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The tiny webcam that you have on your laptop probably gets more use these days than ever before. Even if you’re back to taking some of your meetings in the office, chances are that back-to-back Zoom calls are now a permanent part of your professional life. Once an afterthought, your computer’s webcam has become one of its most important components — and the fact remains that most built-in cameras are not able to provide consistent, high-quality video call experiences.
External webcams are a great solution. External webcams are a boon for those without a good built-in camera, people who use video conferencing a lot, or those who started streaming videos on Twitch and YouTube. As with all accessories for PCs, it can be hard to find the best webcams. We tried out several of the most recent webcams to determine which ones are worth your investment and which can be safely skipped.
Engadget’s top picks
What should you look for in a Webcam
Resolution and field of vision
While some newer machines have 1080p webcams, most built-in cameras have a resolution of 720p, so you’ll want to look for an external webcam that’s better than that. FHD webcams will give you a noticeable bump in video quality; ideally, you’re looking for something that can handle 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. If you’re considering a cheap 720p webcam, make sure to get one that supports at least 30fps (most will) or, even better, 60fps. If your main concern is better image quality while video calling, 1080p might be the right choice.
Some webcams can shoot in 4K, but that’s overkill for most people. Not to mention most video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Skype don’t even support 4K video. Twitch streams at 1080p, while YouTube adds an additional stream. 4K live streamingBack in 2016. In the end, 4K webcam photos are so rare that most people can make do with a solid 1080p camera.
Field of view controls how much can fit in the frame when you’re recording. My webcams had a default field view of around 78°. That was more than enough to capture me, and enough to show how messy my background is. On cheaper webcams you’ll usually see narrower fields of view (around 60 degrees), and those aren’t necessarily bad. They won’t show as much of your background, but that also means you won’t be able to squeeze as many friends or family members into frame when you’re having Zoom birthday parties. You may also be able adjust the view field to make the webcam appear wider than the average.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Autofocus and other “auto” features
Webcams equipped with autofocus will help you keep your eyes sharp and free from any effort. You should be able move around, move back and forth, but remain focused at all times. If you have special needs, some models allow you to manually adjust the focus. While fixed focus devices can be less convenient, they are generally more affordable.
The same goes for auto framing which is a feature some high-end webcams offer. Similarly to Apple’s Center Stage feature, the camera automatically adjusts to keep you in the center of the frame even as you move around. But you’ll pay a premium for it: The only two webcams I tested that had auto framing were the $200 Dell UltraSharp webcamAnd the $220 Anker VideobarWhile that made the models stand out, it didn’t make them great enough to be included in our top webcams list.
You’ll also see other “auto” features listed in webcam specs, most notably auto light correction. This will adjust the camera’s settings to make up for a dimly lit room. If you don’t have a well-lit setup for your video calls, or often take calls in different places where you can’t control the lighting, this feature will be valuable.
Microphones
Most webcams have built-in microphones that, depending on your setup, might end up being closer to you than your computer’s own mics. Check to see if the model you’re considering has mono or stereo mics, as the latter is better. Some models even have noise reduction technology to ensure your voice is clear and loud. While audiophiles and streamers will want to invest in a standalone microphone, most others can get by using a webcam’s built-in mic.
Design
There aren’t a ton of fascinating breakthroughs when it comes to webcam design. The majority of webcams are either rectangular or round and can clip to your computer’s monitor. Some can be attached to a tripod stand while others can sit at your desk next to your computer. But unless you really like having people stare up your nose, the latter isn’t ideal. We recommend clipping your webcam to your monitor and ensuring that it’s at or slightly above eye level.
Some webcams include hardware accessories such as built-in lights or lens covers. The former can help you stand out in a dark room, while the latter makes it so hackers can’t view you through your webcam without your knowledge.
Prices
Most external webcams that are just good enough to be a step up from your computer’s built-in camera cost between $60 and $150. The webcam should have the same resolution as your laptop’s. However, it is worth looking at other specifications such as auto light adjustment, a larger field of view, and a longer connecting cable. This can increase the quality or ease-of-use.
You might be able to get more features such as 4K resolution, vertical or horizontal recording options, stereo microphones, customizable settings, and more by spending $150. But unless you’re spending hours on video calls each day or streaming multiple times each week, you can settle on a budget webcam and safely skip most of those high-end options.
Best overall: Logitech C920s Pro HD
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
The Logitech C920s Pro HDWebcam appears to be a great value, but once it is opened, it will prove that. For around $60, you’re getting an FHD webcam that can shoot in up to 1080p/30fps, has a 78-degree field-of-view, dual microphones and auto light correction. It’s a fairly average-looking webcam measuring 3.7 inches at its widest point, with the lens in the middle and its two microphones on either side.
Buy Logitech C920s Pro HD at B&H – $70
The adjustable base is quite sturdy and, while I kept it hooked to my external monitor most of the time, you could easily attach it to your laptop’s screen or sit it on your desk and angle the camera upward. There’s also a hole on the underside if you wish to connect it to a tripod. There’s an optional lens cover in the box that provides protection when you transport the webcam, but also gives you extra privacy.
When I used the C920s Pro HD for conference calls, I noticed an immediate improvement in video quality. I’m lucky enough to have one lamp and one large window in my small home office, so I’m usually not fighting for good light. But even on cloudy days with low light, the camera’s 1080p video was sharp and produced fairly accurate colors. Cheaper cameras had trouble with rainy days, so I switched to the C920s Pro HD. The C920s Pro HD lit my entire face and produced minimal shadows.
