Review on Ultra HD 2160P 4K USB Camera with Sony IMX415 Sensor, 2.8-12mm Wide Screen Varifocal Lens, USB2.0 Plug & Play for PC Cam, Live Streaming Webcam (5-50mm Varifocal Lens) by Joseph Flamm

I recently wanted to update the camera on my Octoprint server that controls my Ender 3 V2 3D printer. I used a generic Raspberry Pi camera, which worked fine, but dealing with that wide ribbon cable was a pain. I came across this 4K Ultra HD USB Camera and thought it might be worth a try. I connected the USB cable to the Raspberry Pi, set the resolution to 1920X1080 and the frame rate to 15fps in the config file and I was in business. (I would have used a higher resolution and frame rate, but the Raspberry Pi struggled to keep up with the camera when I zoomed in. It's not the camera's fault.) I then set up the time-lapse feature and let it try. The attached video is my first attempt. (I realize black PLA wasn't the best color choice and the camera angle could have been better, but hey, this is a first try!) It's actually a nice, well-made camera. The body is made of aluminum and looks very durable. The lens is a standard CS mount and can be removed should you wish to try a lens of a different focal length. The kit includes a 2.8-12mm zoom lens with manual zoom, focus and aperture and is perfect for my needs. In fact, a manual lens is much preferable for Octoprint. If you try a different lens, use a manual one as this camera doesn't have auto iris controls. There are standard 1/4" threaded tripod holes at the top and bottom for easy installation. to the printer. I first tried the camera using the Camera app on Windows 10. It worked fine, but I spent _MUCH_ time trying to figure out why the image was flipped horizontally - in other words, a mirror image. After an extensive Google search, it turned out that Microsoft designed the camera app that way! Every other app I tried worked great without mirroring. (Microsoft can get a little weird at times.) One thing I'd like to change: the USB cable is permanently attached to the camera and is at least 10 feet long. About 15 inches from the camera body, the cable has a very small integrated multi-pin connector so you can disconnect the camera from the cable to mount the camera. But after that you can only connect it with the same 10ft cable. I really wish the camera had a standard micro USB connector on the camera body so I could use whatever length of cable I wanted. That being said, the camera works great for what I bought it for - Octoprint - and I would definitely do it again. .