Webcams S
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Webcams S
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https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-webcams
Best Affordable Alternative to the Kiyo Pro
Pros
Crisp, smooth video.
Lots of recording options.
Includes screen and tripod mounts.
Cons
Expensive.
Logitech Capture software doesn't stream.
Pros
Sharp video for 1080p
Good exposure even in low light
Crisp, clear microphone
Cons
Expensive
Bloated Razer software
Pros
Very wide angle is good for groups
Strong low-light performance
Solid microphone
Cons
Angle can be too wide for a single person
Pros
Relatively inexpensive
Bright picture
Loud, clear sound
Built-in privacy filter
Cons
Noisy video
Audio isn't particularly clean or crisp
Pros
Crisp, clear audio
Strong low-light performance
Physical privacy cover
USB port for headset dongles
Cons
Picture is a bit soft
Monitor clip has limited adjustments
Pros
Excellent image quality
Sleek metal design
Cons
Exposure can be finicky; works best with a dedicated light
No microphone
Best Affordable Alternative to the Kiyo Pro
Pros
Excellent image quality
Adjustable ring light for dark environments
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If you want to look your best in video calls, your laptop's little camera won't cut it. Here's what you need to look for when shopping for the right add-on webcam, along with the top models we've tested.
I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).
Video chat is big right now. Everyone is teleconferencing, and many companies are completely rethinking their stances on working from home . You still want to look your best in a video meeting, and that goes beyond showering and getting dressed. What you really need is a decent webcam.
If you have a laptop , you already have a webcam. It probably isn't a very good one, though. Small lenses, skewed colors, awkward exposure, and grainy indoor video are just some of the problems with might experience with cheap, built-in webcams. A good dedicated webcam will solve those problems, and give you the flexibility to aim it wherever you want without wrestling with your laptop. It's a worthwhile investment if you're planning to spend a lot of time on calls, recording vlogs, or doing anything else with video.
Here's what you need to know when shopping for a webcam, along with some models worth considering.
This is pretty obvious. A webcam can only get as sharp as its sensor can resolve pixels. 1080p is a fairly standard resolution for a decent webcam, but if you really want to up your picture quality (or be able to crop your frame and keep it sharp), you want a 4K webcam.
Frame rate also affects how smooth your video looks. A 60fps webcam will give you a much more realistic and natural video feed than a 30fps webcam will, so be sure to pay close attention to the specs before buying.
The lens on a webcam is just as important as the sensor, and generally bigger is better. The lens determines how much light reaches the camera sensor, which affects how you'll look if you don't have good lighting. This is known as the aperture size, and is measured as f/(number) for most types of cameras, with the lower the number the wider the aperture and the more light that gets in. Webcams don't often advertise their aperture sizes, but they generally range from f/2.0 to f/2.8.
The lens also determines the camera's field of view, and that's important when considering framing. If you want to capture only your face and cut out your messy bedroom, you want a narrow field of view (or a high-enough resolution that you can crop the frame). If you want to record an entire conference room, you want a wide field of view. A webcam's field of view will typically range between 65 and 90 degrees, with 78 degrees as a common middle ground.
Inexpensive webcams are fixed-focus. This means their lenses don't move to adjust the picture, and are simply set to capture you within a wide enough range of distance that you'll show up clearly. They work fine if you're just sitting directly in front of the camera a few feet away, but it's easy to get out of that sweet spot of focus and become blurry (especially if you want to show something up close).
More expensive webcams typically have autofocus, which means their lenses will adjust to make sure you're clear at any distance from the camera. This is obviously preferable, since you don't have to worry about being just the right distance away.
Some higher-resolution cameras have what's called AI autofocus, which combines autofocus with digital zoom to center the frame around your face as you move around within the camera's field of view. This is a handy feature, but it can't replace properly framing the shot.
Even the best webcams struggle in a dark room, and if you want to have a clear, sharp picture, you need good lighting. Overhead lights and sunlight are helpful, but they're aren't always ideal and they're rarely consistent. Some of the webcams on this list, like the Razer Kiyo, have a built-in ring light.
Otherwise, an adjustable fill light, like the Logitech Litra Glow , can help ensure reliable lighting over your face regardless of the environment.
You aren't going to get amazing sound from your webcam's mic or mics. Sometimes you can find a webcam with a mic that sounds pretty good, but the acoustics of your room and the simple distance between the webcam and your mouth means there's a limit to how much clarity you'll get in your voice.
With this in mind, some high-end webcams like the Dell UltraSharp Webcam and Elgato Facecam are foregoing microphones entirely. These webcams focus only on video quality, and assume that you'll use a dedicated USB mic or gaming headset with a boom mic, either of which will provide better sound than any webcam mic. We actually recommend using a USB mic or headset if you're serious about recording, streaming, or any video calls that might get captured for future use. They're an extra expense on top of the webcam itself, though.
