AUSDOM AF640 1080P Webcam with Microphone, 90°FOV USB PC Camera Webcam with Privacy Cover, Plug and Play Computer Camera for Online Calling/Conferencing, Zoom/Skype/YouTube, Laptop/PC

After waiting six months for a different product, I decided to buy this Ausdom AF640 webcam. I plugged it into a USB port on my Windows 10 computer and it worked immediately, showing an excellent image in the Windows 'camera' app. As other reviewers have noted, its image is more of a wide-angle view than similar webcams, but not unacceptably so; I saw no noticeable optical distortion like the 'fisheye' effect seen on some webcams. Its color reproduction of my face was natural, which is why I gave five stars for "warmth". Next, I tried the Ausdom webcam live on Zoom. Surprise! Zoom automatically clipped a little of its wider view, so the online result showed more of my face and less of my surroundings. I got fewer HD pixels than I was sending to Zoom, but the result was visually what I wanted. And Ausdom's microphone got my voice just fine on Zoom's record-playback audio test. This webcam's mechanical mounting is nicer than many, with a ball joint that allows left-right adjustment as well as up and down. It even comes with an adhesive-mountable privacy shutter that was designed for it; I attached it in a moment and I'm going to keep it on. Nice job, Ausdom! I recommend this bird-in-the-hand product if you're still waiting for some other bird that's stuck in the bush. The only thing this webcam lacks is the extra software that comes with some other webcams, which you don't need for Zoom. I want to add that I have received nothing, nor will I receive anything, for this review.

The product arrived well ahead of the estimated delivery date. It comes well-packaged with instructions in eight languages. It was a snap to install on my Mac system: just plug in the USB cable and it works. The clip which holds it on the top of my monitor isn't real secure, but the weight of the camera keeps it balanced there just fine. The picture quality seems to be pretty darned good. My only beef with this device is the built-in microphone which leaves a lot to be desired. While it's passable for an informal video chat with friends or family, it sounds hollow, as if it were sitting at the bottom of a metal garbage can. For decent sound recording, you'll want to augment your system with something else. That annoys me because it means I have to use yet another USB port for a feature this product claimed made "the sound purer and clearer". I expected a little better from a product in the mid-price range of USB webcams.

This is a surprisingly good webcam for the price. It has a narrow field of view, which is good for a home office setting where the camera is a little farther away from your face. It has a fixed focus which is unusual but has the advantage of never going out of focus while the focus hunts around for the proper focal point. Once you have it set up for your desk it will always be focussed. Image quality is good and it handles variable lighting pretty well. I don't get blown out when there's sunlight coming through a nearby window and it produces an even image without a lot of noise even in lower light. Finally it has a mounting thread on the bottom which is again very useful for a home office situation and keeping it in a fixed location.