The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can witness them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are truly your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still picture resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed pics. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of pictures, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of motility. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how slick your footage will show up.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a fine place to embark when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality photos than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a accomplish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the picture quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still pic resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel picture, others can capture photos with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or immobilized focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Stationary concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Motionless concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and pliable than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your photo. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer photo quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower photo quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing pictures.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most limber permit for both. It’s not a large issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, however some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for ordinary things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a motility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a excellent way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as photo and sound quality. Of course they’re also fine for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want good features and photo quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another fine option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and photo quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower picture quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.
The Best Webcams, Top Ten Reviews
The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can observe them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are truly your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still pic resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed photos. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of pictures, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of mobility. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how slick your footage will show up.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a superb place to commence when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality pictures than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a finish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the picture quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still picture resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel photo, others can capture pics with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or immobilized focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Stationary concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Immovable concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and nimble than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your pic. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer picture quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower pic quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing photos.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most lithe permit for both. It’s not a massive issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, tho’ some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for elementary things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a mobility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a fine way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as picture and sound quality. Of course they’re also superb for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want fine features and pic quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another superb option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and pic quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower photo quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.
The Best Webcams, Top Ten Reviews
The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can witness them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are indeed your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still photo resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed photos. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of pics, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of movability. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how slick your footage will show up.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a good place to embark when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality pictures than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a accomplish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the pic quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still photo resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel picture, others can capture photos with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or immovable focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Motionless concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Immobilized concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and limber than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your picture. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer pic quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower photo quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing pics.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most lithe permit for both. It’s not a phat issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, however some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for elementary things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a mobility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a fine way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as pic and sound quality. Of course they’re also superb for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want good features and photo quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another excellent option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and pic quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower picture quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.
The Best Webcams, Top Ten Reviews
The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can observe them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are indeed your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still pic resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed photos. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of photos, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of motility. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how slick your footage will show up.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a superb place to embark when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality pictures than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a accomplish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the picture quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still picture resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel pic, others can capture pics with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or stationary focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Immobilized concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Immovable concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and nimble than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your photo. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer photo quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower picture quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing pictures.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most limber permit for both. It’s not a big issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, tho’ some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for plain things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a motility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a superb way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as picture and sound quality. Of course they’re also superb for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want good features and pic quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another good option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and photo quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower photo quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.
The Best Webcams, Top Ten Reviews
The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can see them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are indeed your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still pic resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed pictures. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of photos, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of motility. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how slick your footage will show up.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a superb place to embark when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality photos than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a finish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the pic quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still photo resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel photo, others can capture photos with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or immobile focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Immobile concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Immobilized concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and limber than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your picture. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer photo quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower photo quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing photos.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most lithe permit for both. It’s not a ample issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, tho’ some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for ordinary things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a mobility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a excellent way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as pic and sound quality. Of course they’re also superb for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want fine features and pic quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another excellent option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and pic quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower pic quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.
The Best Webcams, Top Ten Reviews
The Best Webcams
Movie & Audio
Design
Webcam Review
The top performers in our review are Logitech HD Pro C920, the Gold Award winner; Logitech HD C615, the Silver Award winner; and Genius WideCam F100, the Bronze Award winner. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with detail on how we arrived at our ranking of ten webcams.
For a long time, webcams were the only way to video-chat with a friend or family member, and during that time they became massively popular. In latest years, however, built-in HD webcams have become a standard feature in almost all fresh laptops and smartphones. For this reason, the selection of webcams has dwindled.
However, there are still many people who choose to use a dedicated camera for their computers. Gamers who stream gameplay for followers online typically use a webcam other than the one built into the monitor. They do this for two reasons. One, they’re not having a direct conversation with their audience and so the head-on view of a monitor camera would be inappropriate. They instead position the camera to the left or right, a few feet from the computer, so that viewers can see them play rather than just watching their face. The 2nd reason is that many gamers use desktop computers with monitors that don’t have built-in cameras.
Whether you’re lacking a built-in camera or are simply looking to shoot from different angles, webcams are truly your simplest and most cost-effective option. Your other options would involve setting up a movie camera or DSLR and running it through streaming software on your computer, but this is much more expensive and far more complicated.
Once you’ve determined that you’re going to go the webcam route, you’ll need to determine what factors are most significant to you. Features like resolution, concentrate type, framerates and face tracking will all have an influence on how you use your camera as well as the quality of movie it will produce.
Webcams: What We Tested, What We Found
Movie & Audio: Resolutions, Framerates and Visual Testing
The main specifications that you want to look at when comparing the picture quality of web cameras are movie resolution and framerate. If you’re also looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll want to look at the still picture resolution as well. Unless you’re familiar with these terms, however, none of it is going to make a lot of sense to you.
Movie resolution is essentially the number of pixels in your movie. The more pixels you have, the clearer your picture will be.
For webcams, 1080p is the best resolution available and should give you the clearest and most detailed pictures. As resolution decreases to 720p or 480p, you’ll begin to lose details and notice more pixilation. It’s best to get a camera that offers the highest resolution, but if you don’t need the details, you can save some money by opting for an option with lower resolution.
Movie is made up of a series of pics, or frames, played in quick succession to give the appearance of movability. The number of frames that your camera can capture per 2nd determines how quickly these frames can be displayed and how sleek your footage will emerge.
If, for example, your camera can capture thirty frames per 2nd, there will be less space inbetween each framework than there would be at fifteen frames per 2nd, so your movie is much smoother. For the best-looking movie, opt for a camera that offers thirty frames per 2nd, but keep in mind that higher framerates sometimes come at the cost of high resolution. While the best webcams capture thirty fps at 1080p, many can only suggest that framerate at 720p or lower.
