I have another model of the Amcrest Webcam from a few years ago at the start of the pandemic. That model was very low profile, however I found myself using third party applications to get color balance right and boosting low-light to even be usable without sitting in a room that was over lit. This model handles colors and low light significantly better than its predecessor and I am moving the older model to a better lit office and letting this one be my main driver in the lower lit location and FINALLY getting rid of the 3rd party applications for color corrections.
The packaging is very straight forward and I found myself basically skipping most of the directions and included materials because it is so easy to use its more or less just plug and play in terms of use.
That said, I did note the larger profile, which for a desktop setup is not the end of the world, but it is considerably larger than the old model for what your get out of it – and might be challenging in more mobile setups.
I also miss the manual camera cover, which nice – is not the end of the world, but feels like a feature lost. Easy enough to replace, but for it’s size it seems like an oversight that one was not included since it is bigger.
I will be moving to this model as my main daily driver, however my only gripe is that I wish it had maintained the smaller more compact form factor of the older model (without losing the features). While we move towards technology getting better, faster and smaller, this seems like a step backwards in terms of evolution while not offering much for the added space (and in some cases losing features for taking up more space).
Tony F.
★★★★★
Value for the money webcam
The webcam boasts 1080p resolution and comes equipped with built-in microphones, making it a fantastic tool for video conferencing all for a pretty inexpensive price. Video quality is excellent and not harsh but rather soft which makes it good for conferencing. Setup was a breeze; easily plugged the webcam into a USB port, and it was ready to go. The webcam's adjustable clip makes it easy to attach to my laptop, allowing for flexible positioning; it can go pretty much all directions. It also comes with a removable privacy cover. The only nitpick would be that the base of the camera is a little larger and may block a small portion of your screen if your laptop bezels are thin. Nonetheless, it offers a significant upgrade over the integrated laptop webcam and is great value for the money.
Ramya & Dom
★★★★★
Great picture quality webcam
This webcam has a very clear 1080p video. I attend a lot of meetings online and I can straightaway say this was different to other cams. the video was very clear and there are two microphones that give clear crisp audio to your audience. It has a base that fits any laptop or screen out there and can turn to any side with the swirl base. you can also stick it to the screen with an adhesive sticker to the screen to have more stable video. It also has a camera stand screw at the bottom that can be screwed into any selfie stick or camera stand. the small privacy lid is very handy if you are not using your cam. It is very easy to set up with plug and play feature, so all you have to do is connect the USB and pick Amcrest cam in the video settings in the app. It also has a fairly long cable so we can use it to move around when connected. I think the size is a bit too big compared to other cams. but all in all, I can give a solid 4 stars out of 5.
Christy
★★★★★
Fantastic camera that won't break your bank!
I have been looking for a budget webcam for zoom call at home for a while. I've tried a few other cheap webcams and none of them meet my expectations. Even for basic zoom calls, the quality of the image and microphone are just not acceptable. I saw this cam from Amcrest for a great price and knowing the brand, I gave it a shot. I can say I've finally found a quality camera that fits my need without breaking the bank. Let's be real, this is not the Logitech or Microsoft webcams quality and that reflects in the price. But for the amount of money, this blows away my expectations. The picturesl quality is clear and bright. Focus is quick but only works well on the face and that's what I needed it for. Microphone quality is defenr. The sound is a bit muffled but the other parry can hear and understand every words I said so I can't complain. Overall, this is possibly the best budget camera you can get for the basic zoom, team call.
ANDREY MENSHIKOV
★★★★★
For enthusiasts, not for general use
My camera had infinity focus and fairly low friction between the clamping parts. It did not stay on top of the display and showed my blurry face 2 feet from the camera but a beautifully clear picture of the wall 6 feet behind me. This is not a problem if you have a screwdriver and skilled hands. The rubber pad is removed, 4 screws are unscrewed and the main screw is tightened. Then everything is going back, the rubber pad must be glued with suitable glue. Adjusting the sharpness of the lens is a little more difficult - need to remove the front cover by simply picking it up and the most difficult thing is to remove the drops of fixing glue from both sides of the lens. A good thick needle or thin knife and after 5-10 minutes the lens thread is released and you can adjust the sharpness to whatever distance you want.
