REVIEW – Splitting time between home and workplace offices has created a number of new challenges for workers these days. One issue is making sure you have the best equipment to do your job available in both locations. For me, this means completely duplicating my technical setup. Webcams are something I usually don’t put a lot of thought into, but as the technology gets better it’s hard to ignore the benefits of having a really good one for all of those virtual meetings I now attend. The Annke WX810 4K Webcam has definitely upped my game in the video chat department. Boasting a resolution of 3840 by 2160 at 30fps the WX810 is priced a bit high at $149.99 but delivers exceptional picture and sound clarity.
What is it?
The Annke WX810 is an external 4K webcam capable of processing video at 30fps at 3840 by 2160 (8MP). The WX810 has a 91° diagonal Field of View (FOV), two noise-canceling microphones, and can autofocus within 0.7s on objects 5cm away and beyond.
The WX810 comes in very basic packaging emblazoned with an actual-size photo and simply labeled “webcam”.
What’s in the box?
- Annke WX810 4K Web Camera
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Quick Start Guide
Hardware specs
- Video Resolution:
- MJPG:
- 4K: 3840 × 2160 / 30 fps (8MP)
- 2560 × 1440 / 30 fps
- 1080P: 1920 × 1080 / 30 fps (2MP)
- 1280 × 960 / 30 fps
- 720P: 1280 × 720 / 30 fps (1MP)
- 640 × 480 / 30 fps
- 640 × 360 / 30 fps
- YUV: 1920 × 1080 / 30 fps
- MJPG:
- Shutter Time:
- PAL: 1/25 s to 1/50,000 s
- NTSC: 1/30 s to 1/50,000 s
- Maximum Resolution: 3840 × 2160
- Min. Illumination: 0.1 Lux @ (F1.2, AGC ON)
- Lens: 3.6 mm fixed focal lens
- Lens Mount: M8
- Field of View:
- Horizontal FOV: 83°
- Vertical FOV: 53°
- Diagonal FOV: 91°
- Angle of View:
- Horizontal FOV: 102°
- Vertical FOV: 52°
- Diagonal FOV: 124°
- Angle Adjustment
- Pan: 0° to 360°
- Tilt: 0° to 90°
- Rotation: 0°
- Depth of Field: 0.1 m to ∞
- Wide Dynamic Range (WDR): Digital
- Image Enhancement: Distortion Correction
- White Balance: Auto
- Audio Sampling Rate: 16 kHz
- Video Output: USB 3.0
- Operating Systems: Windows 8.1+ / Android 8.1+ / Linux 4.14+ / macOS 10.12+ / Chrome OS
- Microphones: 2 built-in microphones with a radius up to 5 meters
- Operating Conditions: -10°C to 45°C (-40°F to 113°F). Humidity: 90% or less (non-condensing)
- Power Supply: DC 5V ± 5% (USB)
- Consumption: 4.5 W MAX
- Weight: Approx. 0.33 lb. (150 g)
- Dimension: 4.72″ × 1.10″ × 1.01″ (120 mm × 27.9 mm × 25.6 mm)
Design and features
The build quality and design of the Annke WX810 4K Ultra HD Webcam are well worth a premium classification in my opinion. The elongated body is made of sleek brushed aluminum which encases the lens and internal microphones. The mount and sides are made of black ABS plastic, sturdy and slightly textured.
The huge lens of the WX810 with its 91° diagonal FoV sits on the front of the webcam along with two light sensors. One item missing from the front of the WX810 is an integrated camera cover, which should have been included with a camera at this price.
On either end of the Annke WX810 4K Ultra HD Webcam’s face are small ports for the internal noise-canceling microphones.
The rear of the WX810 is featureless save for the USB-C port for connecting the webcam to a computer.
A speedy USB 3.0 USB-C to USB-A cable is included to help the WX810 achieve the highest resolution possible.
On the bottom of the WX810 is a standard 1/4” thread socket for using a tripod with the webcam.
Directly under the webcam body itself is a small screw that securely connects the Annke WX810 4K Ultra HD Webcam to its mount.
The mount of the WX810 really adds to the webcam’s value and versatility. Not only will this mount securely support the WX810 on top of any monitor or laptop, but it also affords amazing adjustability. The webcam can be adjusted 360° around, 90° up or down, and when using a tripod can be tilted to even steeper angles if needed.
Setup
One of the great benefits of the Annke WX810 webcam is that it’s literally plug-and-play. The only required setup is connecting the WX810 to a computer using the included USB 3.0 cable. The webcam works on Windows, Mac, Android, Chrome, and Linux machines.
It’s a real pleasure not having to install poorly designed third-party software or drivers on my computer just to get the webcam working. That being said, the WX810 works fine with freeware programs like OBS Studio and does gain some additional functionality through the program.
Performance
I’ve used the Annke WX810 as my main webcam for about a month now and I’m really happy with it. I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles for my webcam, so the WX810 serves me very well providing excellent video and audio quality at all times. Compared to the internal webcam on my 2017 Razer Blade Pro the WX810 absolutely excels.
Below I have a few comparison stills taken with the Razer’s internal webcam and the WX810.
The shot above was taken with the Razer’s internal webcam, while the one below was taken with the WX810. Not only did the WX810 pull out more detail, it also has a wider field of view and is able to handle the dark foreground and bright backlight without issue.
I took another set of images using an object at close range to check the focus and detail of both cameras.
Again, the Razer internal webcam is above and WX810 is below. While the WX810 image isn’t as sharp as I hoped, it’s still much better than the internal webcam showing much more detail like the texture of the plastic on the controller. The color from the WX810 is also more accurate and there are no areas that are blown out.
The disparity between the Razer internal webcam and the Annke WX810 is even more noticeable in the comparison video I shot. Both the visual and audio reproduction on the WX810 was far superior to that of the Razer.
What I like
- Well-built with high-end design and materials
- Easy setup with no required software
- Great picture clarity
What needs to be improved
- No integrated webcam cover
- Lacks features of similarly priced webcams
- Cannot run at 60fps
Final thoughts
The Annke WX810 4K Webcam may not have as many features as other webcams in its class, but its high-quality picture, premium build, and super adjustability more than make up for the disparity. The plug-and-play setup is a bonus as well, giving the user the option to run the WX810 with or without video software. At $149.99 the WX810 is a little on the pricey end of the spectrum but is well worth it if ease of use, dependability and excellent audio-visual quality are important to you.
Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Annke
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Annke.
