Unless you plan on conducting all of your virtual meetings at arm's length or from the end of a selfie stick, an excellent webcam is a home office essential nowadays — and a must-have accessory for your setup if you plan to stream or create content online.

While practically every laptop offers a built-in webcam, OEMs rarely deliver an impressive camera as standard. Sure, the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro's 12MP Center Stage camera proves there are exceptions. However, generally speaking, your default webcam likely isn't cutting it.

If you're tired of falling back on your grainy, dimly lit, and low-resolution stock webcam, then it's time to invest in an external webcam to look and sound your best with sharper, richer audio and visual flair.

From an affordable all-rounder like the Logitech HD Webcam C920, perfect for meetings and video calls, to the advanced flexibility of the Insta360 Link 2, ideal for content creation or hosting presentations, our roundup of the best webcams offers some genuinely fantastic options for laptops and desktop computers alike.

The quick list

Best overall

The $60 Logitech HD Webcam C920 was an easy favorite. Images we took with the 1080p camera were sharp, color-accurate, and crystal clear. The C920's 78-degree field of view could comfortably fit two people in the frame for a teleconference. The software with the C920 lets you implement filters, adjust the angle, use the webcam as a security camera, and take photos to save to your hard drive.

This is by far the best webcam out there, and there’s no way any reasonable person could return to the terrible webcams attached to a standard laptop. The Logitech HD Webcam C920 smashes the competition, and once you try it, you’ll unlikely regret it. Additionally, it’s excellent value. $60 for a webcam isn’t a steep price for a future of crisp and clear images.

See our Logitech HD Webcam C920 review.

Best premium webcam

While the webcam that tops our list is a great option suitable for everyday use, the Insta360 Link 2 goes above and beyond, cramming an impressive amount of features and configurability into its typical $199 price tag.

The most stand-out feature is the Link 2's unique dual-axis gimbal design, which allows the 4K webcam to turn and tilt, ensuring you're framed and in focus at all times with its AI tracking, even while moving.

It's ideal for content creation and presenting at a high standard, with the camera also able to snap focus and crop the image to capture whiteboards, or spin down to DeskView for more technical or hands-on demonstrations.

Thanks to an improved 1/2-inch sensor, the Link 2 works excellently in low-light conditions, but when paired with the right lighting setup, you'll capture richly detailed and crisp images that are comparable to DSLR alternatives.

See our full Insta360 Link 2 review.

Best travel webcam

Sure, your laptop's webcam is probably terrible, most are, but are you going to bring a big external webcam with you everywhere? As a remote worker, I've faced this decision many times, and I virtually never take one with me and make do with subpar image quality. The Opal Tadpole webcam is finally the solution to this issue that so frequent travelers have been waiting for.

The Opal Tadpole will remind you of the old clip-on iPod Shuffle, and it is as dead simple to use as the Shuffle, too, with plug-and-play using the built-in USB-C cable. Opal Camera sells a $25 "yoyo" travel case that can fully secure the Tadpole, but its cable can also be used to loop it on your bag. It's so tiny you will never notice it in your bag, but you'll be thrilled you have it when you see the crisp, clear image on your video call instead of the noisy, garbled mess of your built-in webcam.

If you don't ever travel, then by all means, go with another option on this list, like the Insta360 Link webcam above. Thanks to a larger sensor, you'll get more features and a better overall image, but when it comes to a travel-friendly go-anywhere webcam with quality that will blow your laptop webcam away, the Opal Tadpole is it.

See our full Opal Tadpole review

Best midrange webcam

Anker’s PowerConf C200 2k webcam is stylish, sturdy, and affordable ($69.99). It also has a physical shutter to keep the creeps out. What’s wonderfully disturbing about this Anker webcam is that it is on par with or superior to many of the far pricier webcams I have reviewed in the past two years.

The Anker PowerConf C200 is a bargain that delivers high-quality images and video for a fraction of the cost of many other webcams and conference cams. For $69.99, you get a webcam that provides crisp, color-accurate images in normal and low-light conditions with super-fast autofocus.

See our full Anker PowerConf C200 review

Best 4K webcam

If you're looking to prioritize a quality 4K image, the Logitech MX Brio 4K is the way to go. It'll cost you $200, but if you're willing to dish out the extra money, it's a level up from the more affordable options thanks to its 8.5MP Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor.

Not only will this yield a better image in good lighting, but if you don't always have perfect control of your lighting, it will hold up better than the competition in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

While Logitech's AI tracking is not bad, we would still recommend something like the Insta360 Link 2 if tracking movement or more dynamic content is a high priority for you. The built-in mic could also be better, but it's a definite improvement over your laptop mic, and its 4K resolution offers incredibly sharp images that can track your face, body, whiteboards, and even your desk.

See our full Logitech MX Brio 4K webcam review.

Feature comparisons

Recent reviews

Not every webcam we review makes it to this list, but that's not to say they aren't worth looking into. While some of the following webcams may not be the best in their category, that's not to say they aren't fantastic options.

How to find the right webcam

Regardless of the specs, the most important focus (pardon the pun) for a webcam is the crispness of its image and video quality. Combine this with the product's price, and you have an essential checklist of webcam priorities. However, there are a few other things to consider.

Perhaps you want your webcam to be as portable as possible. The Opal Tadpole would be a perfect choice for that purpose. If you need something high-end with excellent features like a noise-canceling microphone and AI Tracking, the Insta360 Link is a great pick.

Alternatively, you might desire cheap and high-quality, so the Logitech HD Webcam C920 (~$60) could be worth it for those needing a solid camera on a budget. Don't mind spending up? You can invest in a Logitech Brio 4K Pro Webcam for around $200. Although expensive, its incredible image quality could more than compensate for it if you're interested in professional streaming.

FAQs

What webcam features do you need to look for?

If you're using your webcam for video calls, virtual presentations, or live streams, the key features will be resolution and frame rate. The higher the resolution, the better the image quality. Regarding frame rate, while 60 fps is ideal at max resolution, a 30 fps 4K webcam is more than adequate for most video calls and streams.

If you use your webcam in dimly lit spaces or while moving around, you may want to look for advanced features like HDR and AI face tracking.

What webcams are best for streaming?

While many of the top Twitch and YouTube content creators use mirrorless cameras for their streams, any of our top Webcams will work fine for casual streams. Unless you plan to make your reaction feed the highlight of your stream, you just need a decent FHD (1920 x 1080p) webcam for most streaming purposes.

How to set up a webcam?

Every webcam is different, but generally speaking, you'll connect it to your laptop or desktop and then make sure your operating system recognizes it. You may need to update or download drivers or specialized software to get the most out of your webcam's range of features.

Why trust Laptop Mag?

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, webcams, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming. And yes, webcams, too!

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it.

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.

When it comes to even many of the best laptops, the bar for built-in webcam quality is often placed so low that even a worm would have to suck in its gut to limbo under it. Still, many of us make do with what we’ve got. But we don’t have to. Webcam excellence is a single "Add to basket" click away, and there are few I'd recommend more than the gimbal-touting Insta360 Link 2.

The best webcams aren’t just a way of making sure you look your crispest over Zoom. They can turn setup into a studio, add an extra layer of professionalism to your next presentation, or bring a little cinema to your content creation.

Seeing a standalone webcam as part of a computing setup, especially on a laptop, feels incredibly archaic in 2025, like the tech equivalent of seeing somebody ride a Penny Farthing down Fifth Avenue.

But the humble webcam holds a strange distinction: it's the only computing peripheral that consistently bests its integrated counterpart, which, unless you own one of the best MacBooks, typically ranges from bad to really bad — while somehow being entirely overlooked as an essential accessory.

Needed by so many, yet recognized by so few, webcams (once a default accessory for anyone with a face and an internet connection) feel like the last niche accessory — hankered after by a subculture of hardware hipsters.

And if that imagery existed anywhere beyond the realms of my fever-dream-like imagination, there would be one webcam this collection of Capturecore cultists would covet above all others: the Insta 360 Link 2. The crown prince of cams and the heir apparent to the optical throne.

High praise? Absolutely. However, the next few hundred words may convince you that not only am I right, but that it's high time we reestablished the webcam as the vital component it is — and few webcams would serve you better, perched atop your laptop's screen, than the Insta360 Link 2.

Insta360 Link 2: Price and availability

The Insta360 Link 2's retail price is $199, but you can typically find it for around $169 on Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers.

Its most obvious comparison would be to the original Insta360 Link webcam, which the Link 2 mirrors almost perfectly on the specs front. However, the Link 2, while matching its predecessor spec-for-spec, can do so while shaving $100 off of the original’s $299 asking price.

We’re definitely at the more expensive end of the scale when it comes to webcams, but the Link 2 resides where it does for a reason. Its DSLR-like image and video quality, even under tough lighting conditions, alone will be worth the price for most.

However, if you’re a streamer, teacher, content creator, tutor, or routinely present information online, the Link 2’s impressive AI tracking, staging, and framing will grant you captivating and dynamic results that would usually require editing in post or a second hand on the controls to achieve.

If you’re looking for a webcam to get by with the basics, then there are plenty of more affordable options to run with. If all you need is a webcam for a few online classes or remote meetings, then a 4K webcam like this is perhaps a little overkill.

But if you’re looking for a webcam to embolden your setup in terms of professionalism and creativity, you’ve found it.

Insta360 Link 2: Design

It's not often, as a tech reviewer, that you get to genuinely praise the design of a webcam. Shapes and sizes may vary, but you generally know what to expect, making it hard to be caught off guard.

However, Insta360, fittingly to its name, is running circles around the idea of what a webcam can be, tossing away decades of vanilla peripheral design to deliver something shockingly refreshing.

