IPEVO VZ-R

I didn't even look for directions. Everything was just plug and play. There are two wires needed: 1) the HDMI that plugs into whatever monitor or projector you're using (which is NOT included), and 2) a micro-USB cable for power (which IS included) just like you probably use for your non-Apple phone. I didn't bother with the USB viewing as my equipment has HDMI, so I can't comment on that. I'm not sure I'm going to have ready access to power within ten feet or so where I'm doing my presentation, so I plugged it into a USB battery charger and left it on for a couple of hours. I started with three bars and ended with three bars. I doubt I'll need a plug, but an adaptor is easy enough to find anywhere. It seems to sip power, but I can't find specs. About the quality. The frame and structure are very nicely built. The base is heavy and stable. I'll end up using clamps on the table top pressing on the heavy metal base just in case, but it shouldn't be necessary in ordinary circumstances. The focus works. I'm using big notebooks where one side might be higher than the other, and will slide the notebook back and forth on the tabletop depending on which side I'm viewing. The focus does get confused sometimes and goes blurry. But one touch of the autofocus button and within 2 seconds, you're back in business. It's not graceful, but it does work. The zoom. I'm not a fan of digital zoom. It basically dilutes your 8k image to a lower resolution as you zoom. But optical zoom machines are much more expensive. Having said that, I have two observations: 1) on full zoom, I didn't see any image degradation. That tells me that 8k is plenty to play with and leaves plenty of room for quality erosion before my eyes could even notice. I think that's the irony of modern high resolution images. My eyes can't really tell the difference after 1k. And not many monitors are even higher resolution than 1k. So on full zoom, you should still be at 1-to-1 in resolution. But I'm not a videophile, so someone may know better. Still no one can tell my what my eyes saw or didn't see. And 2) if you don't want to use the digital zoom, just pull the camera head closer to the image, and don't use it at all. So I guess it kind of does have optical zoom after all. The filters. I don't get them. But you don't have to use them. I won't. It can invert the image from black print on white paper to white print on black paper (maybe to keep the room dark?), turn the background paper yellow (easier on the eyes?), and a few other options I didn't really understand. The light. It's weak, but I won't be illuminating images in the dark, so I don't care. The exposure adjustments should more than make up for weak ambient lighting. You can choose between 50hz and 60hz. Not sure why or what that does. It was set to 60hz out of the box, so I left it there. I didn't try to change it. No comment there. The image: I plugged it into my 1080p tv using HDMI. It looked fine. The black letters seemed to have a slight bright white outline which I though made it look a little washed out. So I brightened the exposure and that seemed to correct it. Maybe other more expensive units don't do that, but I can't imagine you can get as much and as good as this for anywhere around that price.

Most reviews here talk about this camera being used in a classroom. Another application would be to use it as a medical device for people with low vision and it does a great job here. Aging parent with macular degeneration cannot read newspaper and books anymore without some magnification aid. This device plus a TV does what CCTV magnifiers costing $2K to $3K do. The best part about this camera is that it hooks up straight to the HDMI port of the monitor/TV without requiring a computer. So it is one less complication for seniors who are not comfortable using computers. Just turn it on and it works. The unit has several levels of zoom and it allows you to adjust contrast and has several effects that enhances the image. The only thing you don't get is the large knobs to adjust the setting like you get with the CCTV magnifier. So for seniors who lost fine motor skills this may be a small issue. The stand is very adjustable with a solid base. You can plug this into a larger screen than the 20" to 24" monitors that usually comes with the medical device version. Overall a very well thought out product that helps people with low vision at a price that is affordable unlike the price gouging CCTV magnifiers.

I purchased the "Ipevo 5-883-4-01-00 VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode 8MP Document Camera" for my girlfriend that for the longest time has used the large transparency-sheet projectors for school and personal art projects. She would project images on a walls to create larger versions of drawings, etc. This particular camera, coupled with a new portable projector is an awesome upgrade! I love this camera, as it is easy to use, and works well without any need to connect it to a computer. Simply connect the camera to a projector, TV or monitor, and begin working. The buttons on the camera allow you to zoom in and out easily, and the autofocus works great, even in low light conditions as it has a decent light to brighten things up. This camera would be PERFECT for educators and presenters. Need to zoom in super close to show very small objects? Need to project any medium to any type of display? This is a quality product, it's incredibly versatile, and works fantastic. Highly recommended.

