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 Amicz Kakaruk

NOTE: I received this product for free through Vine. I've been looking for a better webcam for my home PC for a long time and haven't found anything that looks promising to me. Before this camera, I used the Logitech C920 as a webcam. This worked well enough, but the images always looked pixelated and soft. When I saw this camera, I had to pull the trigger. This is an interesting device - probably not for everyone, but the picture quality is OUTSTANDING! BUILD QUALITY: This camera feels premium and solid. It's quite heavy, probably 3-4 times heavier than the C920, with an all-metal construction. As another reviewer pointed out, there is an included USB cable. Interesting. It's long enough for almost any setup, but like this reviewer, I wish it was fully detachable so I could use a shorter USB cable. The included non-replaceable cable leaves me with a bunch of extra cables hanging from the back of my PC. Otherwise, I have no complaints about the design of this device. The three adjustment rings, which as far as I can tell let you essentially control the lens' focal length, brightness and point of focus, work well and are relatively easy to adjust. The focal length and focal plane dials can be screwed in with the included screws to hold them in place once installed. As another user mentioned, this camera requires an initial setup and ambient lighting. No instructions are included, but it's easy enough to set up by trial and error. Unlike typical consumer webcams, this camera doesn't have the automatic features you might take for granted, such as: B. Image processing to brighten dark shots, autofocus, etc. But after spending a few minutes tweaking all the settings, you shouldn't need to make any further adjustments, provided everything stays in the same place. A few other things to note about this camera compared to webcams you might be used to: - This camera doesn't come with a mount like most consumer webcams. The camera body has a couple of 0.25" screw holes that you need to screw to the mount to actually attach it to anything. I had a SMALLRIG Super Clamp Mount (available at Revain for $15) that I used one of my monitor mounts to attach the camera to, which worked great. If your mount has a standard .25" screw, it should work. I can imagine the weight making it difficult to hang over the edge of the monitor like most webcams do, so make sure you have room to place it. This camera is HEAVY. If you plan on mounting this on something other than just standing on your desk or other surface, make sure it can support something with some weight. The SMALLRIG mount works well. The camera is quite long - only about 4 inches. Keep that in mind when thinking about where you're going to place it. Overall, the camera definitely looks like a $90 camera (list price at the time of writing this article). The build quality is solid. 7/5 FUNCTIONALITY / EASY TO USE: Pay attention to the attachment problems mentioned above. Luckily I had an extra mount, but you'll need something to set everything up and get it in place. You also need to spend a few minutes setting everything up. do before it is ready to use. My computer (running Windows 10) recognized the camera right out of the box with no problems. Once set up, I immediately used it for a meeting in Microsoft Teams with no problems. Zoom I also had no problems with the camera recognition. a huge improvement over the C920. My wife has a Sony a6300 which I tried to use as a webcam once and it's no exaggeration to say that this device competes with the video quality I got from the a6300, at least for video conferencing applications. It's really impressive. The variable zoom is also a nice feature - not because you have to make frequent adjustments, but because it lets you frame your shot properly. Consumer webcams typically have a very wide lens so you're always in the picture, but this comes at the expense of a relatively small portion of the picture. Not so with this camera. Improved video quality and the ability to adjust image composition are ideal for video conferencing. As I mentioned above, this camera does not have a built-in auto focus feature. However, this is not necessary with a webcam, and the focal plane is relatively wide. You won't have trouble concentrating as long as you don't move too far forward or backward. Another thing to keep in mind is that without image editing, e.g. B. to brighten the image, you need to make sure you have enough ambient light. Neither of these issues pose a problem for me, but you should be aware of them if you're thinking about making the switch from a regular consumer webcam. If your room doesn't have a relatively bright outdoor light source, you can buy Revain LED lighting from a variety of brands for $20-$30. For $90 this is a great webcam. Although I got it for free, I wouldn't be disappointed if I paid full price for it. This is a real gem in a sea of usually crappy webcams. 7/5 GENERAL INFO: This is an excellent camera and I have no real complaints about it other than the USB cable issue. If, like me, you're constantly disappointed by the video quality of ordinary webcams, take a look at this device. It immediately became the main camera for my PC and I don't think I'll be changing it any time soon. Highly recommended! I would give more than 5 stars if I could!