Do you have a Canon SLR camera ? Good news! You can use to (potentially) get far better picture quality than any consumer webcam. Our guide to setting up your Canon DSLR as a webcam will walk you through using Canon's EOS Webcam Utility to start recording and streaming from your favorite camera.
Alternatively, if you have a desktop and haven't decided on a webcam, you can try using your smartphone . Check out our guide to turning your phone into a webcam with some free software.
There's no shortage of cheap, no-name webcams available on Amazon. We bought six of them ranging in price from $13 to $59. Here's how they fare against pricier cameras from Logitech and Razer. When it comes to webcams, do you get what you pay for?
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
The Logitech StreamCam is an ideal starting package for livestreamers, with a versatile 1080p60 webcam, screen and table stands, and flexible video processing software.
The Razer Kiyo Pro is an excellent jack-of-all-trades webcam, one that impresses with clear audio and very good video, even in low light.
The Anker PowerConf C300 is an affordable wide-angle webcam priced for individual use, but it offers plenty of space to fit multiple people in the frame.
The Creative Live! Cam Sync 1080p V2 offers a nice upgrade in video call quality over your computer's built-in webcam for just $60.
The Poly Studio P5 pairs a decent picture with killer sound quality, making it a good webcam for individuals and businesses alike.
The Dell UltraSharp Webcam can capture excellent 4K video for calls, streams, and recordings, but you need a separate microphone to get the most out of it.
The Razer Kiyo webcam offers an excellent 1080p picture with a built-in ring light, but for best results it should to be paired with a separate microphone.
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I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).
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1080p resolution is fine for video conferencing
Video Resolution: 4K/30fps, 1080p/60fps, 720p/60fps
Preorder at BHPhoto (opens in new tab)
Excellent auto-lighting and white balance
4K resolution with extremely good auto-focus
Focus: Autofocus, Digital Manual Focus
FOV: Choose from 80 degrees, 90 degrees, 103 degrees
Focus: Autofocus, digital manual focus
Light sensor makes room lighting easier
More expensive than very similar C920s Pro
Video Resolution: 1080p and below, 60 fps and below
Supports many resolutions and frame rates
Omnidirectional mic with noise filter
More expensive than basic home use calls for
Just $30 cheaper than the higher quality Brio 4K
Video Resolution: 4Kand below, 60 fps and below
FOV: 78 degrees default, customizable
Video Resolution: 1440p @ 30 fps, 1080p @ 60 fps
FOV: 78 degrees default, customizable
Video Resolution: 4k @ 30 fps, 1080p @ 60 fps
Smartphone style computational photography
Software is useful and easy to navigate
Software is Mac only and requires subscription
Detachable camera shutter feels cheap
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
With contributions from Michelle Ehrhardt
The logitech 920S goes for $99 that $400+ amazon price is laughable.
Talk about price gouging.
I have been thinking about getting a webcam for several months, ie before the COVID19 disaster. I went to Amazon and then did an Internet search and found your timely and super review. So helpful. Thank you!
Most of my equipment is from Dell so I scampered over there and ordered the Logitech C930e HD Audio Webcam. Delivery is May 4. So maybe all the novel coronavirus strain (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the disease COVID-19 will not survive the trip from China.
Just a side note. Tom'sHardware is the most useful, best written, and most interesting tech website I know. You all do an excellent job.
what about the logitech brio (windows hello 4k looks great)
Microsoft Lifecam Studio and Lifecam 3000/4000 have an unfortunate glitch which many (but not all) users have encountered. It's the auto-focus feature, and it keeps going briefly out of focus then back into focus every 8 or 10 seconds as it "hunts for the correct setting. If this happens to you try turning auto-focus off. Other than that it's a good webcam with nice detail, accurate color, and a pretty good microphone. As usual, the microphone works best when you sit up close to it.
We also have a Logitech C910 which is the predecessor to the C920. One of the main differences between the two is that the C920 has a different compression algorithm which makes it better suited for 1080p video chat. A good feature they both share is auto-focus. You can hold an item as close as 4 inches away from the C910 or C920 and within a couple of seconds the item will come sharply into focus (assuming you hold the object still, of course). Link to show auto-focus in action: Logitech C910 Auto-focus up close.
Was able to order a Razer Kiyo through Dell with delivery said to be April 17 for the MSRP of $100. Most other Web Cameras on the site listed delivery as June.
The Logitech HD Pro was also available but only bundled with a Blue Yeti Microphone for around $200. The Dell site had a nice feature on each product page that says "Check Delivery date" saved a lot of time and hassle.