I love this product. So easy to operate; they didn't even include an instruction manual. Literally, plug and play. Every control you need is on the body of the camera stand at your finger tips. Great picture quality. No power cord needed; gets power directly from USB port on computer. At first I was confused because the image presented on my computer screen was upside down and/or backwards. I finally figured out I was looking at a mirrored image of myself. Then it made sense. Anyone else on the conference call sees exactly what I see with my own two eyeballs, not what's on MY computer screen. Metal base is heavy; will not tip over. Base bolts to body which is made of sturdy plastic, light and portable, easy to move around. Smaller than I expected. Love the elegant, no non-sense design. Camera head can swivel to whatever orientation you need. Works flawlessly with Zoom on my Mac laptop. I can switch back and forth from my built-in camera on the laptop to the Ipevo at any time. Using this to do art lessons with my grandson on Zoom. Fun! You can snap pictures or record video and save it to you desktop for later viewing or emailing. Zoom feature works great. I pointed the camera at my face and zoomed in. Man, I'm getting old. Good value; I am not sorry I bought this camera.

I bought this document camera from Amazon for $199.00 on September 15, 2019 and I echo all the other positive reviews of this product, but… you might want to wait a couple of months before buying this. I needed the model name of my camera to find any recent manuals and software because I need to start using my IPEVO on Zoom. I clicked on the product link on my “Order history” page which brought me here. I was shocked to see the price tag of $499.99! Remember, I bought mine a year ago for $199.00. The name of both products is exactly the same: Ipevo VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode 8MP Document Camera. The “part number” (5-883-4-01-00) is slightly different from mine (5-898–4-01-00), but I’ve compared all features and specifications between my camera and this one and they seem to be identical. In the “Product information” section above, I noticed that this product is “Discontinued by Manufacturer”. I then went to the IPEVO site and found four document cameras: one model for sale at $99.00, my model for $219 (very close to what I paid), another for $299.00… The fourth model (cost- $129.00) is their latest release and the site states that it is on back order and will be shipping in 8 to 10 weeks. It’s possible that IPEVO is juggling their product line to adapt to our current world situation. The high cost of the product on this page is likely Amazon wanting to exploit the manufacturer’s delay. Bottom line: go ahead and buy here if you have an urgent need and the $500 cost isn’t an issue. Otherwise, you might want to wait 8 to 10 weeks and buy it off the IPEVO site for $219.00 (if their site’s time frame is to be trusted and applies to all their document cameras ). Hopefully, the manufacturer will respond to this review and provide an explanation.

All Good! It was a stab in the dark as I knew nothing about these cameras, liked the design, features and price point. I am a College Art Professor working remote now. This adds a lot of value to every class. It would be great if my students had them to. It could really empower everyone to share. Also good for leafing through books or displaying objects or materials. I was so pleased I bought the cheaper model for my Teaching Assistant and she finds it very useful. She said she and her friends do homework together and she can knock out marker sketches in real time. Also works seamless with Zoom. Bad news is they are out of stock unless you pay scalpers ransom which if you have the need you might decide to pay what they want.

This replaced the older Ipevo camera and is better in every way (but it is more expensive). The base is heavy enough the camera is stable. I used it mostly as a document camera for online meetings and to project my handwritten documents to a room. It also makes a nice web camera (as the camera can be the same height as I am when sitting at a desk instead of below me like the webcam in my laptop). It has come in handy for "remote game night". My only criticism is it is a bit heavy and the base does not easily remove from the vertical support (it is screwed in). It makes for a stable support but may not easily fit in a backpack or briefcase.

I purchased this document camera to use for teaching both live classes and recording lectures to post online. It is fairly intuitive to use. But one major problem is that the camera mutes itself while I am using it. Pretty often, maybe very 10 minutes or so. I reached out for help and they wanted to to update the firmware and download their visualizer software. I updated the firmware and it made no difference, and I don't know why they would ship a new camera with outdated firmware anyway. This is a huge annoyance and I expect better, particularly at this price point and with these reviews. Their visualizer software is also basically buggy garbage, I would not waste your time. It defaults to the webcam and when I selected the document camera is crashed and now crashes every time you open it For all I know it is just a ruse to let it infect my computer. I also am very disappointed that it does not zoom smoothly and just has a couple of presets. The autofocus is also not awesome, but passable. The picture quality is decent, but not amazing.