add or enhance certain features...but that's a different story altogether."

If you translate what he said, it is in complete agreement with what I found out and reported on in my last post, right after I spoke with the Logitech Tech Support person.

Yes, the camera will "OPERATE," just like I said, and just like the Logitech guy said. It will take pictures, etc. HOWEVER, notice his disclaimer in the next paragraph where he says: "Installing manufacturers drivers may add or enhance certain features...but that's a different story altogether."


Well, that was my entire point in my last post!! All of the cool (read that "expensive") features like "Right Light 2" and "Right Audio" do NOT WORK. These "features" and "enhancements" need to have specific drivers that are NOT INCLUDED in the basic UVD drivers found in OS-X.

The result is not insiginificant. Whilst the Logitech VisionPro camera will take pictures (e.g., in his words "operate") on a Mac in Photo Booth, they may be horribly over exposed (depending on if the subject is wearing a white T-shirt, lighting conditions, etc.) since "Right Light 2" is a specific Logitech exposure compensation feature that is NOT SUPPORTED with simple UVC drivers in OS-X. This feature, and other advanced Logitech features in this premium priced camera, require specific drivers that simply are not in the OS-X.

The rubb here is that you spend a lot of money on a high end camera like the QuickCam VisionPro, only to find that the expensive, cool advanced feaurtres don't work on a Mac! That's my point!