Design problems - non-spring-loaded clamp, opaque diffuser material for the blue indicator, darkening the light instead of distributing it, inability to adjust focus without tools.
I cannot recommend this camera for its direct use as a webcam and to those who are not ready for such mods, despite the excellent picture, the presence of the x264 protocol, and the low price. A camera for advanced enthusiasts or as a workpiece for DIY projects as in my case for my children to create cartoons using the stand.
W
Whois1145
★★★★★
Amcrest does not disappoint!
I chose this camera because my iMac died and when I upgraded to a new Mac mini, it does not include a webcam. I've used Amcrest before and always have been impressed with the quality. When I got this cam, I was nothing short of impressed. The packaging was top notch just like the camera. I love how the camera is 100% plug and play for my Mac. The best part is it even has a physical privacy filter you can attach to the front of the camera. You know 100% without doubt there is no way anyone can turn your camera on and actually get a picture. It has two mics on each side of the camera. Audio quality is actually pretty impressive. I ended up using the Amcrest USB microphone since I already had it. I did test the built in audio and it's pretty crisp. The install was super easy since its plug and play. If you're on the fence, I would 100% recommend getting this camera. The value is totally worth it. Picture quality even in low light is amazing.
C
Chat
★★★★★
A Decent Webcam : My Comparisons with other webcams we have
I would rate this camera 7 out of 10.
I've been using Amcrest for a week and here what pros and con I found for this camera.
Pros:
Long cable length (6ft), but still not as long as Logitech C505e we have (7ft)
Dual Microphone reduce the echo noise since we have speakers next to the computer (A Plus)
1080P resolution makes the video looks shaper
Wide angle lens
Len cover is good to have nowadays
Con:
White balance controller is not the best. Most of the time when the room is bright with the sunlight from our windows, the picture is overexposure
Summary:
Overall for the price you pay is a decent camera.
Picture resolution is way better than our Logitech C505e, but the white balance is not as good as the unbranded name webcam we have. However, the dual microphone makes up for it.
So, I've been using Amcrest more often than other cameras now.
Denisse Carvalho
★★★★★
Affordable Webcam for Work and School
The Amcrest ProStream 1080P Dual Mic Webcam was a great purchase for the price and the quality.
After using the camera for over a week, I am really pleased with how easy it was to set up and get it going with Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
The webcam worked really great with both my work and personal laptop. No software to install, just simply plug it in and the both my workstations identified the device instantly. The cable has enough length to move between workstations. The mounting clip is nicely designed, I can mount it on a tripod or on the top of the monitor with no issues, its sturdy enough to keep it in place. The camera worked well with several of the meeting platforms that I use on a daily basis such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx. The dual microphones are fantastic, I really don't need to use a headset since the microphone picks up my voice easily. I really liked the wide angle view, I know some have commented on this aspect but I have no issues with it. The video quality is amazing with the H.254 video compression, my video comes out really crisp and clear.
Overall the camera has exceeded my expectations and I have replaced my Logitech C270 webcam and now I am using this webcam for both my personal and work laptops. A great product for the price. I highly recommend purchasing this webcam.
RevMendonca
★★★★★
Solid specs at a REALLY good price.
I've had this webcam for over a week now and have used it daily for multiple projects. It's a lot of bang for the buck!
Larger than expected but very solid looking. The adjustable clip wasn't loose and mounted well to the hardware. The added privacy cover was appreciated as well. Compared to the other webcam I own in the same price bracket this one has a better build. Clipped to my laptop screen easily and attached to a separate tripod snugly. Won't have to worry about securing it safely when using it.
First time using it I tested it with my native webcam application to take some stills. My PC immediately recognized it and was good to go. The picture quality was great and the auto white balance actually worked. I got out my ring light and tested the auto white balance with three different light modes (cool white, warm yellow, and warm white) with great results. Those pictures are attached to the review.