The result is the Link 2, a device that looks like the happy offspring of Short Circuit protagonist, Johnny 5, and Luxo Jr. — the iconic Pixar lamp. I'd almost describe it as adorable as you can't help but see a friendly little robot head with its left eye formed by the webcam's lens, the right by its ring status light (which glows green when active and red when blocked), and a tiny button nose represented by a pinhole microphone.

Outfitted with a two-axis gimbal, the Link 2 sneers at the typical pan-and-scan of other webcams, that will crop a full-resolution image and scroll within its bounds to pseudo-track its subjects, physically turning and tilting its BD-1-like "head" and "body" to keep you at the center of its focus at all times.

Thanks to its AI tracking, the Insta360 Link 2 is like having your very own personal cameraperson with you at all times. Ready to frame your head, upper-body, or full form within its 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), gently rotating on each axis to produce more dynamic, professional results.

The included adjustable Magnetic Mount is adjustable to fit your laptop screen or monitor, and can be folded flat to sit on your desk or monitor riser without issue. The magnet itself is powerful, and the stand plenty weighty (raising the Link 2's 101.5-gram weight to 166.5 grams), meaning you won't find yourself flinging the Link 2 around your desk by accident, and a 1/4-inch mounting point on its base will allow you to easily attach a tripod for even better positioning.

Using a tripod (like, perhaps the Insta360 Mini 2-in-1 Tripod for $29) also allows you to turn the Link 2 on its side, flipping its 16:9 aspect ratio with it, and capture in social-media/smartphone-friendly 9:16 portrait orientation.

However, in this position, you will lose access to DeskView, another viewing option of Link 2 that drops the view down to your desk and flips the image for a near bird's eye view of your immediate space. It's great if you're looking to share an unboxing, showcase a hands-on demo of something, or even capture artwork or written notes.

All in all, the Link 2's design pairs exceptional build quality with impressive versatility. Whether you use it as an everyday webcam or as part of a content creation setup, there are plenty of attractive elements to Insta360's camera that elevate it far and above the generally murky, hard-to-differentiate waters of traditional webcams.

Insta360 Link 2: Video quality

The Link 2's 1/2-inch sensor (and wider f/1.8 aperture) will easily eclipse the 1/4-inch or 1/3-inch image sensor offered by your average built-in laptop webcam. The result? Better low-light capture and more dynamic range. That's the on-paper claims, anyway. Thankfully, this is one of those claims that proves to be true in practice.

Whether you choose to capture in 4K (capped at 30fps) or in 1080p and below (up to 60fps), the Link 2 delivers technically sharp pictures with impressive clarity and fine details, though a persistent grain can haunt the image if your lighting is sub-par.

Thankfully, it's not enough to spoil the webcam's otherwise crisp capture and can be minimized by tweaking the Link 2's sharpness or applying its Natural Bokeh filter within Insta360's proprietary software.

Similarly, enabling the Link 2's HDR mode is a great way to combat both low-light environments and even those with peaking lighting, forcing a balance in tones to evenly capture your appearance, whether you're fighting a strong backlight or trying to tame any peaks in brightness from a particularly strong light source in front of you.

At my desk, I'm fairly well lit up by some bright LED wall panels, so that grain only really became apparent in the more contrastingly dark corners of my background. However, for most setups, as the day ticks on and that blanket of even natural lighting fades, you'll begin to notice that grain becomes more apparent, with it at its most notable when the camera zooms in.

Pushing that zoom to its extreme (up to 4x digital), you'll be left with a picture detailed enough to pick out individual pores, catch even a single stray hair in the act of rebellion, or allow strangers to rate your setup through the very reflection of it in your own eyes. But under less than optimal lighting, you'll do so with the kind of digital static present that suggests you're being stalked by the Slender Man.

Regardless, the picture and video quality offered by the Insta360 Link 2 is so above par that it's tantamount to using a pole vault to leap over a speed bump. There's no question whether I'd choose its output over that of a laptop's built-in webcam. The difference is stark, and if I were streaming, presenting, or even looking for an affordable webcam for content creation, Insta360's webcam is the one I'd choose.

Insta360 Link 2: Sound quality

The Insta360 Link 2's pinhole microphone is one of the few weaknesses I found with the webcam. Then again, it had pretty tough competition.

My typical setup includes a HyperX QuadCast S cardioid microphone that sets a pretty high bar for audio capture. It's an unfair direct comparison to make, but it does provide a solid benchmark with which to measure the Link 2's capabilities.

Placed head-to-head against the HyperX mic, the Link 2's audio (using the default "Voice focus" mode) is tinny, but surprisingly loud and clear. Thanks to the Link 2's AI tracking, it'll almost always be facing you, which means your audio won't fluctuate too heavily if you're shifting about in front of it. And, its noise cancellation did a great job of filtering out the sound of passing cars and people from a nearby open window.

As did the Link 2's "Voice suppression" mode, which managed to elevate my voice above the background music and voices on video spilling out of my desktop speakers.

Finally, the Link 2's "Music balance" mode ditches audio filtering for pure audio capture, ideal for instrument-owning content creators who want to record multiple sound sources at once, without them fighting for dominance.

While the Link 2 didn't manage to best my standalone mic, when comparing it to the mic of my laptop, its quality was more than apparent. Compared to my laptop's mic, the Link 2's formerly tinny audio seemed much richer and clearer, though both noticeably lacked an undercurrent of bass.

While the video capture of the Link 2 offers a great deal of versatility, the audio capture is much better suited to regular webcam use. Suitable for calls and meetings, but not ideal for content creation.

Insta360 Link 2: Software and support

The Insta360 Link 2 is plug-and-play, meaning you can connect it (using the sizeable ~60-inch USB-C cable provided) to an available USB-C port on your device (or USB-A with the supplied adapter) and immediately start using it as a regular webcam.

However, if you want the best experience with access to all of the Link 2's features, you'll need to download the Insta360 Link Controller software.

It's through this software that you'll be able to enable AI tracking features; DeskView; directly capture pictures and video; make adjustments to resolution, framerate and orientation; enable HDR mode; apply filters or change backgrounds; switch audio modes; fine tune the image through manual white balance, brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness; customize camera exposure with custom curves, and greater control over ISO and shutter speed; and enable another of the Link 2's interesting features: gesture controls.

Gesture controls allow you to instruct the Link 2 from a distance, enabling and disabling AI tracking by showing an open palm, creating an "L" shape with your hand and moving it up or down to trigger an appropriate zoom, and raising two fingers to enable whiteboard mode — which will cause the Link 2 to snap its focus to a rectangular area of interest marked by four reusable QR code patches included in the box. Think DeskView, but for vertical presentation areas.

The software itself is well laid out and intuitive to use. The only major gripe I had was finding out that the advertised 60fps capture was initially absent in all resolutions, leaving me to wonder if this feature had been removed post-release. After some tinkering, I was able to re-enable high frame rate capture only after disabling the Virtual Camera setting.

During my time with the Link 2, I never had any issues that would require me to cash in on its one-year warranty. There’s not a great deal of movement involved with my setup, and the webcam build quality seems impressively solid, but for those who feel their Link 2 may receive the occasional knock or bump, Insta360 also offers two “worry-free” replacements for that year through its FlexiCare support for $11.99 extra.

Bottom line

When you get down to it, the Insta360 Link 2 isn’t your typical webcam. In fact, it almost feels like a DSLR masquerading as a PC accessory. Its quality is outstanding, its versatility is second to none, and the most dramatic change to this revision is that its price tag is lower than ever.

If you’re an original Link owner, then the improvements may not make it an essential switch. However, if you’re laboring with a webcam that's limiting you, an upgrade to the Link 2 is one you won’t regret.

Is it perfect? No. But it’s close enough to perfect that it makes the competition look like a compromise.

More from Laptop Mag

• The best webcams in 2025: The top picks, based on our real-world testing
• The 8 best webcams for streaming in 2025

Whether you're a big-time Twitch streamer or someone whose job has them hopping on and off video calls all day long, picking the best webcam for streaming is no joke.

The right webcam helps you look your best; the wrong one turns your stream into a grainy nightmare. That could make or break your stream, depending on what you're doing.

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with webcams, and I relied on my laptop to do the job for a long time. But if you don't have one of the best laptops, chances are your webcam might not be outstanding; besides, laptop webcams aren't optimized for streamers. It's time to treat yourself and your viewers to an upgrade.

Right now, the best webcam for streamers is the Elgato Facecam Pro. This is a high-end webcam that lets you stream at 4K60fps. It's exquisite, and while not cheap, it makes up for it in performance.

Want something more affordable? The Logitech HD Pro C920 can stand its ground when faced with more impressive, pricier alternatives. This one is a great pick for video calls and more casual streamers alike.

There's more to explore, including 1080p, 2K, and 4K webcams to satisfy even the most demanding of audiences. Check out some of the best webcams for streaming and give your setup a major upgrade!

Best webcams for streaming

How to choose the best webcam for streaming?

Choosing the best webcam for streaming might seem like a simple task, but unfortunately, it's really easy to pick the wrong thing and end up with something that doesn't live up to your expectations. Let's avoid that!

Check out some of my best tips for buying a webcam down below.

• What resolution do I need for streaming?
  When it comes to resolution, many believe that "bigger number is better," but that's not necessarily true. Most people won't watch your streams at 4K due to bandwidth limitations. On your end, streaming at 4K uses up bandwidth and resources, too. As such, 1080p is the sweet spot for most streamers. Steer clear of 720p—people expect crisp visuals these days.
• What extra features does my streaming webcam need?
  As a streamer, keep an extra eye for low-light performance. Unless you're planning to also buy a ring light and all that jazz, you're most likely going to stream in imperfect lighting. Your webcam needs to be able to handle that, so watch out for built-in auto exposure and noise reduction. Fast, reliable autofocus is also crucial. Lastly, solo streamers might enjoy auto-framing features to stay in the middle of the frame.
• What kind of frames per second (fps) do I need?
  Many pricier webcams will offer 60 fps, and some will offer even more. Treat 30 fps as a minimum—anything under that feels sluggish. These days, 60 fps is the sweet spot, and anything above that is largely unnecessary (but doesn't hurt to have).

