[ad_1]
Monoprice is a well-known American retailer of low-cost equipment, and now its Workstream brand is accepting Best webcamAlthough the company has been manufacturing PTZ cameras focused on meeting rooms and security for some time, consumer network cameras are a new step for it. We have reviewed the Workstream 1080p webcam and we think it has potential, but due to its manual focus it requires a lot of work to achieve. If you want an autofocus alternative with a ring light and higher maximum resolution, then the Workstream 2K webcam can help.
It is only 15 dollars higher than its 1080p version, and its price of 35 dollars is still far lower than standard FHD mainstream products such as Logitech C920. Unfortunately, its quality and color accuracy do not always reflect its high-resolution specifications, and its ring lights do not add much value compared to competitors without ring lights.
Well-lit room
Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam
Logitech C920
Ausdom AW651 webcam
Due to the low price and the ability to capture at 1440p, I combined the Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam with the Logitech C920, 1080p webcam and Australia AW651 Webcam, another low-cost 1440p solution.
Unfortunately, what I got was a blurry and too warm photo, which only made me look yellower when I turned on the ring light. The field of view is also turned because it is too close to comfort (the camera advertises a 70-degree viewing angle), although this is not a big problem for the webcam. The strange thing is that even though the camera was firmly connected to the monitor when I took the shot, the background in the photos I took with it also looked slanted.
In contrast, the photos I took on Logitech C920 and Ausdom AW651 have more natural colors. Ausdom AW651 also has enough fidelity to actually display the real picture at 1440p, while the Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam looks almost upgraded.
Low light room
Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam
Logitech C920
Ausdom AW651 webcam
Unfortunately, the Monoprice Workstream 2k webcam will only get worse in dark conditions, which is especially problematic for cameras with ring lights.
Monoprice’s camera is still blurry and still produces unnatural colors, and turning on the ring light does not alleviate these problems. On the contrary, it mainly just brought an unpleasant spotlight effect to my face, leaving only general visibility.
At the same time, competing webcams maintain competitive visibility without ring lights, while having stronger fidelity and color.
Overexposed room
Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam
Logitech C920
Ausdom AW651 webcam
Oversaturated light is where the ring lights of Monoprice webcams have proven more useful, but it still hasn’t surpassed the competition without ring lights.
Nevertheless, with the medium-bright Monoprice Workstream 2K ring light, you can see the rough shape of my head even when the camera is pointed directly at my window, which is impressive for a $35 device. However, the high ring light setting did not significantly improve visibility and still produced an unpleasant spotlight effect. At the same time, the camera’s unnatural colors and blurry pictures are still a problem.
To be fair, unnatural colors are also a problem with competitors of this camera, but visibility and fidelity are still higher.
Video on Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam
You might use this camera for video calls instead of taking selfies, so I took the liberty to include my example video using the camera below. Unfortunately, the video I recorded with this camera showed obvious delays and freezes, although I did not encounter this problem during the real-time call with my colleagues.
Otherwise, my experience with video is very similar to my experience with photos, at least visually. I did experience audio issues because when I turned the ring light to a low setting, the camera’s built-in microphone made a slight buzzing sound. This buzzing disappeared at higher settings. But even if there is no hum, the camera’s built-in microphone will produce a normal echo.
Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam build quality
The Monoprice Workstream 2K webcam does its best to look more beautiful than it actually is, with a silver drawstring bag and a patterned texture on the side of the ring light. Unfortunately, the camera itself is very hard, and the plastic shutter it contains is a separate part that is secured by cheap adhesive.
On the positive side, the monitor stand of this webcam has feet, which are stable on my curved and flat-back monitor, which is not guaranteed at this price. If you are willing to do this, there is also a tripod screw at the bottom of the monitor stand.
Most of the problems I have encountered are positioning the camera itself. Technically, you can rotate it 360 degrees and tilt it up and down 35 degrees, but it is too hard and I usually need two hands to actually adjust it. This makes it impractical to make adjustments without removing it from the display, which reduces the usability of this feature.
The power cord for this camera should just reach most ports in most settings. When I fully tightened it, its size was 56.25 inches. In contrast, when I fully tightened the Logitech C920, I measured its cable length to be 72 inches.
Bottom line
This webcam is priced at $35, which is very cheap and does have the advantage of providing autofocus, while its other Workstream cousins do not. Unfortunately, its 1440p images usually look worse than what you see on FHD alternatives (including Workstream cousins).
Although you will definitely get a better picture from a big brand like Logitech, even other small companies like Ausdom are better than it. 1440p of that company Australia AW651 It reflects 2K better than this webcam, although it may be much more expensive than this device, but the price of Ausdom is similar AW635 Despite being FHD, it still makes the Workstream 2K webcam worth the money.You can say the same Oki1080p webcam, and Anger tubeFHD competitors in this price range even have a ring light.
With such a blurry 1440p, there is not much reason for this camera to surpass other low-cost alternatives.
[ad_2]
