Dhat is a fat hum, and you should attach it to the notebook display? The Ankerwork B600 webcam weighs a whopping 460 grams without cable and power supply. For comparison: The Logitech Brio Ultra HD that we tested last weighed a slim 63 grams. But for the additional weight, you also get more from the manufacturer Anker. The upper bright surface is an LED light bar that can be switched on or off manually and flexibly adjusted in terms of brightness and color temperature. The special extra is fully automatic for the light, thanks to which you don’t have to worry about anything. So the video conference professional saves the LED ring light, which brightens the face and makes it appear friendlier.
On top of that. The heavy power bar has four built-in microphones and two loudspeakers, each with two watts, and thanks to artificial intelligence, it should ensure that background noise is suppressed and that only the spoken word counts. When unpacking the car, we were initially irritated. A supplied USB-C cable establishes contact with the notebook, but why do you need another power supply unit, also with a USB-C connection?
Luckily, it’s only optional if the notebook doesn’t provide enough power for lights, speakers, and camera. However, it should not be concealed that the concentrated pack of technology visibly puts a strain on the computer’s battery. For very long video conferences, the external power adapter or the use of a hub is still popular.
The heavy power bar has four built-in microphones and two speakers, each with two watts.
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Image: manufacturer
Once the device has been fixed to the upper edge of the notebook or monitor using the flexible attachment, the angle of the LED light can be individually adjusted again. If you fold the LED unit all the way down, you have a physical privacy screen because it is then over the lens. Due to the heavy weight, however, the display cannot be adjusted in every angle, otherwise the camera would press the notebook lid against gravity. If necessary, you pack the Ankerwork on a mini tripod, a corresponding screw thread is available.
On the left and right side panels are buttons for turning the light and microphone on and off, and a touch-sensitive control element on the right of the lens is used to adjust the brightness of the LED light. A small light underneath the lens shows that the microphone is active or muted.
Crisp sharpness and clearly visible details
The webcam runs without apps. But if you are looking for fine adjustments, you can load software from Anker that can be used to specify a number of details. Below that is the resolution in four levels from 360p to 2K, and you can adjust the viewing angle in three levels from 65 to 95 degrees. The “Solo Frame” function causes the camera, including autofocus, to focus on the person in front of the lens and follow their movements. Apple also offers such a follow mode for the iPad.
With the highest 2K resolution at 30 frames per second, a very pleasant video with crisp sharpness and clearly visible details is created. There are no stutters when moving in front of the camera, and there were no problems working with any of the video chat systems we tested. The sound reinforcement with the good-sounding loudspeakers is also pleasing, although the gain compared to the notebook’s built-in loudspeakers wasn’t that great.
For 230 euros, this webcam can do a hell of a lot. However, the competition has a slightly higher resolution of 4K, and there is no additional infrared unit for biometric unlocking of the Windows computer. But all in all, the Ankerwork B600 is a chic device that brings a nice additional benefit with its built-in LED light.