Dell Pro 7 Webcam review

Tom's Guide Verdict The Dell Pro 7 Webcam has a lot to offer. The setup is effortless, and the auto-adjust settings mean you don’t have to worry about bright lighting. The microphone quality is great, and the privacy screen makes it quick and easy to turn off your camera. But keep in mind the mount and camera are very heavy, and color replication isn’t the best. Pros +Easy setup +Auto adjustment for exposure and white balance +Good microphone quality +Privacy lens Cons -Heavy mount -Poor color replication Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. Depending on your home-office needs, the Dell Pro 7 Webcam could be the best webcam to add to your video conferencing setup. The easy setup means you can have it up and running in seconds, and the auto-adjustments based on AI-powered auto adjustments help you stay looking professional. The microphone quality is good, and the privacy lens is helpful for quickly switching off your camera.But it’s worth keeping in mind that the mount and the camera are heavier than most others on the market, and the color replication is poor. I also think you can get better for the price tag.To find out more, you can keep reading this full Dell Pro 7 Webcam review.Latest Videos FromTom's GuideDell Pro 7 Webcam review: Cheat sheetWhat is it? A 4K webcam with smart modes for auto-adjustmentWho is it for? At-home office workers who want to upgrade their setupWhat does it cost? The Dell Pro 7 Webcam is available for $199 / £190 from the Dell online storeWhat do we like? It’s easy to set up, automatically adjusts exposure and white balance, has good microphone quality and a privacy lensWhat don’t we like? The mount is very heavy and the color replication is poorDell Pro 7 Webcam review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Price $199 / £190 Dimensions 2.6 x 2.1 x 1.4 inches Weight 8.5 ounces Maximum monitor thickness support 1.8 inches Connectivity Wired Maximum video resolution 4K (3840 x 2160) Maximum frame rate 60fps Digital zoom x4 Supported video modes 2160p, 1080p, 720p Image processing technology Advanced AI-Imaging with Smart Enhancement Maximum aperture f/2.0 Microphone range Up to 10 feet Supported operating systems Windows 11, macOS 14 or higher Dell Pro 7 Webcam review: The upsThe Dell Pro 7 Webcam has a lot to like. With its effortless setup and intelligent features, it’s a breeze to integrate into your existing work routine.Easy to set up (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Setting up the Dell Pro 7 Webcam with your computer couldn’t be easier (once you balance it, but more on that later). The camera comes with a 10-foot USB-C cable, plus a USB-A converter for compatibility with older devices. Simply plug this into your computer, and you’re done.I had to switch from my built-in laptop webcam to the external one, but you won’t need to do this if you’re using a PC. I did the same for the microphone to make sure I was using the Dell camera’s mic.Intelligent features (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Dell Pro 7 Webcam offers a few intelligent features to make things a little easier. The camera uses Advanced AI-Imaging with Smart Enhancement, but this is just a fancy way of saying that it considers your face, environment, and movements to apply the best exposure settings to the camera.Tom's Guide: Direct to Your InboxGet instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.It automatically adjusts exposure and white balance using Smart Scene Detection, which mostly worked well. However, other webcams, like the Logitech MX BRIO 750 for $199, perform better in low-light conditions.If you want something a bit more high-tech for presenting, with impressive gimbal tracking and whiteboard focus settings, you should look at the Insta360 Link 2 Pro ($249). It’s a little more expensive, but it opens up a whole new level of possibility when taking work calls and presenting ideas.Good microphone (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The on-board microphone of the Dell Pro 7 Webcam replicated my voice clearly. I sounded slightly crisper than when I use my Apple AirPods 3. It effectively reduced ambient sound around me and didn’t pick up any typing sounds from my keyboard.Privacy lens (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Dell Pro 7 Webcam has a built-in privacy lens that is controlled by a switch at the top. This quickly shuts off the camera view during meetings, so you don’t need to fiddle with settings on your computer.Dell Pro 7 Webcam review: The downsWhile the Dell Pro 7 Webcam has a lot to love, there are a few things that put me off. The color replication in particular made my saturation-loving self shy away from this camera.Heavy mount (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Dell Pro 7 Webcam mount is very heavy and is made even heavier by the camera. This meant that I found it difficult to balance, and it was actually pulling down my laptop screen.The effect of this isn’t as bad if you’re mounting it to a larger monitor, but it still makes it tricky during the initial setup to get the right balance. The whole unit weighs 8.5 ounces. In comparison, the Insta360 Link 2C Pro (with more capabilities) weighs just 4 ounces, while the Opal Tadpole weighs just 1.2 ounces but only works with laptops.Color replication (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Dell Pro 7 Webcam made me look gaunt. Haunting. Ghostly. Despite being pretty pale, even in the height of summer, this camera somehow made me appear even more washed out. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The image on the left is taken with the Dell Pro 7 Webcam, and the image on the right is taken using the built-in camera on my MacBook Pro M2. The MacBook image has a lot more life and color in my skin, and I think this makes me seem more personable on-screen and means I engage with the person on the other end of the call a lot better.Dell Pro 7 Webcam review: VerdictThe Dell Pro 7 Webcam is a decent choice for at-home office workers — it has a lot to offer. The effortless setup means you can have it recording in an instant, and the auto-adjustment settings mean I didn’t have to mess around with my camera settings.The microphone quality is great for ensuring my voice is clear on calls, and the privacy lens added a layer of security and meant I could easily turn my camera off if I needed to.However, the camera and mount are very heavy, making it hard to balance on a computer screen. Also, I thought the color replication was poor in comparison to my usual webcam. At $199, I would expect a little more. You can get better for the price, such as the Insta360 Link 2C Pro, but it’s perfect for anyone who needs something reliable for everyday use. Ashley is a staff writer on the the Reviews team at Tom’s Guide. She has a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and a BA in Journalism, Media and Sociology. She has written for titles including Women’s Health UK, writing health and wellness stories, and Virgin Radio UK, specializing in entertainment news and celebrity interviews. She has reported on a variety of topics including music, literature, motorsport, entertainment and health. She has previously reviewed live music events, books, and wellness products but discovering the top audio equipment on the market is what she does best. When she is not testing out the latest tech, you can find her either curled up with a cup of tea and a good novel or out hiking. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.