Over the following days I used the camera for video purposes with Zoom, Streamyard, Skype, OBS, and Snap Camera. Even attached it to my android tablet and it was recognized (using a third party app) right away. Picture quality and frame rate stayed consistent. 1080 at 30fps looked great and I have a suspicion that the camera softens your features (not complaining). The 90 degree viewing angle keeps you in frame without having to have the camera too close or too far. There is a little bit of a "fish eye" effect towards the edges of the frame but it's nothing major.
The audio quality is surprisingly good for a webcam. Definitely better than my comparable webcam and the built in microphone for my laptop. I use a stand alone USB microphone when I record but if for some reason I found myself without it the dual mics would be an acceptable alternative in a pinch.
Overall this is a great little piece of hardware and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for quality specs/performance without having to pay a lot for it.
F
Femto
★★★★★
Great webcam and audio at a good price.
I would like to start the review by saying that the Amcrest 1080p webcam is packaged well. The retail packaging has enough material to prevent damage while shipping.
The webcam comes with a movable base which can be adjusted based on the mounting preference of the user. I mainly used the webcam for conference type calls so I mounted it on top of my monitor. The movable arm can be adjusted based on the thickness of the monitor or laptop screen. The webcam can also be rotated. When the arm is folded there is a tripod mounting hole in case that is also needed. I have not provided a picture of it but other users have already posted that in their review.
The webcam also comes with an optional privacy cover that mounts to the webcam by using double-sided adhesive.
In terms of video, this webcam performs well for the price. The rated resolution at 1080p 30fps is adequate for regular video calls or conference calls. I have used it for interviews and it worked well for me. The only issue I have seen it that there is a fish-eye effect around the edges but its not that bad. This video quality is way better than any laptop camera I have ever used. I have also been able to use the webcam in both light and dark environments as long as the monitor provided some lighting.
The mic on this webcam has worked on every application I have used it on. I have used it on Facebook messenger, Skype, and Discord. I have tested it with friends, family, and co-workers and none of them had a problem hearing me. The only issue I encountered was that the microphone was muted when I plugged in the webcam. I found that this was an issue with Windows 10 and not the webcam as it has happened to me with a different product in the past.
I recommend running the Windows troubleshooter for the microphone if any issues are presented.
Overall the webcam was easy to install. It is plug and play as the description states and performs to my expectations for the price point. I would recommend this webcam for users needing a basic webcam for video calls.
J
JM.NYC
★★★★★
Amcrest good build quality, nice image quality, Recommended A+
I paid: Amcrest $30 vs Aukey $40
Price Amcrest wins.
Only drawback is the Form Factor = Aukey better smaller footprint.
Picture quality better on the Amcrest. (For example: purple colors come in better, see air ballon bottom photo of screenshot)
Refer to the picture attached/screenshot of Amcrest on Skype (Right side) and Aukey (PC-LM1E) on Microsoft Teams (Left side)
A Privacy cover comes w/ the Amcrest, none for the Aukey
Blue LED light to tell you camera is being used on Aukey, none on the Amcrest. (Ok 2nd drawback I suppose but not a big deal)
Microphones produce the same sound quality on both, couldn't tell the difference. Both are dual microphones.
They both are plug and play no drivers needed on a Windows 10 PC.
Wider angle on the Aukey, which I dislike for business meetings, showing more of my room. Unlike the Amcrest which is more compact view.
The final verdict is get the Amcrest, the video quality is higher quality.
The price is so much better, you get more for your money with Amcrest.
The privacy cover is a good addon to have.
The only reason I could see me buying the Aukey over the Amcrest is portablity since the Aukey is smaller it's better for travel in a suitcase or something
but most laptops have built in webcams so don't see that being a good reason to buy the Aukey. (That's the only advantage for the Aukey)
The Amcrest has a swivel mount so it can be moved left to right which is great, both cameras allow up/down adjustment of picture with the mount, both appear to
allow a tripod mount w/ a threaded hole in the bottom.
My husband owns a lot of security cameras, one being the Amcrest, which he recommends over others and put me on to the brand, so glad I listened to him.