All Logitech webcams can use the company’s Camera Settings app to adjust things like field of view, brightness, color intensity and autofocus, but I kept the default settings on this one. The C920s Pro HD has autofocus, which was so great that I barely noticed. During video chats, I was always in focus and didn’t notice the camera losing focus.
Runner Up: Anker PowerConf C200
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Anker’s cube-like PowerConf C200 webcam has a lot of the same perks as Logitech’s C920s Pro HD, along with a few extras and a price tag that’s $10 more. Setup is equally as easy as with the Logitech cam – just plug it into your computer or docking station and start using it. You can download the AnkerWork software to edit things like brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio and, as with Logitech’s, I kept all of those settings at their defaults.
But you’re also able to control the camera’s resolution and field of view with this software, too. You can change the default resolution of the C200 webcam to 2K, 1080p, 1080p, or 720p if desired. The same goes for the field of view. While 95 degrees is the default, I increased it to 78 degrees so that my colleagues could see my messy home office.
I was immediately impressed with the C200’s video quality: 2K is likely more than most people need (1080p should do just fine), but the extra sharpness and clarity is a nice touch. The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, and its larger f/2.0 aperture captures more light so you stay illuminated even in darker settings.
You can also slide the lens cover back to hide it. The C200 also has two stereo mics that do a great job of recording your voice. AnkerWork settings allow you to select between omnidirectional or directional vocal pickups. The latter is better if more people are speaking on your side.
My biggest complaints about the C200 webcam are that it’s a bit cumbersome to adjust its angle when it’s perched on your monitor or screen. Unlike most other webcams, Anker’s doesn’t have a short neck of sorts that connects the camera to its adjustable base – it’s just one, chunky piece of plastic that I had to use both hands to adjust when necessary. Also, the C200 comes with a USB cable that’s much shorter than others. This won’t be a problem if you’re connecting the webcam directly to your laptop, but it’s not as flexible if you have a standing desk converter or a more complicated setup that requires long cables.
Logitech Streamcam: Best for streaming
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Out of all the webcams that I tried, the one I enjoyed the most was the one I used. Logitech’s Streamcam. While it’s a bit weird to say I “had fun” with such an innocuous piece of tech, I found the Streamcam to be remarkable in many ways. The video quality is outstanding. It can shoot in 1080p/60fps, and is sharper than the Logitech Pro HD C920s. My clothing details came through better than I expected and some texture on my skin was visible, whether it pleased me or not. The Streamcam was also a great webcam when it comes to color reproduction.
Logitech Streamcam on Amazon – $170
All of those perks remain the same even when you’re shooting in low-light conditions. The Streamcam’s auto-exposure feature made up for the darkness in my office on gloomy days. And it has the best kind of autofocus — the kind that you never notice in action.
The Streamcam had two omnidirectional microphones that allowed me to speak clearly during video calls. If you stream often and find yourself without an external mic, it’s nice to know that you could get by with the Streamcam’s built-in ones in a pinch. Noise reduction is an option that allows you to keep your voice clear and focused.
The Streamcam is a little larger in design than others. It’s a chunky almost-square that can easily be positioned on a monitor or on a tripod, and a unique feature of its design is its ability to shoot either vertically or horizontally. I kept mine in the standard 16:9 format, but some streamers who post to social media often will like the 9:16 format that’s best for Instagram and TikTok. Logitech also ensured that the Streamcam was optimized to work with Open Broadcaster Software, XSplit or Streamlabs. This means you can take it out of its box and use it for your next live session.
The Streamcam is our top-rated all-purpose webcam. If you need a webcam that can handle everything, from video conferences to Twitch streams and family video chats to video conferences, the Streamcam will do it all. The $170 price tag is not for everyone. Its higher price keeps it from our top spot because those who just want to look better on Zoom calls don’t need to drop $170 to do that.
Logitech Brio: Best Premium
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
If you’re willing to spare no expense on a webcam, Logitech’s $200 BrioThis is the one you should get. There are many things it can do, but its 4K recording is the most important. It’s capable of shooting in 4K/30fps in addition to 1080p and 720p in either 60fps or 30fps. It was set to 4K, and it never looked better during a video conference. The only problem was that the colors were slightly off (they looked more saturated than normal).
Buy Logitech Brio at Amazon – $200
Also, low-light performance was excellent. The Brio’s light correcting technology with HDR made up for the cave-like environment in which I was sometimes forced to record. The Brio’s dual microphones were the most powerful and clearest webcams I tested in terms of sound. They also employ noise-canceling technology that can capture audio up to 1 meter away and block out background noise.
The Brio also offered the most customizable settings out of all the Logitech camera models I tried. In addition to brightness, contrast, color intensity, white balance and autofocus, you’re able to adjust HDR, field of view and image ratio in the Camera Settings app. I modified my field of view to 65 degrees instead of 78 degrees. The third option, 90 degrees, was too far for me. It captured enough of my background while still keeping me the focal point.
Because I found autofocus to be finicky, I also turned off autofocus. Issues with the Brio’s autofocus have been documented online and I’ve reached out to Logitech for troubleshooting tips. An Engadget colleague who uses the Brio as his daily webcam hasn’t experienced the autofocus issues, so there just might not be enough contrast between myself and the background. For me, it worked well to adjust the focus manually for video calls that I took from my desk at home.
It’s hard to get excited about webcam design, but Logitech tried to make the Brio as sleek looking as possible. The Brio is not a rectangular shape, but an oval-shaped one that clips onto a screen. The front is a glossy black with two small slits for microphones and IR sensors. This allows the Brio to be compatible with Windows Hello. You can use facial recognition to unlock your system. The included lens shade can be used to conceal the camera for privacy.
