Light Compact High Definition 8MP USB Document Camera for laptop Built-in Microphone Mac Windows Chromebook OS Compatible for Live Demo Doc Camera for online teaching Distance Learning Remote Teaching

In good ambient light, the image produced by this camera is acceptable. However, don't expect the built-in light to compensate for dim lighting. It's a dimly lit room. It's fine for high-contrast documents on light backgrounds, but I'm not sure it'd work well for stop motion animation, which is something I always want in my doc cameras. The auto focus works, but it isn't very fast. The camera base secures the camera in place, and the included mat serves as a landing zone for displaying items. br>br>My main gripe is that I knew what I was getting when I walked in. Because the camera arm and head have fewer degrees of freedom than units with a rotating camera head, positioning the base is more important on this camera. For years, I've been complaining to manufacturers at educational trade shows that this is the single most important feature for teachers, but only a few manufacturers include it in their designs. The good news is that the camera's base is small enough to be less noticeable if you need to place it over a large book or document. A rotating head, on the other hand, provides a transparent means for a teacher or presenter to easily orient an image for proper presentation. You can also raise the arm to act as an alternate webcam pointed at your face if you are able to move it sufficiently. Unfortunately, the design of this unit does not allow for such ease of operation. br>br>Presentations are an important part of on-the-job training. Having a secondary source to display physical items to attendees is a critical need in online teaching and webinars, which is why so many mainstream providers ran out of supplies of proven models in the marketplace during 2020, leaving schools desperate to find alternatives that were not on back order. Bottom line: it works, but not as well as those designed to be less intrusive to the work flow for teachers' and presenters' presentations. br>br>Bottom line: it works, but not as well as those designed to be less intrusive to the work flow for teachers' and presenters' presentations. br>br>.

Neil Campos

| Nov 28, 2021

There are no hardware controls on this Office Aid camera except for a button to adjust the brightness of the optional-use flash. Use LEDs (which, in my experience, don't cast a lot of light or fill it in very well- Despite the fact that it most likely aids autofocus). The number of articulation points on the arm and the look/finish quality also seemed to indicate that this would be a great product. br>br>The image color quality appeared to be good, but I noticed the frame rate flicker right away. Worst of all, launching the included Visualizer Mac software took an eternity. (For example, if I wanted to select a functional drop down menu, such as resolution options, I'd press the button and wait a few seconds for the drop down menu to appear. ) Recreate that level of lag *using every control function available*. PAINFUL! )br>br>The included Visualizer software is used to control functions such as resolution, zoom, mirroring, snap shots, diagrams, rotation, and so on; however, for platforms such as Microsoft Teams, which lacks good built-in camera and picture controls, the manufacturer's instructions are to pre-install the Visualizer software. Launch Visualizer to control the camera options, and then use the Teams app's Share function to send that information to the Teams interface at the same time. br>br>However, when tested with the latest Teams desktop app and both of the most recent Mac OSes (Catalina and Big Sur), this Office Aid OAV500S camera did not work at all with Teams on a Mac Powerbook Pro. Running Visualizer at the same time as my Teams software, on the other hand, caused the Teams software to crash and/or freeze on black. There was no way to correct the upside down and mirror-image issues if I used this camera with Teams without Visualizer. The image has been flipped, rendering it unsuitable for use with a forward-facing camera or for shooting down onto a desktop or document. br>br>When I complained to the seller/manufacturer about the lack of technical support, I was told to follow the included Teams instructions, which I had already tried. They were unable to resolve the incompatibility. I was able to get the camera to work using Zoom software, but only with the built-in controls for flipping/rotating the image, rather than the more robust controls and features that Visualizer software was supposed to provide. br>br>Perhaps this will work with PCs. Alternatively, depending on the platform software you use and the features you require, it may work fine on a Mac. However, the included Visualizer software appears to be complete garbage to me—and there are no hardware controls to compensate—thankfully, Amazon stood behind the purchase and assisted me in getting a refund after a few calls.

Oliver Christensen

| May 17, 2021

PLUS: br>As a hybrid art teacher (kids in school and at home at the same time), I need to speak directly into the camera and demonstrate what we're doing, much like a document camera. The built-in microphone was another reason I bought this camera. Both were crystal clear and amazing to look at. NEGATIVE: br>br>NEGATIVE: br>br>NEGATIVE: br>b br>I was unable to get the software and Teams to communicate with one another. I even had our school's tech guru try it out and he couldn't get it to work. To rotate the camera, I needed the camera software to open. So I had to return it because I was upside down or sideways.

Marceline McIntyre

| Jul 06, 2021

All I had to do to get this doc camera to work was plug it into my usb hub, which I use when I teach virtually. The doc camera was well-made, except that everything on my screen was backwards. I attempted but failed to install the online software. As a result of the lack of a contact phone number in the included instructions, I had to return the item.

Berkley Hahn

| Oct 03, 2021

When it worked, this camera was fantastic. The software, on the other hand, continued to uninstall after each use. When I need the software, I don't have time to install it every day. I was using a Chromebook to do my work. I attempted to install it on my Mac, but my laptop did not recognize it as a safe program, so I was unable to do so.

Coen Tate

| Dec 06, 2021

When teaching virtually on Zoom, this document camera was simple to set up and use. There have been no problems for me. My purchase has made me extremely happy!.

Lucia Huynh

| Jul 15, 2021

The camera is of good quality, with three levels of brightness (adjustable) and good autofocus. The item was purchased to be used with distance learning via Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime in order to incorporate documents and objects into a digital presentation. I haven't yet put this feature to the test. TBD. It is pleasing to the eye.

Gunnar Bird

| Dec 17, 2021

Excellent value for money! It appeals to me. The quality is excellent, and the process is simple. It's excellent value for money, and the included software is simple to set up and use. This product has made me very happy.

Harrison Erickson

| Jul 04, 2021