Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Reliable
- Basic 1080p, 30Hz performance
- No points with Windows Hello
- Attractive value
Cons
- Just the fundamentals — no added options
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam is only a primary, useful, dependable 1080p Windows Hello webcam. If that’s what you need, go purchase it.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
54.99
Best Prices Today: Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam
$49.99
$55
$55
$64.99
$66.38
Sometimes you simply need to purchase a Honda Civic: low-cost, dependable, reliable, with none of the bells and whistles. If you need a 1080p Windows Hello webcam that matches the invoice, try the Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam.
Lenovo sells a pair of Windows Hello webcams: the Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam, reviewed right here, and the marginally dearer Lenovo 510 FHD webcam. Both are principally equivalent 1080p Windows Hello webcams, although the Performance FHD webcam seems to have a chassis that’s considerably higher designed. Listings on buying websites appear to play somewhat quick and free with the descriptions, nonetheless, so it’s easier to click on via the hyperlinks above.
As these hyperlinks point out, this can be a very reasonably priced Windows Hello webcam, with 1080p decision and stuck focus. A broad swathe of recent laptops now supply 1080p decision at 30Hz, so the attraction right here is the improve to Windows Hello. Windows Hello allows your PC to “recognize” you, providing each comfort and safety, particularly as passkeys have become more prevalent.
Read on to study extra, then see our roundup of the best Windows Hello webcams for comparability.
Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam: Design and options
Lenovo’s Performance FHD Webcam arrived in a small, non-descript brown field, with simply the barest of instruction manuals inside. There’s a black-on-black brand on the webcam itself, very nondescript.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Some webcams ask you to obtain a further piece of utility software program to handle extra subtle capabilities like backlight changes. Lenovo’s webcam doesn’t: The illustrations information supplies primary steerage on how one can join the webcam to your show after which connect the cable, and that’s it.
If you need finances Windows Hello capabilities that work reliably and with out spending greater than it’s essential, that is the webcam for you.
The webcam measures 2.22 x 4.72 x 2.48 inches, with a cable size of about 5.6 toes. The included USB-C to USB-A cable plugs right into a USB-C port on the webcam, leaving you to seek out an obtainable USB-A port in your PC.
Like most webcams, Lenovo’s digicam makes use of what I name a “jaws” mount. An higher jaw with an overhanging “lip” hangs on to the entrance of your monitor or display. The weight of the digicam pulls it again, however it’s supported by the underside “jaw” which rests towards the again of the monitor or display. Some webcams have a further, pivoting floor on the underside jaw to put flat towards the again floor, however this one doesn’t. However, the rubberized floor prevented it from transferring by chance. It’s completely steady on the highest of a show, however much less so on high of a laptop computer’s display — no totally different than most webcams, sadly.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Lenovo’s webcam perches on high of a swivel ball, which is useful for tilting it ahead and again. I all the time felt prefer it continuously was tilted a number of levels off-kilter, nonetheless.
Lenovo makes use of a sliding handbook shutter on the highest of the digicam itself for privateness. When closed, there’s a small pink dot the place the lens is to point that the digicam is off. There’s no indication that the shutter turns off the microphone, nonetheless.
Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam: Performance
Again, Lenovo doesn’t present its personal utility software program. Instead, Lenovo permits Windows to handle its settings, discovered throughout the Windows 11 Settings (Bluetooth & gadgets > Cameras > [name of camera]). There, you’ll discover distinction, brightness, and saturation controls. Lenovo’s Performance FHD Webcam additionally has 4x digital zoom, and you’ll modify that too throughout the Windows controls. Most video calling apps appear to crop right down to your face robotically, however it’s an possibility I like to make use of if obtainable.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
As a webcam, Lenovo’s system appears fairly first rate. My downstairs workplace is fairly gloomy, however with home windows behind me and to at least one aspect. Lenovo’s digicam (1/2.9-inch RGB sensor, with a 95-inch subject of view, and 4x digital zoom) picked up on my face, relatively than the window behind me, which was blown out. (I block it with a privateness display for my take a look at shot, above.) The coloration makes me barely ruddier than regular, however in any other case I believe all the pieces seems to be fairly good.
Upstairs, the webcam painted a considerably dim picture of my household room, with afternoon mild coming via the shaded window to my proper. Here, although, Lenovo’s webcam does a good job with the colour and the scene, in any other case.
I take a look at any noise filtering by recording my voice on the Windows Sound Recorder app, whereas taking part in again some rock music after which some white noise on a telephone speaker at a loud quantity. Lenovo’s webcam does a high-quality job filtering out background noises like rain and thunder. However, the mic clearly picked up the rock music. It was faint, however audible.
The webcam did a superb job of capturing my voice, clearly and at a superb quantity.
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam: Windows Hello efficiency
I had no points with organising Windows Hello with this webcam, which I used on a machine with no Windows Hello webcam already put in. I didn’t report how lengthy it truly takes to look and retailer my picture, however it was on the order of some seconds, which is regular.
Lenovo’s Windows Hello recognition additionally survived a haircut, which was fairly badly wanted.
Lenovo’s webcam wakened when the laptop computer did, and logged me in rapidly and persistently, even once I had it connected to a laptop computer docking station. When the webcam is optically recording you, a small white LED lights as much as the left of the digicam glass. When you’re being acknowledged by the webcam by way of Windows Hello, a brilliant pink mild flashes on the left-hand aspect as properly. It’s somewhat disconcerting, however it’s solely on for a second or two.
Supposedly Windows Hello webcams have stopped working as successfully as they need to in the dead of night, so I clipped the webcam to the laptop computer and tried repeatedly logging on and off whereas standing in a darkened hallway, with simply the laptop computer display as illumination. I didn’t have any points.
Should you purchase the Lenovo Performance FHD Webcam?
Our recommendations for the best webcams, particularly the finances fashions, supply some super worth for the cash — there are 4K and 2K cameras priced at what you would possibly anticipate the worth of an strange 1080p webcam to be. Lenovo’s Performance FHD Webcam doesn’t supply the upper resolutions some webcams do, however it provides Windows Hello capabilities. There’s worth there.
Typically, the merchandise we suggest as a part of our best Windows Hello webcams command some form of value premium. Lenovo’s webcam doesn’t, or no less than probably not.
Lenovo’s Performance FHD Webcam is a primary, useful finances 1080p Windows Hello webcam with none added options. And that’s high-quality. If you need finances Windows Hello capabilities that work reliably and with out spending greater than it’s essential, that is the webcam for you.