Dell’s latest webcam delivers 2K resolution and a built-in mic for a lower price

Dell’s latest webcam delivers 2K resolution and a built-in mic for a lower price

Dell is adding a new option to its selection of webcams and hybrid work peripherals. The new Dell Pro Webcam (model WB5023) follows a similar playbook to last year’s Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam, with a compact, barrel-shaped design and automatic cropping software to keep you centered in the frame. Though instead of 4K resolution, the Pro Webcam records and streams up to QHD 2560 x 1440 resolution. This more modest resolution helps it hit a lower price of $134.99, but thankfully Dell squeezed in a noise-reducing microphone at this price point — correcting the biggest omission from the 4K model. This new camera is available globally today.

At the center of the Pro Webcam is a Sony STARVIS sensor outputting QHD at 30 or 24 fps or 1080p at 60, 30, or 24 fps. There’s a 720p HD setting as well, though it doesn’t offer any frame rate benefits over 1080. The optic in front of that sensor is a multi-element autofocusing lens with an f/2.0 aperture and 4x digital zoom. It has 65- and 78-degree fields of view, which are not as wide as the pricier model’s 90-degree field of view. Though, like the 4K model, the Dell Pro Webcam uses image processing to reduce noise and enable HDR to keep faces brightly lit when backlit in poor lighting situations — with Dell Peripheral Manager software support so you can fine-tune some advanced settings.

While this new webcam shares some features with the premium version, like being certified for both Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it differs in good and bad ways. On the positive side, it’s got that built-in mic for a much better value than the 4K model plus an add-on mic. On the negative side, it uses an integrated USB-A cable instead of going the detachable route — though the cable is fairly lengthy at 4.9 feet / 1.5 meters.

Being limited to USB-A and having to go the route of adapters or dongles for USB-C compatibility is a bit of a sour point, but the Pro Webcam seems to make fair compromises for that lower price. Ultimately, the picture and sound quality will most likely determine if this is the better buy over the 4K version or competing options from the likes of Logitech, Microsoft, Razer, and others.

Source Link