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If you’re working on a desktop PC or a laptop with a low-quality built-in microphone, look for a webcam with a built-in stereo or array microphone. This will improve the quality of the audio being captured no end, giving you better chats and calls and clearer broadcasts, if that’s your thing. Are all webcams suitable for both laptop and desktop use? You just need a webcam: While these cameras can be used as webcams, they're more expensive than most and don't match the same quality of a premium offering.
While you will struggle to find a phone, laptop or tablet without a front-facing camera, there’s still one device that goes without one: the desktop PC. That’s a shame because as more of us use Skype and similar services to keep in touch, a webcam is starting to feel essential. What’s more, some of us are now expected to join in videoconferences and chats for work. And if you plan to take up streaming, a decent webcam is every bit as essential as a microphone. How else will you do those bizarre close-up facial inserts and reaction videos? It does only shoot in 720p, which these days is a tad outdated for professional video calls, but it’s a great budget webcam for personal video calls with friends and family. Plus, the C310 does come with Logitech’s RightLight 2 auto-light correction technology so you’ll always be shown in the proper light – even if it’s not in the sharpest resolution. And, its noise-reducing mic should not only ensure that you’ll be heard clearly from up to 5 feet or 1.5 meters away, but also minimize environmental noise. Elgato’s Camera Hub app also offers DSLR-level granular control over your video feed. Exposure compensation, contrast, colour temperature and saturation are all adjustable and you can even take full manual control of the camera’s shutter speed and ISO. The covers vary a lot, and the ones that completely detach and are fiddly to attach can be annoying and I lose them about 10 minutes after unboxing. But if you're tossing the webcam in a bag and carrying it around, you should definitely use something to protect the front. Other features We would put the Elgato Facecam Pro at the top if it wasn't for its steep price tag. As expensive as it is, this is the best webcam you can buy, especially if you're a streamer, a TikTok creator, or a vlogger. At its center is that 4K at 60fps video resolution – it's the first webcam in the world to do so – thanks to that 1/1.8-inch Sony Starvis sensor that's also responsible for its exceptional dynamic range.
Logitech StreamCam
Even 720p is perfectly adequate for general video chat purposes – until the iPhone 7, it was the resolution for all iOS FaceTime calls. However, 1080p makes more sense for making videos or streaming purposes and allows you to take advantage of zoom and pan features without completely ruining the image quality. As webcams don’t have zoom lenses, these functions effectively just crop part of the 1080p image and expand it to fill the screen, thus lowering the effective resolution. 4K is better still, but it remains overkill for most of us. In fact, while there are some 4K webcams targeting boardrooms and YouTube streamers, you might not want others to see a close-up of your face in that much detail. Does a high resolution guarantee good image quality? You need a wide field of view: The StreamCam is set to a 78-degree FOV, so you can't get any wide room shots. Most of a webcam's features are only available via software. Almost any camera will work when you plug it into your USB-C or USB-A port (though 4K webcams frequently need a high-speed USB-C connection to get full resolution). And many of them work well this way. But I find some features essential, which are provided only by software: the ability to override exposure settings when they need correction; some small white balance control (auto usually delivers the best results, but I like to be able to make it slightly warmer or cooler); manual focus; and the ability to save the changes as presets. Presets are doubly important for cameras modeled off commercial PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) webcams like the Obsbot and Insta360 models. You only require occasional conferencing: This is overkill for anyone who makes a few calls a month at work.
But don't assume a camera with a high-resolution sensor can output video as, say, 4K. While all software supports 1080p (1,920x1,080 pixels, equivalent to 2 megapixels), other resolutions frequently require specific support -- notably by videoconferencing software. Zoom, for instance, maxes out at 1080p. Plus, keep in mind that software can take a good image and make it look... less good... by compressing the hell out of it for transmitting across the software's low-bandwidth pipeline. One thing to consider when buying a webcam for a Mac is that there are no controls built into the operating system and Windows doesn't really expose the settings (for good reason). If you want to adjust exposure, zoom, white balance -- anything really -- then the support needs to be built into the specific application or into a utility that comes with the camera. And autoexposure can be wrong at unexpected times.
C922 PRO HD STREAM WEBCAM
These come in a billion different sizes and shapes, but the mounts -- the physical clip that lets you perch it on your screen -- are all very similar and tend to be stable but cumbersome. There's no "best" design, but if you want to use it on a laptop, you may want to avoid the big, clunky models.
Its onboard microphones aren’t the best we’ve seen and it carries a hefty price tag but for online presentations and video demonstrations, the Link’s flexibility is unrivalled. While the Logitech Mevo Start isn't technically a webcam, and more of a streaming ecosystem with a great camera module, it's a brilliant choice for streamers, and it can be used as a webcam if needs be. Unlike many of the other webcams on this list, the Logitech Mevo Start is wireless, which gives you a good degree of flexibility when it comes to setting it up, and several Logitech Mevo Start cameras can be used for multiple angles, and you can switch between them using the feature-rich app. Not all webcams have built-in microphones; for instance, models targeted at streamers usually don't, since the assumption is you'll be using a high-quality headset or standalone mic instead of the webcam's. Built-in mics tend to be intended for everyday videoconferencing, and you rarely have any control over the characteristics of the sound. With crisp 1080p HD resolution and fantastic lighting and color detection at an affordable price, this fan-favorite webcam hits a spot in the market that struggles to see any substantial competition and is still one of the best performing webcams on the market today, though we feel the Razer Kiyo Pro is the new top dog when it comes to webcams right now. If the webcam has a wide FOV, then it will likely have distortion that makes straight vertical lines on the sides curve. If that will bother you, look for a narrower FOV, or for a webcam that uses multiple lens elements, which can combat distortion. MicrophonesYou want insanely high-quality video: There are certainly more powerful products on the market if you're willing to empty your wallet.
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