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Agent V5 HD WebCam

Every New Apple Laptop and iMac comes with inbuilt iSight. Now these are great and all, but they have their limitations. And they certainly are limitations. And what about if you own a Mac Pro or Mac Mini. What are your webcam options? A few years back you could opt for Apple’s own iSight, but now, it seems your choices a limited to some Logitech designed black plasticky sphere or a fully fledged camera, or, Agent’s V5 webcam. Specs wise it has up to 5MP video and picture resolution, with an inbuilt mic and is USB, but looks wise, it is stunning. For those of you who have used or even seen an Apple iSight before, this will certainly bring back memories. Its design is almost identical to the old Apple offering with it’s tube like shape and aluminium finish. Included when you purchase the V5 is three different stands; a desktop clear plastic stand, a white notebook clip and a similar monitor hook. All three serve their purpose well.

Packaging: The V5 comes in a nice, thick cardboard box, the front a large picture of the webcam and the other sides some relevant specs. The box opens and closes using an nice magnetic catch. The actual V5 comes wrapped in a nice microfiber pouch, giving it a good amount of protection for travelling. Included is the V5, a carry pouch, a small microfiber cover, the three stands, an instruction manual and a CD with extra software for the Mac and PC.

Design: The V5 itself is gorgeous. It really is the iSight remade, with totally Apple-like aesthetics. It comes in either a chrome or anodised finish, with the anodised finish directed to the mac crowd thanks to its finish matching the current range of laptops and desktops. The USB cable is a bit generic and it would have been a nice touch to have the cable of higher quality to match the camera itself.

Use: The three stands work fairly effectively, with the desktop and monitor stands doing a great job but the notebook clip feeling a bit dodgy; the spring is very strong and I felt very cautious putting it on my MacBook Pro.

Camera + Mic Quality: The still and video quality of the camera was great, and in an unscientific test, seemed to be much nicer and higher quality than the Apple inbuilt variety. It is capable of HD video capture which is a definite advantage over the inbuilt camera. The inbuilt mic however was not up to the quality of the webcam, and if you were using this for high quality videos you would need to invest in a standalone microphone to go along with the V5.

Final Thoughts: Overall, the design and video quality of the V5 are absolutely top notch, and while the audio quality doesn’t quite live up to the standard set by the video, it isn’t a deal breaker. The included stands are also good, though the notebook clip could be better, they all perform their respective jobs effectively. It is currently priced at $119 AU ($109 US) but Liquid Digital (the mothercompany of aGent) have informed me that the price will soon drop to just $99AU. For the money, this is definitely a great quality webcam and by far the most attractive one. For all aspiring YouTube stars and even just those looking for a higher quality camera for Video Conferencing this is without doubt a fantastic choice.

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Price: $119 AU (Soon to be $99AU)

Compatibility: Macs and PCs with recent software and a USB port

Available from: agent.liquiddigital.com.au

Final Score: 7 out of 10 – A great webcam, but a few slight flaws and higher price tag than others let it down slightly.