L
Lizzard
★★★★★
This is a solid 1080p webcam at a great price
If you look at the pictures, the first one is from my old device. This was a $60 webcam from Costco bought around the 2020 holidays. It's a bit more grainy and more yellow, less colorful. I had thought it was a bargain at the time, until I ran across the Amcrest. The second shot is of course the Amcrest, make your judgement. I do enjoy the wide angle lens, as it fits a bit more in the picture with minimal distortion. It came with a privacy cover you attach with adhesive, and I instinctually stuck it on before I used it. When I tested the camera, I could faintly see blue lights on the bottom rim to indicate that it's on. I'm not sure if the privacy cover is covering up something more noticeable, this is nothing game breaking though. Neither worked too well in low light, I'm spoiled with my phone camera. I'll just have to make sure I'm lit up whenever I stream or Zoom. The monitor clip works great and the swivel of the camera is nice and tight, allowing for precision adjustments. The mic works well to pick up the room clearly if I were to have multiple folks engaging on a video call.
A
Aaron Drake
★★★★★
Great webcam...depending on your situation
This webcam has a lot of potential but falls flat in some areas. The basics of it being a 1080p, 30 fps, wide angle webcam for as cheap as it is, provides hesitancy. Depending on your intended use, you'll be very pleased with this. I did testing under a few circumstances.
1. Work office - day time - plugged directly into my laptop
2. Work office - night time - plugged directly into my laptop
3. Home office - production lighting - auto settings
4. Home office - production lighting - manual settings
Scenarios 1 and 2 were flawless. The wide angle and great refresh rate make for a really smooth camera experience. My office is lit by your typical fluorescent tube bulbs. The contrast out of the box is a bit high, but I prefer that look for myself. I got a lot of compliments from coworkers who are using 720p integrated webcams. If you need a great work camera, look no further.
Now from a production perspective, there is a lot to be desired. As a streamer, I try to have a fun background with different colors and actions that my viewers can interact with my lighting. With no background colors, everything looked alright. There was some discoloration on the wall, but I looked natural still. As soon as I turn on my background RGB lights, chaos. The camera was constantly trying to auto adjust but it would just make everything green or bright white. There was really no in between. if I got really close to the camera, everything looked fine. But as soon as the camera got a glimpse of my back lighting, it went back to constantly adjusting. I thought I could get around this with manually adjusting the settings. Unfortunately there is very limited control available. The best I could get was a harsh blue tint on everything. You actually cannot achieve the same color that the auto white balance can. For this reason, I cannot use it for my streaming setup.
Overall, I like this camera, but as someone aiming for more manual control, I need to look for a different camera.
Aaron the AV Guy
★★★★★
Great camera for the price. Gets the job done.
I have the Logitech C922 which is a $125 Web Cam as my only comparison. I got the Amcrest AWC2198 for only $30. I was surprised how close the image quality was between the two (Photo #2). This Webcam would be great for work, school or casual family webchats. Resolution was good and the color not bad but a little on the warm side. The low light was a little rough but once again, for the price, not that bad. The camera is a bit on the bulky side and has a higher profile when compared to the C922. I like how you can change the left and right tilt, something that the C922 can't do. If the top of your monitor isn't level this allows you to compensate for it. I wouldn't go starting a twitch channel with this thing but I would consider it an upgrade to most built-in laptop Webcams.
I got this as an upgrade for my daughters free chrome book provided by the school that's built in webcam is quite bad. It does a much better job especially at recognizing QR codes that she has to scan all the time.
Hopefully this was just a random incident with me but the Webcam came clearly used. (Photo #3) The privacy cover was ripped off and the protective plastic film was already peeled off. The cord was unwound and shoved randomly down into the box. There were also several finger prints all over the front including right across the lens. I was able to clean up the camera and use a little glue to reattach the privacy cover. Normally I would return a product like this but it was easier to just fix and none of these issues seemed to effect the overall function of the Webcam.
B
bithead
★★★★★
Misleading Product Info
The product page clearly shows a flip down privacy cover on this camera. Or does it? There are actually 2 different cameras shown, one with a privacy cover and one without. And it's not just the top of the page material - scroll down to the Product Description, clearly provided by Amcrest, and it does the same. Well, buyer beware, the camera that I received is the one with no attached privacy cover. Perhaps thinking they'd satisfy the requirement, they included what's shown in the picture here, a cover that looks like it should clip to something, but nothing to clip it to. Perhaps the yellow strip uncovers double-sided tape so you can stick it to the camera? Even so, how many times can you do that before it stops sticking?
