WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam Review: A Smart Webcam for Everyone

With remote work becoming increasingly common, we’re relying on webcams more and more. These are often our only way to communicate face to face with our colleagues, so do you really want to settle for the grainy, low-resolution webcam built into your laptop? The WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam brings 4K resolution to whatever device you use it with, adding visual fidelity to your remote presence. At the same time, it also brings some smart and impressive features to the table, so let’s look further into the 210 to see just how great a webcam it is.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by WyreStorm. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored.

Features

One of the most important aspects of a webcam is the camera itself, so we’ll focus on that first. The WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam features a 120-degree wide-angle lens, complete with 8x digital zoom. Normally, digital zoom isn’t a great feature, but combined with the built-in auto framing and presenter tracking, it’s very handy here.

If resolution is what you’re after, the FOCUS 210 is capable of shooting 4K video at 30 frames per second (FPS). Are you looking for smooth motion instead and willing to sacrifice resolution? If so, you can also choose 60 FPS at 1080p or 90 FPS at 720p.

Processing is as essential as the actual lens when it comes to a webcam. To that end, the FOCUS 210 features AI backlight compensation and low light compensation, which in combination with wide dynamic range (WDR), means you’ll be visible in any light.

Video processing isn’t the only place that AI comes into play with the WyreStorm FOCUS 210. It also uses AI with a pair of mics to intelligently cancel background noise, making sure that whoever is on the other side of the camera will always be able to hear you.

This webcam comes with software for both Windows and macOS. It lets you configure video as well as adjust colors. Additionally, it comes with a decidedly analog feature we’d love to see in more webcams: a built-in lens cap to both protect the glass and your privacy.

Getting Started and Set Up

While you can use the WyreStorm FOCUS app for both Mac and Windows to adjust camera settings, this absolutely isn’t necessary. No matter which platform you use, it’s easy to plug in and start streaming in just a few minutes – even if it’s your first time.

Testing on both a MacBook Pro and the webcam-less ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, neither computer required a driver install to use the webcam. After downloading the WyreStorm FOCUS software, you get easy access to more camera settings, but it’s far from necessary.

WyreStorm claims that the FOCUS 210 webcam works with video chat software, from the big names like Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to smaller and more niche services. Every app we tried worked fine with the webcam, and that was before installing the software.

Using the WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam

One minor issue we noticed is monitor fit. We never had an issue with the WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam falling off monitors, but on thinner displays (like a laptop lid, for example) the webcam would loosen up whenever we removed the lens cap.

Using the FOCUS software is simple and straightforward. After you install the software, launch it, and you’ll be able to preview the image from the camera. As the app says, until you do this, other apps won’t be able to access the camera, but do note that this doesn’t apply if you never install the software.

The main thing you’ll want to adjust first is the auto-framing / presenter tracking. Auto-framing mode was the default in our testing, and it should work for most people. That said, if you get up and move around frequently, you’ll want to switch to presenter tracking.

Finally, you can also choose to set the tracking mode to off. Set like this, the WyreStorm FOCUS 210 works as you’d expect a webcam to, as it won’t try to follow anything onscreen.

The default video settings looked good by default in our testing, and our mild adjustments didn’t make a huge difference. Fortunately, it’s easy to reset the camera to its default color settings, assuming you make a change that you’re not a fan of.

It’s difficult to tell in a two-way conversation, but to test the noise cancellation, we made some test recordings. The cancellation didn’t quite catch every noise, but it certainly went a long way toward making the audio easy to understand compared to not having any noise cancelling whatsoever.

Picture Quality

While it boasts some impressive specs, it’s important to remember that webcams focus on making things visible, not necessarily as pretty as possible. If you’re looking to use this camera for streaming, it will do well, but you’ll also want to invest in good lighting.

That said, while this webcam will work for budding streamers, it’s meant more for use in a business context. In this case, you probably don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on lighting just to make sure your coworkers can see you in a Zoom meeting.

The good news is that you won’t need to. The WyreStorm FOCUS 210’s low light and backlight compensation meant that even if you’re in a dim room with a big window behind you (much like my test photo), you’ll still be easily visible.

While the included lens cap is probably more important to most people as a privacy tool, it’s worth pointing out that protecting the glass on the lens will have a marked effect on image quality.

Should You Buy the WyreStorm FOCUS 210?

If you have a webcam you’re unhappy with and don’t want to spend a fortune on an upgrade, the WyreStorm FOCUS 210 Webcam is a fantastic option. Assuming you’re using a desktop or laptop without a built-in webcam (they do exist), the FOCUS 210 should be the only webcam you ever need, assuming you’re not doing multi-cam streaming.

Smart features like presenter tracking and the AI noise-cancelling mean you don’t need to think about the FOCUS 210 while you’re using it. Plus, the built-in lens cap means you don’t need to worry about the webcam when you’re not using it.

You can pick up the WyreStorm Focus 210 Webcam and try out the features yourself.