FAQ

Webcams are an easy choice when it comes to streaming, although many content creators also resort to other options. I'll try to answer some of the most commonly asked questions below to help you pick the best webcam for streaming for your unique needs.

• Can I stream using just my phone?
  Yes, you absolutely can. Many phones have excellent cameras that are comparable to a webcam, although your mileage may vary depending on your model. Newer iPhones and expensive Samsungs tend to do well, but low-light performance may not be that great.
• Are there any laptops with good webcams?
  Sure, laptop webcams can do the trick for streamers, too. Some of the best laptops do a good job with their 1080p webcams. We've also reviewed laptops with the best webcam performance, too.
• Do I need a DSLR camera for streaming?
  Some established content creators use DSLR or mirrorless cameras for streaming. The quality is often outstanding, but the price point is much higher than even a high-end webcam. Unless your content specifically relies on mind-blowing stream quality, you're probably better off using a webcam or your phone.

It's back-to-school season, which means stocking up on dorm room essentials and fleshing out your tech to keep pace with a demanding year ahead.

With much of that year potentially being filled with a mix of online classes and calls to those back home, there's a real argument to be made for picking up a new webcam — especially while there are so many impressive deals available on some of the best webcams out there.

One such deal highlights the impressive Razer Kiyo, now only $45 at Amazon. The Kiyo is a full-HD webcam with a built-in ring light twist that suits your needs no matter the time of day or lighting conditions.

That's a 55% savings against this much-loved webcam's regular $99 asking price, and it's one of the biggest savings on quality webcams you're likely to find in these back-to-school sales. Let's take a closer look at the Razer Kiyo.

Razer Kiyo: Look your back-to-school best

Fantastic savings aside, the Razer Kiyo is a solid option for those looking to invest in a fantastic webcam for all environments and uses. Even if it wasn't on sale, this webcam is well worth noting to any prospective webcam buyer.

The Kiyo offers a wide 81.6-degree field of view, ensuring you'll be well-framed even closer to your cam. Its 4-megapixel 1080p resolution will provide a crisp, detailed image that has you looking your best at the other end of a call.

With autofocus, you'll never have to worry about making manual adjustments on the fly to keep things sharp, though Razer's Synapse software will allow you to make fine adjustments to the picture, ensuring colors pop and there's a clear contrast at all times.

It just wouldn't be a Razer product if it didn't have some lighting flair, and the Kiyo is no exception. While the Kiyo isn't beaming with RGB goodness, one of its unique selling points and features comes from its multi-step ring light, which eliminates any low light concerns by illuminating you with its powerful white LEDs.

Perhaps its only potential drawback is the lack of a real high-quality mic, though the Kiyo's omnidirectional offering is more than capable of maintaining clarity and audio quality across online calls and streams. While there's very little that's going to beat a dedicated microphone, the Kiyo's offering is at least above and beyond the average laptop's built-in solution.

Overall, Razer's Kiyo is a fantastic all-around option that can provide an excellent accessory that's great for video calls, streaming, online meetings, and even direct recording video. No matter what you have in mind, the Kiyo can provide.

• See our full Razer Kiyo review for more.

More great back-to-school deals on webcams

If your budget is a little broader, or you're looking for something high on function and low on price, then don't panic. The Razer Kiyo isn't the only webcam you'll find for an impressive discount this back-to-school season. In fact, it's not even the only Razer Kiyo webcam on sale.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something sweet and simple, there are a ton of webcam deals to choose from that will undoubtedly suit your needs and your budget. While you could keep it in the Kiyo family and opt for the trimmed-down Razer Kiyo X for just $39 at Amazon (a saving of over 50%), there are even more affordable options available in the back-to-school sales, including this ultra-affordable gem from Logitech.

Why should you use an external webcam as a student?

Video calls and online classes go without a hitch when you have a solid, dependable webcam to rely on that won't turn you into a pixelated mess or a dimly lit silhouette during these face-to-face moments.

Fortunately, you'll be hard-pressed to find a laptop that isn't outfitted with a webcam nowadays. Unfortunately, you can't always bank on that webcam being any good. Laptop webcams are notoriously an afterthought for many laptop manufacturers — meaning finding a laptop with a great webcam is more of a challenge than you'd assume.

Thankfully, some of the best webcams can solve all your woes entirely, offering an external option that you can use across devices and that often delivers a much brighter, smoother, and sharper picture than your built-in cam.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best webcams in 2024: Top picks based on our testing
• Best webcam deals in August 2024
• I review laptops for a living — these 3 laptops have the best webcams I've ever seen

August's back-to-school sales bring about the best webcam deals of the season. So if you're looking for an external webcam for that laptop you got over the holidays, you don't have to spend a fortune. Several retailers are marking down prices on today's best webcams from Logitech, Microsoft, Razer, and more.

For many of us, working or studying from home means video conferencing on our laptops daily. In some instances, several times a day. The right webcam will enhance your video and sound quality during meetings be it Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom.

For a limited time, you can get our favorite overall webcam, the Logitech HD Pro C920 for $49 ($50 off) at Amazon. In our Logitech C920 webcam review we praise its sharp, clear photos and video via its 1080p auto-focusing camera. We gave it a solid rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and named it the Editor's Choice laptop camera. 

During real-world tests, we captured images with the C920 in our lab. We were floored by its image clarity, detail, and color accuracy. Video chatting and recordings were also crystal clear. 

If you're looking for a budget-friendly webcam for your laptop, the Logitech C920 HD Pro is a sensible choice. See my favorite webcam deals from around the web. 

Best webcam deals — Quick links

• Logitech HD Pro C920 Wecbcam: $99 $49 @ Amazon
• Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam: $69 $54 @ Amazon
• Microsoft LifeCam Studio Webcam: $99 $69 @ Staples
• Razer Kiyo Streaming Webcam: $99 $59 @ Amazon
• Razer Kiyo Pro Webcam: $199 $119 @ Amazon
• Logitech Creators StreamCam: $150 $133 @ Walmart
• Shop: Today's best webcam deals @ Amazon
• Shop: Today's best webcam deals @ Best Buy
• Shop: Today's best webcam deals @ Staples
• Shop: Today's best webcam deals @ Walmart

Best webcam deals

Amazon Prime Day is here, and Prime Day webcam deals include some incredible discounts. Amazon's sale is a great opportunity to buy a webcam for your laptop or desktop without hurting your wallet. 

The most notable discount is on our favorite overall webcam. The Logitech HD Pro C920 is now on sale at Amazon for $49 ($50 off). Our Logitech C920 webcam review praised its sharp, clear photos and video via its 1080p auto-focusing camera. We gave it a 4.5-star rating and named it the Editor's Choice laptop camera. 

During real-world tests, we captured images with the C920 in our lab. We were floored by its image clarity, detail, and color accuracy. Video chatting and recordings were also crystal clear. 

If you need an external webcam for your laptop, the Logitech C920 HD Pro is the one to buy. 

Prime Day sales officially run through July 17, so after you peruse the webcam deals, check out our Amazon Prime Day deals hub for discounts on laptops, tablets, headphones, and more.

Prime Day deals on webcams  — Quick links

• Shop: Today's Amazon webcam deals
• Logitech C270 HD: $39 $18 @ Amazon
• Logitech HD Pro C920: $99 $49 @ Amazon
• Razer Kiyo: $99 $44 @ Amazon
• Logitech C930e: $129 $99 @ Amazon

Prime Day webcam deals

Setting yourself up for a video call can take a while. To get the frame just right, you may need to stack your laptop on some books, adjust your webcam’s angle, shift your chair a little, and the list goes on. Even trickier is maintaining this frame on a lengthy conference. One move for the water bottle or the whiteboard behind you can hamper it in an instant. What if your computer’s webcam could follow you? 

With the help of smart software and hardware, your webcam can automatically keep you in the frame even when you move or go outside of its field of view. In addition to apps that can intelligently crop the scene to anchor your face in the center, some of the best webcams can even physically turn to shadow your movements. 

Here are the best options for a Mac and a Windows PC. 

Windows 11

Due to the spike in the use of video conferencing tools, many new PCs now ship with an auto-framing function built in. It’s part of Microsoft's Windows Studio effects, alongside the ability to add background blur and cut background noises, and therefore, doesn’t require you to download any additional software. 

Windows’ auto-framing tool is enabled artificially by machine learning algorithms and requires a special NPU (Neural Processing Unit) chip. It’s typically only found on recent models, such as Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 9 and the latest Lenovo ThinkBook notebooks. 

To activate automatic framing on Windows 11, visit Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Camera and select the camera you prefer on video calls. Under “Camera effects,” toggle the “Automatic framing” option to “Enabled.” 

Now, your Windows PC will continuously crop and zoom the frame to ensure it’s focused on you when you stand up or move around on your chair. It will work irrespective of the video call service you are on and you don’t need to tweak any extra settings inside the app itself. 

If your laptop doesn’t qualify for Windows 11’s official auto-framing feature and is equipped with an Nvidia GPU, you can alternatively try the free Broadcast app. Similar to the Window Studio effects, Nvidia Broadcast offers several, AI-powered enhancements for video calls. 

