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1335 Review
64 Karma

Review on πŸ“Έ Lenovo 500 Full HD USB Webcam: Superior Quality and Performance in Sleek Black Design by Wayne Drakh

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Windows Hello and normal webcam.

I think people should moderate their expectations of this pick. For me it's not as bad as some say. (1) This is a Windows Hello camera and will unlock your computer if your computer is Windows Hello enabled (Windows 10 or later and may require TPM). Works great, unlocks very quickly. ++(2) It's basically the inside of a laptop camera housed in a case. Not on par with the Logitech 920 or similar, but similar to many laptops I've used and better than most. Fixed focus, typical low-light graininess issues etc. But overall not bad and can certainly be used for zooming etc. Looks damn good in bright light. (3) No microphone so perfect for people who prefer a headset or USB speaker. Solve some other problems. It installed itself correctly, including Windows Hello (required a reboot to install Hello). My system is a desktop with win10 and Windows Hello including TPM, although I've seen in Microsoft's documentation that TPM may not be required. The windows camera app reports 1080p and when I manually switch to 720 I see a difference so it must be doing something. I think the reason is that you want Windows Hello on your desktop and you are happy with the OK webcam for video calls. (Know you'll need a headset or similar, since it doesn't have a microphone.) If you want a nicer webcam, you'll probably pay a little more for a Logitech 920 or similar and forget about Windows Hello or Step (way) all the way to Logitech Brio or Dell 4K, both of which are quite expensive. Other thoughts: It seems that Lenovo got one of its suppliers to package the laptop camera (ir+rgb) in an enclosure to sell it as a standalone webcam for desktops. Maybe that's why there is no microphone (from another manufacturer?). The user guide says you need to connect USB 3 or higher, but this contradicts other information that says USB 2. USB 3 may be required for 1080p. Overall for the price this is a winner, just understand what you are buying.

Pros
  • Certified
Cons
  • Line is shorter than other picks