The top of the page material mentions a "2021 Updated" model - given the date on the sticker on my box showing 2020-06, it appears I got the older model. This might also be why they reduced the price and then added a 10% off coupon to that (today the coupon is 15% off!). Looks like another case of misleading info in an attempt to clear out old stock. I wonder what the price will be when they start shipping the newer model being advertised, which may or may not have the pictured privacy cover?
As for the camera itself, the only comment so far is that it isn't level with the stand. My monitor is level and the stand is level atop the monitor, but the camera is at a slight tilt, which make the level picture on the wall behind me look askew. I haven't had a chance to test it thoroughly enough to comment on anything else. If/when I do (I am considering returning this), I may update the rating, but I don't see anything higher than a 3 in its future, based soley on the clear and successful attempts to mislead the buyer (yep, that would be me). May your mileage be better...
S
smithereens
★★★★★
Significant upgrade from my laptop's stock webcam
If you look at the photos I've attached to this review, you'll see the stark difference between Amcrest's webcam picture quality and my 2012 Macbook's "FaceTime HD" webcam. Whereas Apple's webcam is grainy and the white balance is off, Amcrest's webcam is significantly closer to the true color tone of the room, and the resolution is significantly better. The only thing to note about the picture quality of Amcrest's webcam, besides it actually being HD and having great color, is the fish-eye effect it produces at the edge of the screen. You can see significantly more of the room at the edges of the frame, but do notice how the blinds and the window curve on the right side of the frame.
The other picture shows the webcam on my 34" monitor. It looks teeny up there, but on my laptop it looks a bit bulkier. I don't mind the size, and found the mounting and adjustment of the camera angle to be really easy. The camera mount can be adjusted by changing the angle of the back "panel" against the back of your monitor, and the camera itself is on a little swivel that adds more adjustability.
Audio and sound have been crisp across Facetime, Discord, and Google Meet, on Mac and Windows. I've used just the microphone for voice calls, and have had no issues with sound quality or volume.
There are a couple features of this webcam that I really appreciate: the wide angle of the lens is nice for video calls with other people, as it's easy to fit everyone in the frame. When not in use, the camera folds up into a compact rectangle, making it convenient to bring wherever I'm going. The security cover is also especially nice, for when I'm not using the camera.
I would highly recommend this camera!
Emaretta
★★★★★
Affordable Clear image for the price - useful for OBS and Live Streaming
Attached is a clip of video with the camera in use during one of my recent Twitch Livestreams.
Here's what I can tell you all about the cam based on my use:
---
01) My studio space is quite low light and the camera did a darn fine job of capturing me for the Live Streams which I have to say is great! Note that I 'improved' the video quality for stream by adding a LUT and adjusting the sharpening / focus manually.
02) The Audio on the camera for my uses was fine. It's not full frequency and there is a bit of an EQ curve to it (the captured audio is not flat and rather middy) but it was perfectly acceptable once I applied an EQ to balance it out and a limiter to increase the volume (both of these audio processing effects are built into OBS and extremely useful for audio captured from 'Webcams')
03) I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that the camera head has complete articulation. Being able to move it in pitch and yaw is a big deal for getting just the right angle. This is an excellent feature.
04) This is a small note on the negative; but it would have been if the usb cable wire extended from the camera body at the center rear instead of one side.. but this is such a small gripe it's almost not worth mentioning.
Would I recommend this camera to others? Yeah for sure, particularly at the price currently sold vs the Logitech offering(s) for 1080p cams. The price advantage puts this particular camera in a good place :)
The caveat I will add to this recommendation however is, use an external MIC unless you have the ability to post process the recorded audio from the camera it's self.
TLC
★★★★★
A good deal for your money if you need a cheap webcam to get the job done.
It's been pretty hard to find a decent webcam since demand has been so high, so I was delighted to try out this camera for full refund (free) in exchange for my review. Here it is. It's exactly what I paid for, a cheap web cam.