In addition to automatic framing, it can reduce background noise, and surprisingly, synthetically edit your feed to reposition your eyes so that they are facing the camera even when you are, say, looking away to read your notes. It’s in beta at the moment and can be a hit or miss, though. 

macOS

Starting from the macOS Sonoma update, Apple also offers auto-framing on its computers out of the box. It calls it “Center Stage” and like Windows 11, it too leverages machine learning to keep you in frame on video calls. Since it’s integrated natively on macOS, it’s compatible with any conferencing platform, including web-based apps like Google Meet. 

There is a catch, however. Center Stage is only available on Apple Silicon Macs with a built-in webcam such as MacBooks or when you repurpose your iPhone as your computer’s camera via the Continuity Camera option. Therefore, it won’t work with an external webcam. 

There’s not much you need to do to opt into Center Stage. Go to the video app of your choice and activate the webcam either by navigating into the settings or joining a test meeting. Once you do that, a green camcorder will show up on the menu bar at the top. Click that and then select “Center Stage” so that its icon will turn green. Your webcam will immediately begin tracking your head, irrespective of the video conferencing service you use. 

Third-party options (macOS, Windows 11)

In case your computer doesn’t support Microsoft’s or Apple’s built-in auto-framing utility, you can then turn to third-party software such as Camo Studio. 

Camo Studio is best known as a way to transform iOS and Android phones into desktop webcams. But it also offers a range of editing tools you can deploy to precisely personalize how your feed looks on calls. One of them is auto-framing. Unlike Windows Studio and Center Stage, Camo even lets you select whether you want it to automatically pan to your upper body or just your face. For those who don’t want the feed to constantly move around, you can also recalibrate manually with a click. 

While the majority of Camo’s features are free, auto-framing is not. It will cost you a monthly $9 subscription or $4.1/month if you pay annually. You can download it on a Mac and a Windows PC. 

Once you have subscribed to Camo Studio, you can open the app, select your webcam from the device dropdown at the top left, and scroll to find the “Framing” section. 

Insta360 Link Webcam

Because the auto-framing enhancements we’ve outlined so far are software-based, their results can be choppy at times. They also at times end up compromising image quality while cropping and zooming to keep you in frame. 

For the best outcome, you’ll need the $299 Insta360 Link Webcam (typically available for $249). It comes mounted on a near-360-degree motorized gimbal that can physically swivel to follow you and always keep you in frame and focus. Its AI engine offers a couple of other handy tricks. You can easily execute actions like pan or zoom with hand gestures, for example. Apart from that, it features a 4K camera sensor and a pair of noise-cancelling mics. 

While it is certainly an investment, it is a phenomenal webcam that earned 4.5 stars and an Editor's Choice award in our review.

I’ve had the same gripe with laptop webcams for years. They work fine indoors, but once I step out of the confines of my well-lit home office, they don’t hold up. At cafes and airport lounges, I’m often scrambling to find a sweet spot where my laptop’s webcam doesn’t turn me into a shadow against a bright window or overly soften features in dim areas, and usually, I fail. Can Opal’s Tadpole webcam be the solution? 

Laptop webcams have come a long way and in general, they no longer make us look like we’re speaking from an underground bunker. Even Apple, after decades of shipping a poor 720p webcam, upgraded it in late 2021. Yet, there’s only so much manufacturers can fit in slim notebook bezels. For remote workers, especially, most laptop webcams still fall short in even somewhat challenging conditions, they can’t match the quality we’re used to on our smartphones. Besides, most external webcams aren't travel-friendly, nor laptop-friendly. This is where Opal’s new Tadpole steps in. 

Tadpole comes from a new startup called Opal -- backed by tech luminaries, including founders of Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube and influencers like Casey Neistat. It offers a fresh, modern take on webcams -- one that’s easy to carry, doesn’t sprawl across the top of your machine or has a giant, ugly clasp. It’s a tiny, high-end webcam built exclusively to be pinned on notebooks and comes equipped with a bunch of unique perks, such as a capacitive mute button right on the USB plug. 

Despite these, though, $175 can feel like a tall ask, given you can now just use your phone as a webcam instead. I carried around the Opal Tadpole for over a month with me. Here’s whether it’s worth it. 

Opal Tadpole: Price and availability

While the full retail price for the Opal Tadpole is $175, if you shop around a little (we make that easy with our links above) you will find it for around $130. It's still a premium price point, but far cheaper than many 4K webcams that we've tested and it is hard to put a price on the size advantage the Tadpole offers.

While some of our picks for the best webcams come in under $100, for its typical $130 price, the Opal Tadpole is an excellent value for its unmatched blend of size and image quality.

Opal Tadpole: Design

Tadpole is engineered by former Apple designers and it shows. It reminds me of the iPod Shuffle, with its compact and minimal squared design. It looks as if someone stuck a camera sensor to a clip attachment. The all-aluminium exterior is well-refined (the clip is plastic) and at 35 grams, it’s light enough to not put any strain on your laptop’s lid. 

A thick braided cable juts out from the back of the Tadpole and goes through a neat, little cable organizer that allows you to comfortably adjust its length without turning your setup into a mess. There’s also an LED light on the front to indicate when the camera is active. 

Another clever design tidbit is the USB-C port itself. One of its sides houses a magnet so you can stick it to the webcam and create a loop to hang it on, say, your laptop bag. Though Opal bundles a silicon cover for the webcam in the box, you can also purchase the cute, optional $25 “yoyo” travel case that adds both protection and an extra bit of style when you are carrying it. 

Irrespective of what you think of the Tadpole’s aesthetics, the one thing it is for certain is a head-turner. Nearly every other day, a stranger in public or a friend asks me about the Tadpole when I pull it out of its case. It’s also remarkably convenient to use and travel with. It doesn’t take up much space, clips on and off in an instant, and looks sleek.

While the 35-degree clip will prevent you from mounting the Tadpole on most desktop monitors, I didn’t face any trouble pinning it on top of my slim monitor. The problem is the ~22-inch cable is too short to reach the computer’s USB port. 

Opal Tadpole: Video quality

None of the rest would matter, of course, if the Tadpole can’t beat my laptop’s built-in camera, and it does — so much so the people I spoke to frequently noticed and commented on it. The jump in quality is close to switching from an old feature phone to a smartphone. 

Tadpole is equipped with a 48-megapixel Sony sensor, which you can find on three-year-old Samsung phones, and an f/1.8 lens. No built-in traditional laptop webcam comes close to those specs. It captures sharper, more vibrant details and does a far better job of balancing the scene’s highlights and shadows. Most laptop webcams, like the latest MacBook Air, have a soft and flat image quality by comparison. 

Plus, there’s more depth in Tadpole’s results, again similar to what you’ll experience on a smartphone camera. What I especially like about the Tadpole is how it manages to retain my face’s features, unlike the washed-out and overly exposed results I get on my MacBook's webcam. 

While it makes a good lighting scenario even better, the Opal Tadpole particularly shines in challenging scenarios. If I’m sitting against a bright window, for example, Tadpole doesn’t let the light bleed into the rest of the frame and produce an awkward halo around my face. It controls it while keeping me in focus. This extends to low-light scenarios, where it, like a phone camera, takes advantage of whatever light you have available (like the screen) to highlight your facial details, unlike a typical laptop webcam that will produce a soft, grainy mess. 

The only concern I have with the Opal Tadpole is on long calls (~1h+), it does tend to heat up and though it never crashed, I’m worried whether it could have an adverse effect on the laptop’s screen. However, I've yet to experience any issues and a search among other Opal Tadpole users and reviewers doesn't turn up any such problems.

Opal Tadpole: Sound quality

The Tadpole also has what Opal calls a “Visimic.” It’s a directional mic, which means it only picks up the sound in the webcam’s field of view. So say you’re at a cafe, it should theoretically just hear you i.e. the person sitting in front of it and not the strangers bantering at the table next to you. It’s a neat idea and works nearly as Opal intended. 

Most of the time in my testing, Tadpole’s mic did well to cut out background noise and capture crisp audio. However, it can be inconsistent, and even when I adjust a bit in my seat while speaking, it sometimes fails to pick up my voice altogether, resulting in a break in audio for the other person. For now, I’ll stick to my noise-cancelling earbuds, and turn to the Visimic only if I accidentally forget them at home. 

I also wished the Tadpole’s mute switch was more versatile. To shrink the webcam to the tiniest possible size, Opal outfitted the USB plug with a touch button that’s hardwired to mute its built-in mic. This means you can’t use it to, say, mute yourself on Zoom if you have not selected Visimic as your preferred mic input. 

Opal Tadpole: Software and support

Opal’s first webcam, C1, was mired in software troubles. It was cumbersome to set up and only worked on a Mac. With Tadpole, Opal did a complete 180. You plug it in and it’s ready to go right away on macOS or Windows. There are no annoying software pop-ups, nor do you need to download any extra plug-ins. It shows up on all major video-conferencing platforms I tried, including Google Meet’s website, and Cisco WebEx. 

That said, Opal’s companion app for C1, Composer is available for Tadpole, but it’s still only compatible with macOS. It lets you tweak a host of settings, from adjusting your video feed’s bokeh to layer it with text and effects. 

The Opal Tadpole comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Bottom line

The Opal Tadpole delivers on its promises. For $175 (usually on sale for $130), it’s the sharpest laptop webcam you can buy and nearly half the price of other 4K webcams. Its plug-and-play experience as well as compact design makes it a no-brainer for people who are often on video calls on the go. 

At the same time, though, it’s easier than ever to turn your smartphone’s even more capable camera into a webcam with features like Apple's Continuity Camera. But if that’s not an option for you either because you prefer to preserve your phone’s battery life on the road or you find mounting it a hassle, the Tadpole is an outstanding standalone option. 

While some of the latest MacBooks boast improved webcams, even those pale in comparison to the cameras in your iPhone, and thanks to Continuity Camera in macOS Ventura you can now easily use your iPhone as your webcam.

