Skip to content

Mobile and web technologies

New technologies in everyday accessibility

  • Home
  • Mobile technologies
  • Web technologies
  • Contact
  • Home
  • 2022
  • July
  • 30
  • Anker’s PowerConf C300 webcam focuses on movers and shakers

Anker’s PowerConf C300 webcam focuses on movers and shakers

Posted on 30.07.2022By MobiletechNo Comments on Anker’s PowerConf C300 webcam focuses on movers and shakers
Web technologies

Anker’s joining the parade of companies retrofitting its product lines to accommodate the new home-conferencing economy — Microsoft’s Modern Home is among the latest — with its AnkerWork brand. The new line incorporates the forthcoming PowerConf S500 small-room speakerphone and the just-released $130 (£119) PowerConf C300 webcam, a Full HD 60fps model with a smartly executed ability to keep you in frame and better-than-average autofocus. It can certainly keep up with similarly priced Logitech models.

I always turn off the autofocus on webcams because, like old digital cameras, they usually do the annoying back and forth pulsing before they lock. And autofocus doesn’t matter much when you’re just plopped in front of your desktop or laptop or when the webcam has a wide field of view. But if you’re showing physical objects, occasionally standing or there’s more than one person on your end, autofocus becomes more of a concern.

Not only does the C300 have relatively fast, accurate autofocus in its widest 115-degree mode — it also has 90-degree and 78-degree options similar to the Razer Kiyo Pro — it also offers Auto-Frame and Self-Frame modes. The first keeps you in the center of a wide frame, while the second centers you in a narrow frame, both performing the necessary internal pans and tilts to grab you from the top of the chest up when sitting or to make sure your head is in the frame when standing. The Self-Frame also lags by a second or two to try to eliminate picking up superfluous movements, like trying to eat your breakfast off-camera.

The reframing isn’t perfect (with the not-yet-final software and firmware it took a few side trips before moving back to center) and you can’t set it to automatically frame with a specified field of view, but if you need to move around while on camera it’s really convenient. 

anker-ankerwork-dsc02081

Lori Grunin/CNET

The autoexposure does a good job of managing the lighting on your face, and it also fares well when keeping the exposure the same through changing lighting conditions. Ditto for white balance: It even manages to compensate for the effect of a big, “white” screen in front of you (which on many monitors is a bit greenish, thus cameras often correct to make you look too magenta), as long as it’s not the only light source in the room. Even then it’s not bad. And in low light, you still look properly exposed and white balanced. In general the image can get pretty soft or a bit crunchy if you’re not fully zoomed out, because it’s only 1080p. (That’s the answer to the question “why do you need a 4K webcam?” by the way.)

Keep in mind, however, that all of that may not transfer into your conferencing app. And after changing the settings in the rather meh AnkerWork application, you may need to unplug and replug the camera in order for the system to release it to another application, at least in Windows. But that’s not really Anker’s fault. It connects via USB-C and there’s a MacOS application, which makes it Mac friendly, too. 

Its mount is well designed, as well. In addition to the uncommon but must-have ability to tilt forward and swivel 360 degrees, there’s a little foot on the bottom that lets you collapse the mount into a wedge-shape with the camera tilted up so that you can perch it on other surfaces if you don’t have a tabletop tripod. It comes with two flimsy stick-on privacy shutters, one of the few disappointments in an otherwise premium-feeling webcam.

The mics are decent, doing a good job of narrowing the field to pick up your voice, but it sounds a little too tinny, a common artifact of compression and noise suppression. If audio matters to you, though, you should definitely use a headset or standalone mic instead.

In a sea of webcams dominated by which-Logitech-should-I-buy and meh me-too models, the PowerConf C300 stands out, and I liked it quite a bit more than I thought I would.

Post navigation

❮ Previous Post: Samsung’s third Unpacked event of 2021 set for April 28
Next Post: Dell’s latest Inspiron laptops are almost unrecognizable from past models ❯

You may also like

Web technologies
iPadOS 15 beta hands-on: Widgets and dock improvements, but multitasking still feels the same
24.07.2022
Web technologies
Facebook teaches AI-powered robot to adapt while walking
25.07.2022
Web technologies
Cyber Monday: Get 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $20 Get access to hundreds of games for your PC, Xbox One or Xbox Series console.
15.08.2022
Web technologies
Samsung debuts next-generation SSDs, doubling performance of previous gen
25.08.2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fresh Records

  • Samsung Galaxy S23 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: expectations
  • Oppo Find N2 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: new foldable phone wants to dethrone the king
  • Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23: What to expect
  • Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: all differences to expect
  • Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs OnePlus 11: what to expect

Fresh Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022

Headings

  • Mobile technologies
  • Web technologies

Copyright © 2023 Mobile and web technologies.

Theme: Oceanly News by ScriptsTown

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT