What good free web cam recording software is there?

Web cam for long recording.?

• I apologize in advance for the dumb questions but I'm not very current on technology. I'm looking to buy a web cam for my Win 7 laptop for the following application: 1. I want to record what is happening in my back yard through the house window, connected to my Win 7 laptop inside. 2. This is at night, using ambient lite. I could leave a porch lite on or experiment with the lighting. 3. I want to record whatever critter, gnome or alien is digging in my garden at night. 4. I need 4 to 6 hours of recording time, or, really, l only just need a still frame snapshot. 5. I'm looking to pay $50 to $100, thinking of maybe a Best Buy Logitech C310 web cam. Questions: 1. Do web cams come with software for this sort of timed application, or is software built into Win 7, or do I need to buy additional software? 2. Can my '10 laptop handle this, ie do I just record all night or take snap shots every 30--60 seconds. And will the software do this? I have Win 7, 500g hard drive, 4 g mem.. 3. I know infrared and motion detection is best but really all I need is just one pic to see what the darn critter is, 'cause I'm too cheap to buy anything good, so, can I just turn the thing on and record all nite or is there something special that would work?? thank you ahead for your patience with me

• Answer:

  If you are willing to spend that much money I would go ahead and buy a IP Camera. This camera has a motion detection so it would not be filling your laptop up with gig's of useless video. Here is the link, hope it works http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16881102016&cm_re=ip_camera-_-81-102-016-_-Product Also, very credible and cheap computer parts store Update: I couldn't say for sure if it would work through the window but I would imagine it would if you were using it at night with lights on outside.