This new feature is great for content creators too — taking advantage of features like portrait mode, a studio light that illuminates your face, and a Desk View that uses the ultra-wide lens to capture everything you do with your hands too.

We'll walk you through a few easy steps to set up Continuity Camera, and some tweaks to get it perfect, but then you will be on your way. One quick FYI: you will need a macOS system (desktop or laptop) with macOS Ventura installed and an iPhone XR or later with iOS 12 or later installed. Both these devices need to be connected to the same Apple ID.

How to set up Continuity Camera

Setting up Continuity Camera is super quick once you have your Mac and iPhone updated. Find a tripod, MagSafe stand, or somewhere to lean your iPhone that gets the right angle. A good option is Belkin's iPhone mount with MagSafe.

1. Now, open an app on your MacBook that will use the camera or microphone (Apple suggests something like PhotoBooth or FaceTime).

2. Once you're ready to start taking photos or recording videos, open the app's settings and choose your iPhone as your input camera.

For my test, I used PhotoBooth. Heading over to the toolbar, I selected "camera," and saw my iPhone as an option. Now that you're connected, you can control your iPhone's camera using the PhotoBooth app to take photos or videos.  

One word of warning, keep an eye on your iPhone's battery. Continuity Camera can be quite a drain, especially when making a longer video. In these situations, I'd urge you to plug in into your iPhone, to keep it topped up.

What else can you do with Continuity Camera?

Now that you've used Continuity Camera to turn your iPhone into a webcam, your Mac will start to automatically recognize your iPhone as a camera input once you open different video recording apps like FaceTime. 

But while it works across all first-party apps, third-party support is a little patchy at the moment. Google Meet recognized it as an option, and I was able to use my iPhone microphones for audio, but it refused to connect to my iPhone's camera. 

Obviously, with any new feature it can take time for third-party support to work out the bugs, but in the coming weeks it should improve.

Why isn't Continuity Camera working?

If you struggle to use or set up Continuity Camera, here are some troubleshooting tips from Apple and my own experiences.

Don't just plow ahead without checking that your devices meet the hardware requirements and are properly updated. If you've ticked those boxes and are still having issues with the MacBook, iMac or Mac Mini recognizing your iPhone you can also plug your phone directly. 

If that doesn't fix your problem, here are some other potential problems to check:

1. Head to Settings and ensure both devices are connected to the same Apple ID.

2. in Settings, make sure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and two-factor authentication are turned on. 

3. Open Settings on your iPhone, go to General, then AirPlay & Handoff. In here, make sure the Continuity Camera switch is turned on.

These should fix any issues you may face, but if you come across any other problems, hit us up on Twitter and we'll try to solve your problem and update our guide to help others as well.

Webcams have become a far more vital tool over the last few years as remote work has risen to greater prominence. As such, we've finally seen some progress in what had been a fairly stagnant category. The Insta360 Link is a perfect example of this as the company, known for its 360-degree cameras and action cameras, now delivers a new webcam with an amazing half-inch sensor and a built-in gimbal.

The $299 price means this isn't going to be the webcam for everyone, but the outstanding 4K image quality coupled with a variety of unique features enabled by the gimbal such as AI tracking, portrait mode, desktop view and more should make it a compelling option for educators, streamers, and presenters.

Overall, the Insta360 Link webcam makes a strong case for itself among the best webcams, so read on to see if it's the right solution for you.

Insta360 Link webcam price and availability

At $299 the Insta360 Link is quite a bit pricier than the typical webcams we recommend to spruce up your Zoom or Google Meet chats, but it absolutely earns that price tag for the right buyers. Teachers, streamers, and business users may be swayed to find room in their budgets for this unique webcam.

In the box with the Insta360 Link are four reusable whiteboard recognition markers, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, and a cleaning cloth.

The Insta360 Link is available starting today at Insta360 and select retailers.

Insta360 Link webcam design

The base of the Insta360 Link looks like a pretty standard webcam with a 1/4-inch mount on the bottom and the common folding screen clip design to place it above your laptop screen or monitor. From there, things get quite a bit different. 

The key to many of the Insta360 Link's features is the gimbal that the camera is mounted on, allowing it to actually follow you rather than simply cropping the image and zooming in as you get with many modern webcams or Apple's Center Stage. This means that you have no quality degradation when using the AI Tracking mode, as it still delivers the full resolution image. 

The gimbal moves smoothly and reliably, also enabling a privacy mode that points the camera down when not in use. Beyond its AI Tracking mode, the gimbal also allows you to switch to a desktop or top-down mode depending on how you have the Insta360 Link mounted. If you are doing a how-to demonstration or you're a streamer that wants the camera in portrait mode, those are just a click away with no need to touch the camera.

While I think given its design, price, and intended use case that most will have it mounted on an arm or a tripod, it would make me nervous to just hang it off a monitor or laptop. Despite its diminutive size and weight, the gimbal feels robust, but a fall from 2-3 feet onto a hard desktop would make me wince. Similarly, the lack of a case makes it a tough choice if you need to travel with your webcam as the exposed gimbal likely wouldn't hold up being tossed in a laptop bag.

Insta360 Link webcam video quality and sound

The image quality from the Insta360 Link is startlingly good. I typically use a Logitech C920, our top recommendation for most people and an excellent webcam, but the 1/2-inch sensor in the Link makes me feel like I've mounted my Panasonic GH5 DSLR as a webcam again. Except that, instead of having to install special software, drivers, and pass the camera through an Elgato HD60 S+, I only had to plug in a single USB-C cable. The Link offers up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps) or 1080p or 720p resolution at up to 60 fps.

I have reasonable lighting in my office, but I prefer working in dimmer lighting, which makes for a very noisy webcam image. Not so with the Link. Even without activating its HDR mode, it delivers sharp and clear stills or video with minimal lighting.

If I do decide to flood my office with light, the Insta360 Link adjusts quickly with reliable auto exposure. If you want complete control over your image, you can turn off the auto exposure and make granular adjustments to compensation, white balance, brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. I never had an issue with the default settings, as it rendered my skin tone and the colors in my room accurately. However, while experimenting with the manual settings, the camera adjusts quickly so you aren't left waiting after making a change.

In the samples above, you can see the subtle red-orange on the boxed Calvin & Hobbes collection behind me, while the camera has once again called me out for failing to shave today. The sharp capture even managed to reveal some of the unruly hairs that escaped my comb. In the second example, I didn't change anything about the lighting but switched to HDR mode so you can see it artificially pushes the light up a bit and adds more contrast. For the final sample, I cranked my front lighting up considerably, which is probably the look most will prefer.

The Insta360 Link features a pair of noise-cancelling mics that managed to block out some lawnmowers and leaf blowers that inevitably were fired up as I started a conference call. They reported that they couldn't hear a thing in the background, so all goals were met on that front and again it keeps the setup dead simple as I don't need to run a separate mic. 

Insta360 Link webcam software and support

The Insta360 Link can be plug-and-play if you are in a hurry with support for Windows 8 or later or macOS 10.10 and up. Just plug the USB-C cable into the camera and the USB-A cable into your computer and you'll be up and running in seconds. 

However, for the best experience, you will want to install the Insta360 Link Controller app, which gives you the ability to apply firmware updates to the camera and offers full control over its extensive features. The image quality alone is compelling, but this is where the Link really sets itself apart.

From within the app, you can set the camera to follow you with its AI Tracking mode, which will smoothly track you whether you are seated or if you are getting up and moving around your space. You can select whether it should zoom in to your head, half body, or your whole body depending on your setup. 

For teachers or presenters, you can use the gesture controls to shift from tracking mode to "whiteboard" mode, which will then zoom in on your whiteboard using those four tracking markers that I mentioned were in the box earlier. When you're done at the board, you just hold up your palm and the camera shifts back to tracking you. 

In my experience, this all worked quickly and reliably, but you can also opt to set gimbal positions if you prefer and then click to move among a collection of preset sets as needed.

Need to show something on your desktop? There is both a desktop view that angles the gimbal to show your workspace and an overhead view that offers a full top-down look. Finally, you can switch to a portrait mode shot without having to adjust the camera, which is great if you are broadcasting to platforms that use vertical video.

The Insta360 Link comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Bottom Line

If you are simply looking for a webcam that will look better than the 720p camera built into your laptop, the Insta360 Link will absolutely achieve that goal, but you can get there with some of the webcams at or below the $100 mark. However, the half-inch sensor in the Link is going to outperform all of those webcams if you regularly find yourself in low-light conditions, and then you get its unique features as a webcam with a built-in gimbal.

The Insta360 Link makes a strong case for itself as the best webcam for streamers, educators, and presenters. The AI tracking and autofocus are spot on, meaning you can just get in front of the camera and go without having to constantly check whether you have things framed properly or if the camera is in focus. While I've seen bulkier and more expensive "professional" webcams that offer tracking, the Link achieves these results in an incredibly compact design and for hundreds less than those conferencing solutions. 

Other than the lack of a case to make traveling with the Link more convenient, I have little that Insta360 could have done to make this webcam better. While it isn't the right choice for everyone given the cost, from an image quality and feature standpoint, it is the best webcam I have used to date. For those that can make use of its unique features, it belongs on your shortlist. 

Apple’s iPhones have some of the best cameras in the smartphone market, however, that hasn’t always been the case for MacBooks and iMacs. While the latest models have improved in this regard, owners of older models and anyone that just wants the best possible image quality will still want to turn to an  external webcam for their meetings instead. 

If you are one of these unsatisfied customers, you have probably thought about or already bought an external webcam. Although most webcams are plug-and-play, you still need to learn a few things before using an external webcam for your FaceTime meetings.

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First, you need to make sure that the webcam you buy is compatible with macOS. You should also check the resolution of your external webcam and compare it with your Mac’s webcam resolution. If you are looking for the best possible image we recommend a 1080p webcam (4K is still overkill for most users), but keep in mind resolution isn’t everything, a 1080p external webcam with a larger image sensor will outperform the 1080p webcam in the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro. Other factors you should consider are the materials of the webcam, portability, mounting options, and more.

Installing an external webcam on macOS for FaceTime

1. Before you can work on your external webcam, you first need to check whether your macOS laptop or desktop has the proper port for it. This varies depending on the webcam you choose and could be USB-A, USB-C, Thunderbolt or DisplayPort. If you don’t have an available slot, or your computer doesn’t have the proper port, you’ll first need an adapter or if this is going to be used at your desk consistently then consider a MacBook docking station.

2. Plug in your webcam and open FaceTime. Allow your computer to load for a moment as it connects to your integrated webcam. 

3. Next, click “Video” on the menu bar at the top of your screen.

4. Under “Cameras”, select the external webcam you plugged in. Wait for FaceTime to load again as it switches video sources. That’s it; you are now using an external webcam for FaceTime.

Great news if you're shopping around for a sub-$100 Full HD external webcam for your laptop.

For a limited time, you can get the Razer Kiyo Pro for $99 at the Microsoft Store. Typically, it retails for $199, so that's $100 in savings or 50% off for you number crunchers.

Amazon has it for the same price. 

• Shop: Microsoft's entire sale
• More: Best webcam deals

Razer manufactures some of the industry's best gaming-specific laptops and peripherals. The 2.1-megapixl Kiyo Pro shoots 1080p video at up to 60fps which makes it great webcam for streamers. 

As we highlight in our Razer Kiyo Pro review, this webcam delivers solid 1080p video and photo quality, which is further enhanced by HDR. Other notable features include a privacy cover, decent mic, and useful companion app. We gave the Razer Kiyo Pro an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

During real world testing, we found the picture quality balances color and contrast very well. Easy to set up, the Kiyo Pro affixes to your laptop or monitor and connects via USB 3.0. An L-shaped mount lets you pan the webcam 360 degrees or tilt 90 degrees.

So if you're looking for a solid external webcam for your laptop, the Razer Kiyo Pro fits the bill.

Anker’s PowerConf C200 2k webcam is stylish, sturdy, affordable ($69.99), and comes with a physical shutter to keep the creeps out. Since the hybrid work environment has become a staple for the modern workforce, makers have been saturating the webcam market. 

The main reason webcams are still very popular is because most laptop webcams only produce images in 720p and lack clarity, color, and low-light performance in most cases. We’re starting to see FHD (1920 x 1080) cameras in some premium laptops, but most of these still fall short. A good webcam can make a massive difference, especially if you’re working or attending school from home and conducting many video meetings a day or streaming professionally. 

Anker’s PowerConf C200 is affordable at just $69, features excellent build quality, a plug-and-play setup, plus software to fine-tune your user experience.It offers comparable quality and ability to the Logitech HD C920 which has sat comfortably atop our best webcams list for far too long or the Razer Kiyo Pro, with both offering lower resolution. Where will the Anker PowerConf C200 end up ranking? Read on to find out if this new Anker PowerConf C200 will finally dethrone the Logitech C920.

Anker PowerConf C200 webcam price and compatibility

Anker’s PowerConf C200 webcam costs $69.99. In the box, you will find the C200, a USB-C to USB-A cable, and the user manual.  

Compatible with Windows 11 and macOS, it works with all your popular video conferencing apps like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. I even used it to live stream via OBS streaming software. 

Several webcam makers are now making 4K webcams or 4K conference cams but in most cases like with the Nexigo N970P,  Meeting Owl Pro, Coolpo AI-Huddle, you’re looking at spending between $200 to nearly $1,000, to get high quality, wide-angle, color-accurate video and images. If you’re just a small business owner or a family on a budget, that can be cost-prohibitive and a struggle.

Anker PowerConf C200 webcam design

The 2 x 1.6 x 2.2-inch, all-black rectangular oval Anker PowerConf C200 has a nice unique curved design that feels sturdier in the hand than its 7-ounce weight should feel. The plastic is strong as I dropped it several times on purpose, squeezed it with my massive gorilla strength hands, and didn’t damage it at all.

Its large lens area feels like an all-knowing eye is staring you down.

On top of the webcam, we find the slide switch for the physical security shutter that keeps unwanted eyes out. I like that the security shutter is bright orange so you know it has been engaged.

Below the lens is a tiny LED indicator light that signals when the camera’s on, and beneath the lens, we find the two noise-canceling omnidirectional microphones. On the rear is the USB-C port and on the bottom, we find the flexible display mount with a rubberized interior to protect your devices. There is also a standard tripod screw mount beneath the flexible mount.

Anker PowerConf C200 webcam video and audio quality

What’s wonderfully disturbing about this Anker webcam is that it is on a par or superior to many of the far pricier webcams I have reviewed in the past two years. I have one small issue with the C200 overall and will address it shortly. 

I set the C200 up above my desktop monitor and cracked open Google Meet for an afternoon meeting and the image was totally on point. The colors were accurately saturated, and the image was clear and crispier than my freshly starched Calvin Klein button-down shirt. That was under the normal ring light-powered lighting of my curtained office space. After my meeting, I changed shirts, took a couple of photos using the Microsoft camera app, and got some nice photos out of it.

The autofocus on the C200 is blazing fast, and I only caught it once taking more than a fraction of a second to adjust during a low-light scenario.

That was the easy stuff, I then started a Zoom call with my daughter because it is almost payday and I wanted to call her before she called me. She immediately commented that she loved the way the Anker webcam rendered video, even though I had turned off the lights she didn’t notice it struggling at all with the low-light conditions nor see any distortion or pixelation, and neither did I. Also the image remained color-accurate which is also another point for the C200 as sometimes in low-light situations you will notice color degradation as some cameras will struggle with having less light to work with. 

Overall the Anker PowerConf C200 is one of the better performing webcams I have reviewed in the past two years, when you take into consideration its price, portability and image quality, it's hard to beat. However, everything has an Achilles’ heel, and the C200’s is its microphones. Don't get me wrong, they’re very functional, in either 90-degree directional or 180-degree omnidirectional mode. And the noise-canceling works very well, but therein lies the rub. The noise-canceling works too well and as I have experienced with some earbuds, there's a bit too much noise cancelation, so the audio can sound overly digitized, and sometimes choppy. It seems like an issue that can be addressed in a firmware update, but as it stands it could be an issue for those that rely on the built-in noise cancellation. If Anker can fix this minor issue, the C200 could be the number one webcam on the market.

Anker PowerConf C200 webcam software

Anker’s PowerConf C200 is plug-and-play all-day every day. Pop its USB-C cable into the back of the webcam, then the USB-A into your computer or USB hub and you can hop into video meetings right away. You can download the company’s AnkerWork software for free if you want more advanced options.

The software gives finer control over the C200 allowing for adjustments to the resolution, the angle width, frame (65, 78, 95 degrees), brightness, color saturation, sharpness, and contrast. You can also adjust the audio angle from 180 degrees omnidirectional to a directional pickup of 90 degrees. The app is very user-friendly and you will find yourself making quick adjustments and moving on with your day. If that sounds like a hassle you can just leave the settings as they are since right out of the box, the image and video are beautiful. 

The Anker PowerConf C200 comes with an 18-month warranty.

Bottom Line

The Anker PowerConf C200 is a bargain, that delivers high-quality images, and video for a fraction of the cost of many other webcams and conference cams. I include it within the conference cam realm because of its versatile adjustable field of view which grants users the ability to go from 65 degrees to 95 degrees, which is wide enough for a small conference room. 

For $69.99 you’re getting a webcam that delivers crisp images that are color accurate in normal and low-light conditions with super-fast autofocus. If Anker finds a way to fix the tiny audio issue, it will jump to the top of our best webcams. 

With one of a half-dozen free programs, you can use your laptop to monitor your living space through its built-in camera. Most programs are free but simplistic. For advanced functionality, you can pay for additional features from the likes of Yawcam (what we’re using today), iSpy, SecuritySpy, and others.

I chose Yawcam because it seemed to offer quite a bit of functionality for free. But, if you’re looking for more, such as FTP-upload, you can always fork over a few bucks for the premium version.

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How to turn your laptop into a home security system

Before we begin, there’s some setup we’ll have to do to our laptop’s power saver settings. This keeps the laptop webcam from shutting off and provides an always-on interface to monitor our home environment. We’re going to save power still by dimming our screen until it goes dark, and only waking the webcam with motion — one of Yawcam’s settings.

1. Click the battery icon in the bottom right corner of your screen to bring up the power saver menu.

2. Click Power & sleep settings.

3. Choose Never from the dropdown that controls power while plugged in.

Setup

From here, we can start setting up the software and testing our home security camera.

1. Download Yawcam and install the program.

2. From the Yawcam console, choose the Settings tab.

3. Navigate to Device > Change to and select integrated camera.

4. Choose how you’d like to output the imagery whether File (saved to location), FTP (uploaded to server), HTTP (uploaded to web), or Stream. I chose File for testing purposes.

5. From the Window tab, select Motion detection.

6. Go to the Actions tab and click Settings next to Save video.

7. Choose a file location to store your images in, and click OK.

8. Check the box next to Save image and then close the window.

9. From the Yawcam console, select enable next to Motion.

Windows 10 Security and Networking

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For better or worse, people are playing tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons now more than ever since we have nothing better to do at home during the coronavirus pandemic. But playing D&D online isn’t the same as playing it in the flesh with your best friends. However, if you have a good webcam and a decent setup, playing online can be as seamless as playing in person. If none of this is new to you, check out our larger DND Tips page for more advice on D&D 5e and other TTRPGs.

Here’s everything you need to set up webcams for your D&D online game at home, and how to best utilize your desktop space to ensure you’re not missing a second of those beautiful people on screen. 

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• How do I engage my players?

Which webcam should you buy?

First and foremost, if you don’t have a webcam, I highly recommend taking a tour down our best webcams page. If you want to make the most out of your D&D online experience, I strongly suggest picking up a quality webcam, although some options can be quite pricey.

I’m rocking the Logitech Brio, which produces beautiful 4K video and lets you customize the visuals via the Logitech G Hub app. That way, the camera can zoom in on my facial expressions and I can ensure that the contrast on my face is well balanced. However, this camera costs a whopping $200.

It is my firm belief that no one should pay $200 for a webcam, so consider looking at the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, which you can find for just under $90. You won’t get 4K video, but you’ll get 1080p and a wide field of view, which is good enough for showing your gorgeous face off to your D&D group.

If you’re looking for something that’s not as colorful but will deliver sharp visuals anyway, check out the Logitech HD Webcam C310. It’s only capable of 720p video, but it’s surprisingly sharp, providing enough detail to give away your facial expressions and mannerisms, which is the important part. It doesn’t work well in low-light, but it costs only $32, so it’s well worth the price.

Here’s how to set up webcams for D&D online

Some people use Skype or Zoom, but I use Discord for a number of reasons. Apart from a seamless webcam experience, you can use Discord to separate channels for roleplay, maps or word puzzles.

If you’re in a Discord Server, here’s the easiest way to set up webcams and make it so you’re always focused on the players:

Step 1: Click on one of the voice channels

Step 2: Click on the Video button. This will get everyone connected.

Step 3: Click on the Pop-Out button (next to the Fullscreen button). This will allow you to separate chat and video, so you don’t have to lose your player’s reactions.

Step 4: Adjust the window just below your webcam, so you’re looking into the webcam when you’re actually looking at the webcam.

Step 5: Once you’ve cleared up a comfortable area for your webcam window, click on the symbol of the pin. This’ll ensure that the window stays on top of all other programs, so you don’t have to keep tabbing out just to get a look at a player’s reactions.

If you’re playing D&D with the aid of PC games like Tabletop Simulator, make sure to put the game in windowed mode. Otherwise, you’ll experience some wonky issues when trying to get your video chat window pinned.

And, of course, not everyone has the desktop space to pin video chat windows, so we recommend picking up an additional monitor. You can find some really affordable ones on our best cheap monitors page. And if you’re looking for something a little fancier, check out our best cheap gaming monitor deals page.

In today's hybrid work environment, access to a high-quality webcam to handle your video conferencing needs is a must. The Nexigo N970P 4K webcam offers small business users clear UHD 4K video and a robust feature set typically reserved for more expensive conference room cameras for a fraction of the cost, at $200.  

With the ability to film in 4K UHD at 30 frames per second, the N970P delivers crisp detail, vibrant colors, and great low-light performance. However,  I did find that the AI focus and panning could be laggy at times as it struggled to follow its subject.

Overall, the Nexigo N970P 4K webcam is a solid contender for our best webcams page thanks to its excellent quality for the price.

Nexigo N970P 4K webcam price and compatibility

The Nexigo N970P isn’t going to win a beauty contest with its basic silver and black design over a hard-plastic shell, even if there are some neat silver elements near its lens. While it’s a tired design, substance over style is a win when it comes to peripherals.

The large lens is centered within the unit and has a silver-painted star that reminds me of the eye of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings; I like it. The adjustable, foldable mount provides excellent resistance and gets a firm grip on your monitor.

You will find a built-in 1/4-20 tripod mount on the bottom if you don’t want to mount the Nexigo on your monitor.

Overall, the unit has a substantial feel, thanks to its size-to-weight ratio. On the back of the unit, there’s a USB Type-B port, which lets you connect directly to your PC or laptop. The N970P comes with a remote, which allows you to control the zoom, pan, focus, backlight, and menu features. In the box, we find a 9.5-foot USB 3.0 Type-B cable that’s sturdy and thick.

Nexigo N970P 4K webcam video quality and sound

The Nexigo N970P can shoot in 4K at 30 frames per second, which places it on par with the Konftel Cam 20, but that’s not all it can do. It comes with video conference camera features, such as multiple subject auto-framing focus, excellent low-light performance, crystal clear image quality, and nicely saturated colors. For $200, that’s a lot of power when you consider that the Konftel Cam 20 costs nearly $200 more, and the Meeting Owl Pro will run you about $1,000. The Nexigo gently dips into both of those conference cameras feature sets for a cheaper price. 

I recorded video using Microsoft's camera app, and the footage was comparable to some mirrorless cameras I have used to record footage directly to my laptop. The 10x zoom feature works nicely and gets close to the subject without pixelating the image. 

The N970P quickly adjusts to changes in different lighting conditions, which is a feature I love. I tested this by turning off the lights in my work area, and the Nexigo adapted nearly instantaneously to the new lighting. Even in low-light, the N970P image was clear with no distortion.

It warmly saturated my red t-shirt and retained the different gray tones in my background despite the lack of ambient light. When I popped the lights back on, it adjusted to the blowout of light speedily. The autofocus is excellent, as is the ability to focus while using the remote manually. Another premium feature included with the Nexigo N970P is its ability to focus on multiple members in a conference setting and switch focus to the speaker. However, since you’re only working with a 90-degree field of view, some may feel a little cramped, but I think it’s enough to cover most small conference rooms and up to eight people.  If you need a wider field of view, Konftel’s lens offers a 123-degree lens. 

The Nexigo N970P features a pair of built-in omnidirectional mics with noise cancellation that function very well and keep out a good amount of background noise while focusing on your voice, even as you move about the room. While using it to chat with my daughter using google Meet, my television was on and she never heard it in the background. Being that my television is only three feet from where I was using the Nexigo, I was rather impressed with its noise-canceling performance as it easily outperformed the Konftels mic array.

Nexigo N970P 4K webcam software

The Nexigo is a plug-and-play device. All you have to do is plug the supplied USB Type-A cable into your computer, and that’s it. There’s no special software or drivers. Nexigo does offer free driver updates and excellent customer service. I had a small, self-created issue while trying to set up the autofocus and auto framing via the remote control and the team from Nexigo responded to my email within a few hours with a driver update and an instructional video that had me using the N970P like a pro. If I had gone to their site, I would have been able to handle it myself, but Nexigo’s team just jumped right on it and guided me. 

The Nexigo N970P comes with a one-year warranty.

Bottom Line

The Nexigo N970P ($199) is an excellent webcam for video conferencing that won’t break the bank. It comes with features you see in much more expensive business conference cameras, and if you’re a streamer looking to step up your streaming quality, it's a solid option. If you’re a small business owner on a budget but don’t want your video meetings to look cheap, the N970P is definitely for you.   

With the versatile 90-degree wide-angle that you can pan, tilt, and zoom in (thanks to the handy remote control), users are given many options to get the most out of the Nexigo N970P. If you’re in the market for a new webcam or office conference camera, the Nexigo is an option you need to take a serious look at.

With a picture that's usually grainy and lacking detail, your laptop's integrated webcam really doesn't cut it when you're streaming on Twitch, Skyping with grandma, or dialing into an important business meeting. In those cases, we highly recommend the $60 Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920, an affordable external webcam that produces detailed video and photos, and that provides software to fine-tune the picture even further. If you're looking for a great camera with a wide field of view for chatting, videoconferencing and streaming, this is one of the best choices out there. All these great features are why the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 is rated number 1 on our list of best webcams. 

Design

You can't miss the C920 when the black, chunky device is attached to your laptop or monitor. At its widest, the webcam is 3.7 inches. But all that bulkiness houses a 1080p camera flanked on both sides by LEDs and microphones.

The camera has an arm that hugs the back of your monitor or the lid of your laptop. The C920 also has a hinge to adjust the arm's length and a rubber foot to hold the device in place. I had no trouble mounting the C920 on both my work laptop and external displays. If you'd rather not have the webcam positioned above the monitor, you can use the built-in tripod mount to attach the camera to any stand you want.

A 6-foot USB cord hangs from the back of the webcam, which should provide more than enough length to connect the device to your laptop or desktop.

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Picture and Sound Quality

After using the Webcam C920, I'm not sure how I'll ever go back to a crappy laptop webcam. When I took still photos of myself in our brightly lit labs and a pitch-dark, windowless room, I was astounded at the 5-megapixel (5168 x 2907) camera's clarity, detail and color accuracy. In better-lit environments, such as under the fluorescent lights at my desk, I could easily make out individual hairs on my head and stitches on my shirt.

The camera allows you to video-chat at 1080p (Logitech notes that the webcam can support Facetime for Mac only at 720p), and the videos that I recorded came out crystal-clear. The colors weren't as accurate as in the photos, and lights were a tad too bright, but you could still make out a ton of detail in my face and the surrounding room.

The C920's 78-degree field of view is more than enough to squeeze a second person or large object into the frame. Most built-in laptop webcams capture only enough to show a single person's torso.

Logitech's business version of this camera, the $98 C930e, offers almost identical performance but has a 90-degree field of view and colors that are more vibrant but less accurate. A photo I took with the 930e made my light red shirt look more like a cherry red. A cheaper, 720p camera, the Logitech HD Webcam C310, was grainy in comparison and wasn't as sharp in low light.

Recorded with the C920's built-in microphones, the audio in my sample video was loud and clear, but a little flat. Though I recorded my chat in an open-office setting, there wasn't a ton of ambient noise from nearby co-workers. However, the C930e had superior noise cancellation, while the C310 didn't do much to dampen background noise.

