Price When Reviewed

49.99

Best Prices Today: Monoprice 2K USB Webcam

Monoprice has a well-deserved repute for no-nonsense finances {hardware} and parts, however the Monoprice 2K USB Webcam could also be an exception: a finances webcam that’s a little bit too cheaply made to be price your time. The worth, although, is hard to beat.

Full disclosure: While we examined this webcam totally, we are able to’t present you any consultant footage that it captured. Why not? After toting it round to check its efficiency in numerous lighting situations, and placing it again on high of an exterior show, it fell off, touchdown on the desk—and stopped working.

(Though Monoprice and Amazon use the “2K USB Webcam” as a product title, the system is formally named the Workstream by Monoprice 2K USB Webcam with LED Light Ring and Lens Cover.)

On paper, this Monoprice webcam appears fairly stable: The 2592×1944 decision gives extra element than now-standard 1080p webcams, albeit at 30Hz. Though neither Monoprice nor Amazon advertises it as such, this webcam autofocuses in your face, and is suitably responsive once you lean ahead or again. One extra function is that it has a hoop gentle, with three ranges of lighting that may be adjusted through a front-mounted button.

Further studying: See our roundup of the best webcams to study competing merchandise.

The Monoprice 2K USB Webcam’s body has minimal quantities of padding to cushion your monitor, with the usual overhanging “jaw” that enables it to clip excessive of a monitor or laptop computer show. That generally may give customers pause, although the webcam appears gentle sufficient that it gained’t push into your show. If that does fear you, nevertheless, the “jaws” fold flat, making a flat stand, and there’s a screw gap to connect a tripod (not included). There’s an especially stiff gimbal that enables the webcam to tilt ahead and rotate aspect to aspect, although it permits only a few levels of motion. A USB-A cable measuring about 52 inches connects all of it collectively.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Our exterior show has a thicker bezel than most, however was nonetheless accommodated by the 2K USB Webcam’s design. The lack of padding or grip made it simple to slip backwards and forwards, which is usually a optimistic. But because it turned out, the burden of the twine and a few potential user-carelessness induced it to plunge to its doom.

The actual, puzzling challenge with this webcam is that it’s designed with a hoop gentle to permit you to be properly lit in Zoom and Teams calls. However, the digicam, by obvious design, can overexpose your face below sure lighting eventualities. Monoprice’s 2K Webcam works greatest when clipped excessive of a laptop computer display screen, or as a standalone digicam. There, your face will look pure, with good lighting and shade steadiness. The extra decision will assist your face look nice, too. You’ll discover the identical ends in a dimly lit room—once more, with the webcam clipped over a laptop computer.

(Some customers complained that the digicam zooms in an excessive amount of. First, we’d disagree. But there aren’t any zoom controls, guide or in any other case, to regulate this. Most finances webcams don’t have this feature both.)

Mark Hachman / IDG

Clipping the webcam over an exterior show, although, introduces issues. For no matter cause, Monoprice’s webcam merely can’t account for the sunshine generated by the show, particularly in gentle mode. The result’s that the Monoprice webcam will in all probability overexpose your face, making you look pale and ghostly. Adding the ring gentle on high of it simply makes the issue worse.

There are two different quirks that this webcam gives, neither a optimistic. For one, Monoprice doesn’t provide a built-in privateness shutter. Instead, Monoprice features a little flipcover plastic shutter contained in the 2K USB Webcam’s field, that you have to stick on. Yes, you have to peel off a little bit of sticky backing and affix it your self—don’t mess it up! Secondly, the webcam’s mics are awful. They’re useful, however chances are you’ll wish to swap the audio inside Zoom or Teams to a laptop computer or exterior mic of some type.

Honestly, the value of the Monoprice 2K USB Webcam makes it laborious to not suggest: once more, on paper, there’s so much going for it. In follow, nevertheless, you may wish to contemplate certainly one of our recommended webcams as a substitute.