4K USB Camera 2.8-12mm Varifocal Manual Lens Webcam, Ultra HD 4X Zoom with IMX317 Sensor for Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Mac OS

I bought the 2.8-12mm version hoping to use it as a webcam. For that purpose, it works well for the price. It compares favorably if I compare it to a high-end webcam ($200+) from one of the name brands.A potential secondary use for it might be to record interviews or other larger, more dynamic scenes. For that use, this camera is far from ideal.I'm giving it 5 stars because it can do what I need it to do well, and my specific use isn't compromised by its limitations. That doesn't mean it is a 5 star camera for every use case. (I think that's kinda true for every camera, though.)Pros:--Good sensor for the price, being limited to 30fps is fine for a webcam. For any other use, I'd want 60. I think the sensor could show a higher quality image with a better lens.--The optics are fine for the price. A good lens for this would likely cost over $200.--The controls on the lens are precise and do not drift. The lock screws work well.--This camera would excel at macro videography. It can focus down to a few centimeters.--Zoomed out it is almost a fisheye, with a very wide FoV.Cons:--If you're used to a traditional webcam, you may be surprised by how much more light this needs. A characteristic of both complex lenses and cheaper lenses is their need for more light. This is both. It just plain has much more glass between you and the sensor, and that glass absorbs some of the light.--The need for more light is compounded by the short DOF. Even using it as a webcam, you will likely need to stop the lens down to increase the depth of field. I use the term stop, but the exposure control is continuous.--Manual focus is touchy. Once you get it set correctly you won't want to change anything.--There is slight barrel distortion in the lens.--There is some vignetting.--If your lighting or monitors use PWM LEDs, you will see flickering in the image. This is different from the 50/60 Hz flicker that you can correct in software. The solution is to use steady lighting or properly dimmable LEDs. I don't know enough about cameras to say if there is anything that could be changed in the design of camera to reduce or eliminate this effect.Measurements, if you're interested:I have it mounted on an adjustable clamp arm about 2 feet from my face. There is a 56" wide green screen less than five feet from the lens. I have it partially zoomed in and still have to crop the sides of the camera about 40% to fit within the green screen. Because I'm using this as a facecam, this isn't a problem. But depending on your intended use, you might want to consider the other lens or a different camera.I am currently using it at 1080p. I bought the 4k version mostly with other uses and future-proofing in mind. If you only plan to use it as a face cam, 4k is probably overkill. If you only plan to use it with video conf. software, it is definitely overkill. You'd have to use the screen-sharing trick to get FHD+ video.

The resolution is no where near 4K. My $20 1080p webcam produces a FAR better image. It also requires a LOT of light. It is not a zoom lens as the focal length and focus change together making set-up very fiddly.These problems may be entirely with the lens but for the price I shouldn't have to buy a replacement. This one gets returned.

Great camera but not settings are manual. This camera was easy to set up on my MacBook Pro (2019 15"). I tried it with Quicktime and with Zoom teleconferencing. It gave me a great picture, very clear, accurate, and rich color. The camera has manual adjustments for aperture, zoom, and focus. The only difficulty is adjusting the focus if the camera is set up beyond arm's length. This would not be an issue if you have a permanent studio setting where everything is the same each time you make a video. The picture quality is better than my MacBook camera, better than my iPhone X, and better than my Canon camcorder. I recorded with the camera 5 feet away.

Things I like:-Build quality-Cable length-Focal point sharpness-Manual zoom, aperture and focusDislikes--Connectivity issues with OBS and Windows 11..(Screen flickering, USB connection randomly drops)-Does not play well with USB docks, even powered ones.. (Connection randomly drops)-USB cable from the cam is hard wired so if the cable goes bad, it's done.-Not simply plug n play.. OBS is the only software that recognized the camera as a usable device. The other 4 I tried including what is recommended in the installation gave me constant crashes.When it works, it's not bad for a fixed point of focus webcam which is my indented purpose. I wanted 4K with the ability to go wide angle or tight and focused which this should excel at. And the few times I got it to play nice with windows 11 and OBS, I really liked it. Problem is, it's not constantly recognizing and drops out asA connected device in W11 device manager completely randomly. I've tried several different USB ports on my PC that I know work fine. Also tried my powered USB hub that also works as it should but this cam has a mind of its own. It's probably going to get at very least send back for an exchange. Seems like a possible defective unit. My other USB webcams work just fine on the same ports and software. You really so get what you pay for folks. This one is too good to be true at $60. I'm generously giving it 3 but more like 2.5. It's great only when it works.

I purchased 2 of these cameras to upgrade to 4K for my Facebook videos.I have the cameras mounted upside down on the bottom of the book shelf over my desk. With OBS software I am able to turn the images 180 degrees so the picture is right side up. These cameras are very well matched. In my setup software I can apply the same settings to both cameras and they match. My previous cheap webcams didn't even come close to matching.The only negative I have is the manual focus of a bit touchy. It is hard to get the correct focus at arms length. By closing down the aperture I am able to increase the depth of field to get an acceptable focus. Auto focus would be a nice upgrade.I totally recommend these cameras.