We'll see if they deliver.
My wife does Telemedicine and asked me about a web cam today.
Thanks Toms's.
Additional:
hp.com - Out of Stock
Bhphotovideo - Back ordered most expecting availability in Mid-April.
Microcenter Denver - Sold Out
I have a C525 and it's okay. Got it mounted on my 4K TV and hooked up to a spare PC that I made a Zoom/Skype control centre for the duration. It works just fine.
Strangely I have found a device with a surprising good webcam that I all but forgot about. I dug out my old work laptop which is a Dell Lattitude E6410. And decided for a laugh to see how bad the webcam was. Well...erm...it's really good. Nice and sharp, low noise, good low light and great colour. The mic array works pretty well too. I was quite shocked for such an old laptop. Better performance than any of the Macs/Macbook and more modern laptops friends etc. I connect to use.
You can pick them up for next to nothing on Ebay and super easy to upgrade to better specs on CPU/RAM/SSD/Wi-Fi.
My wife is using primarily Zoom but has also used Facetime when that's all her patient's have. Her office uses Microsoft Teams for their meetings and she has used that with patients too.
I have used Zoom to talk to my doc and thought it worked well. Although frankly a phone call works fine too. Fewer distractions.
I figure herd security tactics will work well for most video conference just like with regular mail. Billions of packets, they'll have to search a ton video of no use to anyone without direct connection to the event.
Unfortunately I got a email today and Dell cannot get me my web cam until August ! After promising me April 17. Only sent me the message today.
Dell came through and delivered the camera about May 15th.
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The best webcams for remote work, streaming, and selfies.
Webcams used to be pretty straightforward: Logitech served most people's needs with mainstays such as the Logitech c920 and the Logitech Brio 4K, while specialty manufacturers like Razer addressed the gaming/streaming market.
But then the pandemic happened, and suddenly a large percentage of office work was indefinitely remote. Companies raced to enter the market as standalone webcams were snapped up — stock was so limited for most of 2020 that what you bought was based on availability, not quality.
Now it's 2022, and things are finally starting to change. Webcam stock has mostly stabilized, so it might be time to swap out your pandemic cam for something that will make you look and sound fantastic in any lighting situation. We're finally able to confidently list the best webcams of 2022, for work, play, and everything in between.
Here are a few details to keep in mind when shopping for the best webcam.
The Logitech C920s Pro is the latest iteration of the classic Logitech C920, which originally launched in 2013. (The only difference between the original C920 and the C920s Pro is that the latter comes with an optional flip-up privacy cover.) Despite being almost 10 years old, the Logitech C920s Pro is a solid, consistent webcam that captures video at 1080p/30fps and has a 78-degree field of view.
The C920s Pro has a maximum resolution of 1080p, which might seem low if you’ve been looking at 4K webcams. But 1080p is plenty high for the average user — no video conferencing platforms allow streaming at anywhere near 4K in the first place (and many cap streaming resolution at 720p). The C920s Pro also offers decent color reproduction (its images look a little washed-out when compared with recent rivals’, however) and performs acceptably in both backlit and low-light settings.
The C920s Pro has built-in dual microphones, which are about as good as you’re going to find on a webcam (not great, but they’ll work in a pinch). It has a built-in monitor stand with a tripod mounting point, and a non-detachable 5-foot (1.5m) USB-A cable. It comes with an optional removable privacy shutter, which is always a nice touch if you’re paranoid (like I am). The C920s Pro is a very good webcam, and is still a competitive option even if it’s been around forever — but this may not be the case for much longer, thanks to the pandemic ushering in a new era of at-home workers and companies scrambling to get into the webcam market.
The Microsoft Modern Webcam is cheaper and more available than the Logitech C920; it also has more features and better, more accurate color reproduction than its older competitor.
The Microsoft Modern Webcam's monitor mount can be shaky on some monitors, especially those that aren't flat along the back (but you can get it stable with some artful balancing). The sliding physical camera shutter gives this webcam a premium feel.
The Microsoft Modern Webcam comes with an intuitive — but not particularly powerful — app that’s designed to look like a Windows menu. The app is where you’ll adjust most of this camera’s special features, including HDR and flicker reduction powered by its ability to capture footage at 60 fps. This webcam’s 1080p @ 60 fps capture is a big get for streamers, especially since many gaming-focused webcams cost upwards of $100.
It’s unfortunate that you can’t swivel or rotate this camera for better shooting angles. While the C920 shares that limitation, there are lower budget options with this flexibility. But if you want a camera in the C920’s space that doesn’t wash out colors as much and has more options, the Microsoft Modern Webcam is an easy choice — so long as your monitor isn't too cur
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