HP Envy Desktop Webcam - Zoom functionality?

[Amrubin1]

I have an HP Envy desktop with a touch screen monitor with a built in webcam.  I cannot find any way to adjust the zoom of the camera, it only shows a very wide angle and I would like to zoom in on the speaker when doing a video conference.  Is there some way to adjust this, or some external software that can be downloaded that would allow some adjustment of the zoom?

[Riddle_Decipher · Accepted solution]

@Amrubin1 Your machine should have CyberLink Youcam software. Please open software and Select the Zoom button (a) if you want to zoom in on the webcam video image. In the Face Detection & Zoom window you can do the following:

• Select Auto face detection to detect your face and auto zoom in slightly. Using this feature enables CyberLink YouCam to track and follow your face as it moves around the webcam image (your machine may not support this function)
• Use the Manual zoom slider to manually zoom (up to 4x zoom) in on a specific part of your webcam video.
• Drag the boxed area to the area of the video you want the camera to focus on.

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[Amrubin1]

Thanks very much for your response.  My computer did not come with the Cyberlink Youcam software, but I downloaded the free version, and that did provide the functionality to adjust the zoom.  Do you know if the computer was supposed to come with this software loaded onto it?  But in any event, it was irritating me that I could not zoom before, and this software seems to have done the trick.  Many thanks for your help.

Arthur

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Amrubin1 Not all computer's go with the application as such, it's model dependent, also, i'm glad you've sorted that out, 

If you wish to thank me for my efforts, you could click on "Accept as solution" on my post as the solution should help others too.

[Glen_Mc]

Is there ANY other option besides the Youcam software.  Any?  It slows down the laptop.  It is clunky to use in video conferences (settings must be adjusted AFTER entering a web conference. Presettings are lost).  Once the trial version expires there is a watermark on your camera video thereafter. 

It's not an acceptable solution.  It's a shame to have to use an external webcam just to zoom the image when there is already a cam builtin to the laptop....

[Amrubin1]

As a follow up to my original post, per the suggestion that Riddle_Decipher provided, I downloaded the Youcam software to my HP Envy All In One desktop.  While it did succeed in allowing me to zoom my built in webcam in and out, it was incompatible with the various video conferencin software I use (Webex, Zoom), and my computer kept crashing when I would use those platforms in conjunction witht the Youcam software.  Finally, I just uninstalled it, because having the ability to zoom the camera only when I am not actually using videoconferencing software deffeated the entire purpose.  So I would echo this post in asking if anybody knows of other software that would allow me to control the built in camera that is compatible with various videoconferncing platforms?  Thanks!

[Glen_Mc]

Here is my workaround that enables camera zoom and works ok for me.

(Note, I tried Youcam (horrible, just horrible) and OBS VirtualCam and neither were acceptable)

Installed free Logitech LogiCapture software from Logitech website.

(Doesn't work with the built-in HP camera by default. Below is how I modified to work).

Launch app and test that the built-in HP camera is not a source option in the app. If not:

Close app.

Find the device guid of HP cam in Device Manager:
Cameras - HP Wide Vision FHD camera - Properties - Details - Device instance path
For reference, mine is: USB\VID_05C8&PID_0430&MI_00\6&69d719f&0&0000

Look in Program files\Logitech\LogiCapture\bin folder for the file LogiCapture.exe.config AND BACKUP (make a copy of it!!!).

Open LogiCapture.exe.config in notepad.

Scroll down the file and you'll see there are several Logitech cameras listed in the device list.

I found and replaced this line:
<device guid="USB#VID_046D&amp;PID_082D" name="Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920">
(NOTE: I don't have nor expect will have this model of external cam, so was safe to replace it in the file since I will never need. No real reason I picked this one to replace, it worked, so I didn't tinker further)

Replaced with the guid of the HP camera found in Device Manager.  (Note the edits of the original HP guid above to match format. Did NOT work until I made these format edits to my guid):
<device guid="USB#VID_05C8&amp;PID_0430" name="HP Wide Vision FHD camera">

Save file (note: may get an error and not be able to save in the orginal folder. If so, save elsewhere and then copy to original location and overwrite the file. Also note: when saving a file with notepad, it will add the .txt file extension by default. Make sure to save as or rename to match original file name with no .txt extension.

Launch LogiCapture

Now the HP cam should show as a source option in the LogiCapture software. When using conference software such as Zoom, Teams, etc - launch the LogiCapture app first, then in your conference app choose LogiCapture as your camera/device.

You can now zoom your camera using the LogiCapture software 🙂

[ukcharlee]

Thanks a lot for this - I was finding that I couldn't get a comfortable distance from the laptop to type without looking like I was the other side of the room on the camera. It works well with Teams and Zoom, but Skype and Skype for Business refuse to see it - you can select LogiCapture as the source but it then says it can't connect to the camera because another app is using the camera. Any ideas?

[Glen_Mc]

I hadn't tried Skype before, but just did and doesn't even show as a source for me.  Found this where Logitech states it only works in Skype Classic, so unless someone else has a hack for Skype, might not be possible 😞   https://support.logi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035560574-Can-I-use-Logitech-Capture-in-Skype-

[germang33k]

OMG Glen_Mc.  This worked!  Thanks so much. I was annoying to look as though I was across the room and agree, YouCam was horrible and I was not going to pay for it with those features.