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Jun 17, 2024

Dell Pro Webcam Review

The Dell UltraSharp Webcam ($199.99) we reviewed back in 2021 is a sleek aluminum device that offers a crisp 4K picture, but it’s pricey and doesn’t have a microphone for audio. The somewhat

The Dell UltraSharp Webcam ($199.99) we reviewed back in 2021 is a sleek aluminum device that offers a crisp 4K picture, but it’s pricey and doesn’t have a microphone for audio. The somewhat confusingly named Dell Pro Webcam is like a less "pro" version of the UltraSharp model, and yet it presents a much better value at $134.99. The Dell Pro captures a bright, sharp 2K picture and adds audio support for half the price of the UltraSharp model. While it isn't the absolute best at any one thing, its combined video and audio performance at an appealing price earn it our Editors’ Choice award for affordable webcams.

Dell takes the pipe-like design of the UltraSharp Webcam and puts a more compact twist on it for the Pro Webcam. It’s a 3.5-by-1.7-inch (HW) black plastic cylinder with a magnetic lens cap that clings to the back of the camera for storing when you’re using it. It doesn't have the sleek aluminum body of the UltraSharp Webcam, but it’s light and simple.

The clip is integrated into the cylinder as a flip-down foot. This adjustable foot is coated in rubber to protect your monitor or PC, and the hinge is strong enough so that the camera can hold its position at a wide range of vertical angles. Like the UltraSharp Webcam, the Pro Webcam cannot pivot left or right. A tripod mount is located on the bottom of the adjustable foot. It plugs into your computer or hub via USB-A, which means it may not work with machines that only include USB-C.

The Pro Webcam makes a few trade-offs with the UltraSharp model to reach its lower price. The webcam can capture video at up to 2K QHD (2,560 by 1,440) resolution at 24 or 30 frames per second, or at 1080p or 720p at up to 60 frames per second, with a field of view of 65 or 78 degrees depending on the setting. It can’t record 4K video and doesn’t have a 90-degree viewing angle like the UltraSharp, but those are reasonable compromises.

More importantly, the Pro Webcam includes a microphone, which the UltraSharp lacks. You don’t need to spend money on a separate microphone, use a headset, or rely on your computer's microphone when on video calls. Voices sound clear through the camera’s mic, though it can pick up echo from time to time and doesn't quite match the quality of a dedicated USB microphone (which we always recommend for the best possible audio).

Like the UltraSharp Webcam, you can control the Pro Webcam with the Dell Peripheral Manager software (available for macOS and Windows 10/11). It’s a simple app that lets you set the camera’s field of view, enable AI-based auto framing (which follows you and digitally zooms on your face), manually frame with digital zoom, toggle autofocus, set focus manually, and set capture priority to exposure or frame rate. You can also set the resolution and frame rate, toggle high dynamic range (HDR) capture and automatic white balance, make manual exposure tweaks, and enable or disable the microphone. It’s a basic app, but it does have a live preview and can record video clips on its own. These settings don't take more than a few moments to adjust and can then be safely forgotten.

The two available fields of view are sufficient for both up-close video calls and slightly wider shots, though neither is quite wide enough to comfortably support a larger group shot. The auto-framing feature is sluggish and not particularly aggressive—it is slow to recognize and pan to faces, and the zoom accomplishes little, so don’t expect it to quickly follow you around the frame.

The up-to-2K resolution of the camera can capture detailed video that shows textures like hair and beard stubble, but it isn’t the crispest picture we've seen. Some noise appears even in shots illuminated by a fill light. The softness isn’t too disruptive, and details are preserved both in the foreground and background (there's no built-in background blurring feature). The picture quality is comparable with the Razer Kiyo Pro, while both the UltraSharp Webcam and the Elgato Facecam Pro ($299.99) are a bit sharper.

The picture becomes noticeably noisier in low light, but in a dark room with only the light from my monitor, it managed to balance the exposure. It was fuzzy, but not dark. Using a Logitech Litra fill light drastically improved the picture, cutting the noise down to about the same level as if I was recording in a bright room. The background was still noisy, but I appeared much sharper.

The Dell Pro Webcam is a step back from the UltraSharp Webcam in both picture and build quality, but for $135, it’s a much more reasonable buy. It’s sharp enough for video calls and its built-in microphone lets you communicate clearly without extra equipment. It performs as well as the Razer Kiyo Pro for just over half the price, and that earns it our Editors’ Choice award for affordable webcams. If you need a wider angle to cover a small conference room rather than just a desk, the Anker PowerConf C300 ($129.99) is a better choice for its 115-degree field of view, and if you want to save a bit of money, the Poly Studio P5 ($79.99) also offers strong performance for a slightly lower price, but neither is quite as well-rounded as the Dell Pro.

The Dell Pro Webcam offers a well-rounded feature set and some of the best audio and video performance you can expect for under $150.

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