Specifications are a superb place to commence when comparing the movie quality of webcams. At a glance you can tell that a camera suggesting 1080p at thirty fps is going to produce higher-quality photos than one that offers 720p at fifteen fps, but it doesn’t always give a accomplish picture.
Often there are many other factors that influence the pic quality of a particular PC camera, whether it’s the lens, compression or sensor issues. For this reason, we tested each webcam’s movie and audio quality and assigned each a score based on their spectacle. This, combined with your new-found skill of resolution and framerates, will help you select the webcam that’s best for you.
If you’re looking to take pictures with your webcam, you’ll also want to pay close attention to still photo resolution of each webcam. While some merely suggest a one or 2-megapixel picture, others can capture pictures with resolutions up to fifteen megapixels.
Features: Concentrate, Zoom and Noise Reduction
Webcams may be tooled with auto, manual or immobile focusing systems. Auto and manual focusing permits the camera to be adjusted to achieve the best concentrate point for the situation. Immobile concentrate lenses have a predetermined concentrate range and cannot be adjusted. They all have their pros and cons.
Autofocus is precise and convenient, but it's the most expensive of the three. Manual concentrate is less convenient but still permits for precise focusing – and at a cheaper price. Just keep in mind that you’ll have to readjust the concentrate if you or the camera moves too much. Immobilized concentrate is the cheapest of all three options and is pretty convenient considering you never have to adjust it, but it’s much less precise and nimble than the other two.
Some webcams suggest digital zoom of up to 4x. Digital zoom, however, is sort of a misleading term as it’s actually something more akin to cropping and enlarging your pic. When you do this, you reduce the number of pixels in your resolution rectangle, which results in poorer pic quality. It can be useful at times, however, especially if your webcam shoots in 1080p and can sustain a slight reduction in resolution.
Noise reduction cancels out ambient noise by focusing on the frequencies of human voices and turning others down. This can help to filter out sounds like air conditioners, dishwashers and vacuums. If you live in an area with a lot of ambient noise, getting a camera with noise reduction is a good idea.
Design: Lenses, Mounting Options and Maneuverability
Webcams lenses are made of either plastic or glass. While plastic is obviously the cheaper option, it’s much more prone to scraping than glass and tends to produce lower picture quality overall. The best webcams use high-end glass lenses that are resilient and produce the most aesthetically pleasing pics.
Most webcams can either be placed on a desk or mounted on top of your monitor. These two options are likely fine for most users, but if you’re looking for a little more control over exactly how and where your webcam is placed, get one that is tripod compatible. These cams can still be monitor mounted or placed on a desk, but they afford you much more plasticity should you need it.
Another way to get a little more control is to get a webcam that permits for both up and down tilting and left and right panning. Most models will permit you to tilt the camera, but only the most nimble permit for both. It’s not a phat issue, but it’s a nice feature that you might as well have if you can.
Help & Support: Warranty, Manuals and Contact Information
Webcam warrantees typically last inbetween one and three years, tho’ some suggest a lifetime warranty and some none at all. The most inexpensive models are usually the ones that don’t suggest a warranty, and so if it fails, at least it wasn’t an expensive investment. Whether or not you take that risk is up to you.
The more expensive and feature rich models typically have better support too. On their manufacturer’s pages you’ll usually find email and phone contacts, downloadable manuals, FAQs and sometimes even a user forum.
What Else Is Significant When Selecting a Webcam?
There are just a few more details you may want to consider when purchasing a webcam. While none of these should necessarily be deal breakers, they may help you determine inbetween two or three models.
Albeit most people use webcams for elementary things like video-chatting or taking a quick photo, there are those that permit you to do just a little bit more. Some cameras, for example, have a motility detection mode that automatically initiates recording when movement is sensed. This could help you keep tabs on what’s going on around your computer without having to be in the room.
Another feature that’s somewhat useful is face tracking. This feature means that the camera can sense exactly where your face is in the framework at all times. This makes it much lighter for the camera to automatically adjust exposure and white balance settings in order to display your face in the best light.
You also may want to take a look at the included software suggested by your webcam. Albeit most people likely have similar, photo-booth type software on their computers, it may be beneficial to you if you don’t.
Cord lengths are fairly similar for webcams, with variances of only about a foot and a half at most. Just keep in mind that a foot can make all the difference when you’re pulling the cable through a large desk. But if all else fails, you can always buy a USB extender.
Webcams: Our Verdict and Recommendations
Webcams are a fine way to achieve a little more freedom in the way you stream movie on the internet. Being detached from your computer means you can set them up wherever you like – on a tripod, on your desk or just right on your monitor like a built-in webcam. They can also suggest an upgrade in features as well as picture and sound quality. Of course they’re also fine for those who don’t have a camera at all and just want something that works.
If you’re looking for an upgrade from your built-in webcam, check out our top-rated Logitech HD Pro C920. If offers recording in 1080p at thirty fps and dual mics for stereo sound input. You can also climb on it on a tripod. It’s a little pricier than some of our other options, but it’s worth the extra cost to most consumers.
For those who want good features and picture quality at a lower price, our Silver Award winner, the Logitech HD 615, is another fine option. In addition to a lower price, it also offers a more portable design when compared to the HD Pro C920. The only downsides are its diminished resolution/framerate capability – suggesting 720p at thirty fps – and a significantly shorter USB cord.
If having the best features and photo quality isn’t of the utmost importance to you, there are also options like the Genius WideCam F100. This camera is our Bronze award winner and offers a broader field of view, but lower picture quality than our Silver and Gold Award winners. What's significant is you get what you want out of your webcam. If you’re still not fairly sure what you want, check out our individual product reviews for more in-depth information.