The Lifecam VX-5000, Microsoft's latest webcam promises good low-light performance – useful if you're video calling people from a dark room, we suppose.

The camera was easy enough to install, although the program refused to install without first updating itself over the internet. Since our internet connection happened to be unavailable when we first tried, we were left unable to use the webcam at all until the connection was restored.

That aside, it was a painless process that extends to explaining exactly when to plug the device into your computer's USB port. It uses a flexible stand that allows it to stand either on its own on a desk or to be clipped to the top of a monitor or a notebook computer. The main part of the webcam is small enough that it's not obtrusive and it doesn't take up much room at all.

There's a button on the top to make a video call, although this would have been more useful were it not tied into Windows Live Messenger. It's not customisable, so Skype users, while they can use the VX-5000 for video calls, can't use the button to make the process easier. The supplied Lifecam dashboard software allows users to add effects such as comedy haircuts and sunglasses to outgoing video, and to change other settings quite easily.

Quality, overall, was very impressive, with that improved low-light performance really making a difference. Its resolution is only 640x480 pixels but that's certainly enough for decent-quality video calling.

Vista compatible: Yes