You can also upload clips directly to YouTube and swank up your mugshot with a bevy of video effects. Surely that's false advertising? In any event, once the Quickcam program is up and running, you can quickly adjust video/audio effects, preferences and settings via an unobtrusive, column-sized window. While the focus ring is a nice touch, it seems to be somewhat superfluous: the lens auto-adjusts itself without any intervention from the user.ĭespite touting its plug-and-play abilities on the back of the box ("communicate instantly!", "just connect the webcam to get started!"), the E 3500 actually requires a lengthy software installation before you can access any features.
Other inbuilt features include a manual focus ring and a top-mounted snapshot button. Thankfully, the clip also doubles as a desktop stand, although the ultra-low vantage point won't suit every user (particularly those with double-chins or nostril hair). A light tug on the USB cable was all it took to send the webcam toppling earthward. However, the 'universal' clip was incompatible with our LCD monitor and failed to hold the device firmly in place. With its prominent spherical head and inbuilt monitor clip, it looks like every other webcam on the market - dull yet functional. In terms of design, the E 3500 is a bit of a mixed bag. If we were forced to sum up the E 3500 in one word, we'd have to go with "meh", accompanied by an ambivalent shrug of the shoulders.
While by no means a bad product, it's completely devoid of anything special. It performs its primary function fairly well, and offers a decent assortment of effects and features for the asking price. The Quickcam E 3500 is a midrange webcam that would be most charitably described as a jack-of-all-trades.