Pros:
1. It is a substantial camera so I have no fear of it breaking.
2. Lens is set back so there is less chance of it getting scratches or smudges when handled.
3. Preforms decently in low light conditions.
4. Has an extremely wide angle of vision. (pro or con...take your pic)
5. It does it's job, as both a camera and a video camera. If you don't have high expectations or need something top of the line this camera will do you just fine.
6. Mic works as advertised. I didn't notice any muffling or blurring of my voice when I played back a recording.
Cons:
1. It's way too heavy. Most monitors these days are thin, so it's weight makes it rather hard to balance and place securely.
2. It has a hook like design that is supposed to hold it onto the screen. This made it very unstable and I could not get it to stay on. Again, not well suited to a thin monitor. In the end I had to sit it on top of a box to use it.
3. The colors are all wrong. Blues and greens are way too strong. Compare the low light and normal light pictures included to see the difference. Low light appears to lessen the effect, but I can hardly sit in the dark every time I need to use the webcam.
4. For some reason it produces a fish lens appearance. I have a feeling this is due to the attempt to get a wide angle shot. Personally I would rather have a smaller filed of vision but have it be undistorted. I don't care for the wide angle of vision as it makes it almost impossible to take center stage. It captures too much of the background.
5. This model does not come with any kind of privacy flap. To get that you have to fork out another $10 or more. Seems awfully steep for something that comes standard with most webcams.
6. It is very hard to see the blue light that indicates that it is on, and when combined with the lack of a privacy flap, makes me nervous.
7. Minor but irritating....for some reason the camera seems to lean to the right a bit. Not sure why. It doesn't appear damaged in any way and I can't say that this a design flaw, but were I to see it in person before buying, I wouldn't. For a certainty it does tilt the camera angle just slightly.
Overall I don't have any issues using this as a camera for my kids for school, but were I to use it in a professional setting, well, I wouldn't. It does it's jobs, seems hardy and has a decent picture definition. A good deal for your money if you need a cheap webcam to get the job done.
J
jeradpwilson
★★★★★
It works..but...
So i purchased the Amcrest AWC2198 to use daily for video calls and for a coupe weekly training sessions, across several video conferencing platforms and quick video chat applications. I personally used this on GoogleMeet, Citrix, Zoom, and MS Teams.
The picture looks great at first, the only drawback I have is that it also appear to be blury'ish on objects up close, like where you would be if you are a presenter. objects in the background on the other hand, look great, the attached picture shows a picture of the detail on my face blurred, even with HD turned on, but you can almost read the titles off of the books in the background. The camera does have a nice WIDE range on it as well, which is performed for a small meeting or conference room where there are multiple participants or if you are demoing a item in the background that takes up some space. At first, I thought I needed to clean the camera lines, so I used a Qtip and gently wiped it off, no help.
The 2nd drawback is the Microphone(s) on the camera... they pick up every sound in a room, even the low hum from the fans on a desktop that I have below my desk, that I have to listen for closely to notice. Their also does not appear to be a auto-balance option for the microphones as well, a possible firmware update/upgrade could help resolve this issue, or the ability to reduce background noise, I tested several windows10 settings and settings in the meeting clients as well, GoogleMeet has some of the best Audio enhances for this, and was unable to tweak this.
Overall, the camera Looks Good, runs well, EASY to install, Plug and Play. Since I am a detailed person, the slight blue on the presenter’s face drives me nuts. some people may like this, free "filter".
The microphone issues. that's where I was lost, I used separate mic for a few meetings and it went great, but then again the whole purpose is to have less on the desk, but I believe this would still be a issue fix with a appl or upgrade.
Amanda M.C
★★★★★
Good For Conferencing
This is a solid camera! The images are pretty clear in low lit and well lit areas. Plus it has a wide angle lens that works really well when I'm showcasing products during conference calls or when my husband and I join for family chats. The dual mics are pretty good too! No one complained about not being able to hear me and most said that I sounded pretty clear on their end.
