Review on Amcrest AWC2198 1080P Webcam: Business Grade, Dual-Mic, 2021 Updated, Wide Angle Lens, Superior Low Light by Jonathan Partridge

Pros: -Very easy setup. Just plug in and get started. No software installation required. - Privacy cover (if correct model is selected). - Image quality - Excellent quality in low light. Cons: - Fisheye lens - Background is slightly distorted (foreground is ok). Some may worry about it, others don't care. No problem if you use Zoom's virtual background feature. - No usage indicator (I've heard this camera *might* have one, but it's blocked by an extra privacy cover so I can't see it) - Sound quality is okay, but not great. I used to have a Logitech C270 webcam. However, this camera is hanging in my office, which is currently closed, so I needed a new webcam. Setup was very easy. Just plug in the USB. That's all. No software to install. It works with any application that uses a webcam (Zoom, Teams, etc.). The downside of not having to install any software is that advanced users cannot easily customize the default settings. However, the upside is that there are no viruses or a poorly written user interface. And for 98% of users, this is the best site. The Amcrest ProStream camera is slightly larger than my old C270 but fits my monitor well. The mount adjusts very easily and stays in place. A note: if you have very thin bezels, the mounting button may protrude beyond it. In my case, it just fitted perfectly. The mount can also be placed on a table or screwed onto a tripod. There are two options for purchasing this Amcrest ProStream camera. The only difference between them is that one of them includes an additional privacy cover. It is not attached to the webcam - you can attach it yourself. It's just a standard cover with a sticky backing that sticks directly to the front of the camera. Very easy. At the time of purchase there was no price difference between the two, however at the time of writing the privacy cover version was $5 more expensive as the other model was 10% cheaper. Apart from the additional protective cover, there is no difference between the models. In comparison, my C270 has no protective case. At first I was a bit disappointed with the image quality of this camera. However, after many tests, I have to blame Zoom. Most video conferences are usually broadcast at a lower resolution and compress the image, making it blurry. However, when testing the camera without this compression, everything was crystal clear. As with any camera, proper front lighting is important. If you appear dark, reduce the light source behind you and increase the light in front of you. I would like to add that this camera works very well even in low light conditions. In comparison, the Amcrest ProStream has slightly better image quality than the C270, with one exception. You can't talk about image quality without mentioning the biggest issue most people would have, the fisheye lens. Everything in the background has a slight curvature. I don't really care, but my C270 didn't have it, so it surprised me. The reason for the curves is that this camera has a 90 degree field of view. This means it can see more of the background than other cameras. Some people will like it, others won't. This is a personal preference. But it doesn't affect the foreground (like your face). It stays on par. The sound quality isn't great, but it's not bad either. People can hear and understand me just fine, but it's not as crystal clear as my colleagues who use their laptop's built-in microphone. Unfortunately I've never recorded audio from my C270 so I can't compare the quality. And finally - the price. After COVID broke out and everyone was now working from home and needed a webcam, inventories were low and prices skyrocketed. So it's all in the stars for now. At current prices, this webcam is competitive in the current market. All in all I think Amcrest ProStream is a good choice. It's not perfect, but it represents good value for money.