When choosing a digital camera we tend to look at the number of pixels it has, but this is not necessarily the most important thing for a web camera, although you still want the highest you can get for the best resolution. But if you have a dial-up connection, the high-resolution images take longer to send. With a fast connection you can easily support a high resolution
The number of frames per second is a really important consideration. While the cheapest web cams usually do 15 frames per second, 30 is much better, enhancing fluidity of movement. For those who must rely on hand signals, e.g. the hearing disabled, having only 15 will not be good enough. On the other hand, if you have a dial-up connection, you wont notice much difference in the two.
The connecting interface for your web camera is important too. The faster it is the better the image quality will be. USB, or Parallel or Serial ports are the choices you have. USB 2.0 Compatible is not what you want. Look for the word 'compliant' instead. Compatible means it will work, but may not work as 2.0; only as 1.1. Be sure to get good quality lens so you can adjust it for different lighting, and mounts that allow both vertical and horizontal positioning.