There's a couple reasons why I deducted one star:
The light that indicates that it is powered on is really low, so it's hard to determine when the camera is on. It's a very thin blue light tucked to the inner back of the camera, so you can't really tell if it's on or not at first glance on this model.
The privacy cover is not a part of the camera, it's a stick on. At first, I thought I was sent the wrong model (the one without the camera cover) but it was in the bottom of the box. It definitely can be missed and I'm pretty sure it will lose its stickiness over time. I'd prefer for it to be a part of the casing of the camera, especially if you are paying the extra $10 for the privacy model.
Other than that, it's a solid model with clear picture and great for conferencing. I need two cameras, so I may give the 4k camera a try as well.
P.S double check the microphone settings when video conferencing. The software drivers automatically download to your computer but it doesn't always automatically default to the Amcrest camera mics when using video camera.
Sam Weir
★★★★★
Great camera!
I was replacing my Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 (maybe 12 years old) and didn't want to spend a bunch of money. This thing exceeded my expectations. It has a spot to mount this on a tripod as well as just on your monitor, which I'm using and it's very sturdy. You can see at the end of my video the quality, which going from a 12 year old camera, is really great. It focuses quickly and the colors look good, even in low light. If you're needing a webcam at a great price point, look no further.
H
Hingle
★★★★★
Excellent budget webcam
Overall, this a very good webcam for the price. It seems like all other webcams of this quality are double the price. I work remotely and used it primarily for video calls. I used to use my laptop camera and mic, so that’s what I was comparing it to. Here is my list of pros and cons.
Pros:
Sharp image quality. I thought it looked really nice and my coworkers noticed it immediately.
Looks great in low light environments. My home office is slightly dark, so I was happy that the camera brightened up my face a little.
The mic sounded great on the other end. I was really happy with this. I didn’t have to wear headphones like I usually do on calls. My laptop mic sounds hollow on the other end, but this mic made my voice sound more natural.
Super easy to set up and adjust the camera angle
Cons:
The webcam is pretty big and doesn’t look very attractive sitting on my monitor
It has a 90-degree wide-angle lens that produces a sort of fish-eye look that I don’t like. If you look at the attached image, you can see the curved edges on the side.
If you’re looking for a budget webcam, then I highly suggest it this one. It’s a great price, great video quality, and a great mic.
C
Customer
★★★★★
Decent picture quality, Ease of use, It works without any special software
The Amcrest ProStream 1080p Webcam (AWC2198) seems to be a pretty decent camera for the price and is about as easy to set up as you can get. It has pros and cons like anything else, but it gets the job done and isn't crazy expensive for the majority of people that need it for work, play, and general use.
Pros:
-It just works. There is no special software to use, it's as easy as plug and play.
-It's just as good or better than most laptop cameras.
-It encodes its own video/sound automatically so if it's used for streaming, it doesn't need to be processed by your CPU or GPU. Without this it might not be as big of a hit on mid tier or higher end PCs, but for older hardware or lower end PCs every little bit helps.
-A pro and con is the wide field of view. Great for someone that needs to view multiple people or has to have the cam pretty close to them and still wants a good wide viewing angle.
-Although not perfect, the clamp that holds it on also folds up and can sit/stand on any flat surface by itself instead of having to be mounted to a monitor. This might be preferred by some if the focus of the camera stream needs to be used to view things other than straight back from a laptop or monitor. It also tilts up, down, left, and right so it should be easy to get the right angle.
Cons:
-The image quality is decent for a PC webcam, but it suffers from noise even in a decently lit room. I realize that most webcams aren't great including the webcam on my XPS 7590. Most people are used to the great quality that selfie cameras on phones have developed into over recent years, but there's not enough processing power in the stand alone chip most webcams have to keep up with phones, so keep that in mind.
-The wide angle lens is great if there is a lot of area you need it to see, or have to have it close to you like on a laptop(if for some reason you used a laptop without one). However, mounted on a monitor at any normal distance, this camera has a pretty wide field of view which could be a drawback for some. It would be nice if there were a way to dewarp the image so things aren't rounded and maybe tighten the field of view through software. Minor complaint, but worth noting
-The clip that holds the camera on could really benefit from a spring loaded clamping mechanism so that it stays put a little better if its bumped. My use case doesn't really have a problem with this as it sits well enough on my top monitor that I don't see it being bumped or knocked off. However, if my table were to get a good bump or I turned my monitor it could potentially fall off pretty easily since it's really just sitting there.
Bottom Line:
-If you're looking for something that you can plug and play and do any conference call, web based video chat, etc. and not cost an excessive amount of money, then this webcam is a great choice. Even though it doesn't stand up next to a phone camera, it's still pretty decent picture quality. Honestly, if you're streaming with it, chances are the video will be choppy anyways and nobody will ever be the wiser. With everything going on and more people working from home, the people with desktops will need cameras and this one delivers fairly well and will be perfect for the person that wants to stream for work video calls or similarly related tasks. If you're looking for some high quality professional streaming setup, then you probably won't be reading this review anyways because that's not the target customer for this. That kind of setup for most wouldn't be a webcam anyways, but instead a high end camera or something much more pricey.
M
MD
★★★★★
Great product for its price point.
The Amcrest ProStream 1080P webcam with with dual microphone is a great product for its price point.
After two weeks, I am very pleased with the AWC2198 webcam.
The device performed flawless with Microsoft Windows 10. The system identified and installed the necessary drivers upon connecting it via USB.
The 6foot cable provided the length needed to connect and move the camera without moving my laptop.
The mounting clip is nicely designed with a universal tripod connection. After placing the camera on my laptop, the mounting clip proves to be sturdy and kept the device in place.
The camera performed great and was easily connected to WebEx, Microsoft teams and Zoom. All which performed great.
The microphones are phenomenal. Conference participants commented on how loud and clear my voice was during the first week of using the Amcrest AWC2198 webcam.
If wide angle video is not an issue, then this is not a concern. Much like the sound, participants noticed the wide angle coverage of the camera. Some software may allow you to adjust but I couldn’t find a way to narrow the view; this is not a negative aspect, just one to keep in mind. I was able to accommodate the wide, angle view with my office background as well as transposed backgrounds in Zoom and Teams.
Conference participants inquired if I had updated connection speeds as my video appeared faster. With the exception of using the Amcrest AWC2198, no changes had been made. The device supports H.254 compression which appears to help with clarity, crispness and reality like videos.
The camera shipped upon ordering and I was able to begin using it upon immediately after unboxing.
Overall, the Amcrest ProStream 1080P webcam is a great product for the price and I would purchase again and recommend to others.
S
Shawn
★★★★★
Great optical sensor with decent color spectrum and exposure.
So, the optical sensor in this webcam is what it does best. I found that it's sharp, crisp, and the colors were appropriately presented - though the contrast is a bit high. You'll notice in my picture that I took this picture in front of my window on a sunny day. Often times, cameras will lower the exposure because of all of the light, effectively darkening the entire image and making it hard to see - this camera did not do that. While not an apples-to-apples comparison, in my picture you're looking at a picture taking with this Amcrest webcam with another laid in from my previous daily driver - a Logitech C310 webcam. You can see how much the C310 softened the image and left much of the frame out of focus while the Amcrest retained focus and clarity.
The microphone on this webcam, however, is nothing special. There are two mics on the front of the camera aimed forward so I had higher hopes but I found that the audio sounded compressed and "tinny". It's not worse than any other webcam mic in this pricepoint but with so many options available with better mics, it's hard not to compare.
Lastly, I like the design of this camera. It has squared edges all around making it look more modern than other cameras and the base allows for you to mount on top of the monitor or collapse it to put it on a flat surface and even has a screwhole for a standard tripod mount. That is appreciated. My last criticism is the build quality. Now, this won't be a problem for most as you likely just set the webcam up where you need it and leave it there but if you're a "road warrior" with a need for a webcam to be moved around quite a bit, you may be more wary. The build is comprised of cheap, thin plastic that pops and shift with even a mild amount of pressure applied to it. This is due, in large part, to the fact that the webcam is snapped together instead of screwed or glued. Again, not an issue for most, but worth mentioning. Overall, I am a fan of this webcam.