Software

The C920 is compatible with Logitech's Webcam Software for Windows. The company touts support for Mac OS X, Chrome OS and Android, but those operating systems don't offer this program. The app allows users to zoom in and out with the camera, as well as pan left and right. If you use this at a desk, you'll likely need to use it only once, but users on the go might find themselves relying on these framing options more often.

The software features a number of backgrounds and avatars to add a bit of fun to your videoconferencing. You can also use the C920 as security cam thanks to the motion-detection mode, which can come in handy if you want to keep an eye on your desk.

Unfortunately, I found the program as a whole to be slow and buggy, hanging between tasks like taking or viewing photos and videos. It occasionally crashed, too. I quickly discovered that different models of Logitech camera worked to varying degrees with the software. The cheaper HD Webcam C310 can't utilize face masks, avatars or other special effects. The enterprise-focused Webcam C930e isn't designed to work with the software; it refuses to take photo or video at 1080p with the app's built-in recorder.

MORE: The Best Laptops for Business and Productivity

Bottom Line

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 is an outstanding replacement for your laptop's integrated webcam. It takes sharp photos and videos, which makes it ideal for teleconferencing and streaming. It's easy to set up on an external monitor or laptop screen, and it works well with Logitech's dedicated, albeit buggy, software.

If you want a better audio experience, you should consider the $98 Logitech Webcam C930e. This camera has better noise cancellation and wider viewing angles but doesn't work with the webcam software. However, with a street price of just $60, the Logitech C920 is the best external webcam for the money and one of the best at any price.

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Black Friday 2021 is almost here, but we're already seeing the most wild deals that'll probably be gone by the time the real event rolls around, such as the Razer Kiyo Pro being 50% off.

Right now, you can get the Razer Kiyo Pro webcam for just $99 at Amazon, which is the lowest its been since its launch.

Razer Kiyo Pro deal

Working from home has caused a significant surge in webcam sales, and Razer jumped on this opportunity by releasing the Razer Kiyo Pro, a webcam built for both gaming and business use. 

It’s a decent entry to Razer’s peripheral lineup, as it offers solid 1080p, HDR video and photo quality as well as a decent microphone. It even includes a neat privacy cover and a super useful companion app. However, for $200, it’s hard to justify this webcam not having a 4K resolution. Plus, the webcam can be a little finicky between autofocus and some of the saved settings. More annoying, though, is its short power cable.

However, at $99, the Razer Kiyo Pro is perfectly priced for what it is, and it's arguably one of the best webcam deals you'll find on Black Friday.

Oblong and stylish is one way we could describe the Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana conference camera. Another way would be plug-and-play to the extreme, which is both a good and bad thing. Coolpo’s AI-Huddle Pana is a 360-degree conference camera that can also double as a speaker.  It handles its main task of being a conference room camera that will switch camera focus to the person speaking while also granting your audience the ability to see everyone in your conference room simultaneously.

The AI-Huddle doesn’t waste users’ time with the need to download anything; you plug it in, set it up where you want in the room, and it does the rest. That’s it works; it reminds me of my first Honda: quality build, dependable, easy to use, and worry-free; just clean the lens area every 3,000 uses and keep on video conferencing.

Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana conference camera Price and compatibility

The Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana Meeting costs $550 and comes with a  4K  3840 x 2160, 360-degree camera, four built-in microphones with a range of 15 feet, and a built-in speaker compatible with both Windows 10 and macOS. 

Besides looking great in the dark, it works with every video meeting platform, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype, and Google Meet.

Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana conference camera design

The silver-grey oblong AI-Huddle has two touch sensors to control the volume and a blue-lit power button on its front. The speaker area is covered in a grey soft cloth that gives the unit some nice texture. The Coolpo AI-Huddle is constructed entirely of hard, sturdy plastics with a nice amount of heft that gives it a substantial feel, and when you place it down, you know it will stay put. 

At the bottom of the unit is a notch for the power cord and USB 3.0 cable pass-through that allows you to connect the unit to your computer's USB Type-A port. If you flip the unit over to look at the underbelly, you will find the AC power port and the micro-USB connection.

The unit measures ‎8 x 8 x 14 inches and weighs 2.6 pounds. While not too heavy, it still has enough weight to keep it firmly rooted where you choose to place it.

Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana conference camera Picture and sound

The Coolpo AI-Huddle is meant for a conference room or large room setting. The camera sits on top of the unit in its 360-degree lens dome. Its form factor is office elegant, so it won’t stick out like a sore thumb and will add to your conference room’s décor. While not meant for small spaces, it worked nicely in my tiny draped-off home office space. Though designed for a conference room filled with others, the autofocus performed admirably and followed my movements smoothly on most occasions. Its AI is solid but not as quick as the similarly styled Meeting Owl Pro I recently reviewed. I hope it gets improved with a firmware update.

The Coolpo AI-Huddle Pano comes with a 360-degree, 3840 x 2160-pixel (4K_ camera that works well and is at its best in optimal lighting conditions. Now, this is a 4K camera, but I experienced much of the results in the 1080p FHD range but it was still sharp and clear. I noticed that sometimes the color leaned into red hues, especially when the lighting was not perfect. 

I found the autofocus sometimes to be wonky or slow. It also struggled when there were sudden changes in lighting, adjusting slowly and with that reddish hue emerging. In optimal and normal lighting conditions, though, you will get a clear, crisp image well suited for the Coolpo AI-Huddles main job of being a conference room camera that allows for the free exchange of ideas from the members of your team. I believe most of these minor issues can be addressed in firmware updates though there is no assurance that this will happen. If I’m being picky, I did find the overall colors to be a bit undersaturated and cool. 

The AI-Huddle Pano comes with four built-in microphones that picked up my voice excellently even when I was 12 feet away from the unit and projected my voice at an average level. The audio was very solid while up close, and I never experienced any drops in signal or distortion. Its microphones did an excellent job capturing my girlfriend’s voice in the background from 10 feet away.  

The built-in speaker of the unit works great, and although I wouldn’t suggest you use them to throw a party, it did produce some solid depth and base. Coolpo did a good job with the speaker as it also reproduced very clear vocals from those I held video meetings with.

Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana conference camera Software

If being plug-and-play were a sport, you would want the Coolpo AI-Huddle Pano on your team. The camera works with both Mac OS and Windows 10. Setting it up took seconds; I just plugged it into my USB-Type A port and started a Zoom and in settings, chose the AI-Huddle Pano as my camera, and I was in a meeting without a second thought. 

The AI system does a solid job of changing focus from one speaker to the next. It automatically makes adjustments to the camera thanks to the facial recognition switching from speaker to speaker, but sometimes it’s slow or loses its way a bit, and you have to let it catch up. I like that it individually frames those who are speaking and provides a 360-degree panoramic view of the room and individuals participating in the meeting. It’s a great feature to have and makes sessions feel more inclusive. 

There is a rudimentary app on Coolpo’s website that lets you make some settings adjustments. I downloaded it to see if I could adjust the color a bit; it worked but isn’t perfect. I noticed that the company has been updating it, which tells me it will improve over time. Within the software, you can adjust the saturation, brightness, hue, contrast, and exposure. You can also configure the initial number of panel views and even block a panel if you so wish.

Bottom Line

The Coolpo AI-Huddle Pana is a solid conference camera that will level up your team’s video conference abilities. It will be more than sufficient with imperfect but solid AI camera performance, and the people you meet will be impressed. However, at $550, it may be pricey for individuals, so keep in mind that it is meant for a growing or larger business where the cost won’t be an issue. With excellent styling and a sturdy build, its features will meet your needs, coupled with the quality mics, speakers, and solid camera performance. The AI-Huddle is a good choice for any business looking to step it up. It is similar to the Meet Owl Pro in many ways but more affordable.  However, if your budget is tighter, you should look at the Konftel Cam20 conference camera, which comes with a remote, has excellent low light performance, and is very color accurate, although its styling is dated.

Elgato is at the forefront of streaming tech, so one would think the company could produce one of the best webcams for streaming, but that’s far from the case with the Elgato Facecam.

Sure, the Elgato Facecam features a 1080p resolution at 60 frames-per-second video, a seamless privacy cover, a sturdy design and a useful companion app. But it’s not worth $200 because there is no microphone on board and you'd expect 4K resolution at this price. Also, photos and videos can get noisy and the included cable is frustratingly short.

Overall, the Elgato Facecam is a decent webcam, but a bad one for the $200 price, especially when there are 4K webcams like the Logitech Brio at the same price.

Elgato Facecam design

The Elgato Facecam features a square frame that is on the bulkier side than some webcams, but not as big as something like the Razer Kiyo Pro. It has a medium-sized lens surrounded by a circular pattern that curves inward, creating room for the privacy cover to be placed neatly inside. On the right side, you’ll see white text that reads: “Elgato Prime Lens 1080p60 24mm 1:2.4.” And on the left is an LED indicator that when turned on, lights up blue.

On the top of the square frame is the Elgato logo, and on the right side, there’s a Facecam logo. Meanwhile, the USB Type-C port for power is located on the back, and the underside of the Facecam features the connector for the mount (can be detached and reattached to a tripod or Elgato Ring Light). You can use the L-shaped clamp to mount the webcam on a monitor. The first piece of the L can move up to 90 degrees and the second one can move up to 180 degrees.

The Elgato Facecam is sturdy and once it’s set, it’s not going anywhere. However, the USB Type-C cable is not very long, coming in at only 5 feet. For comparison, the Type-C cable included with the Logitech Brio is 7.2-feet long. But the small webcam cover is nice to have, and it’s easy to place on the lens, too.

Elgato Facecam picture

The Elgato Facecam takes decent photos, but I wouldn’t call it a $200 picture. It features a 1080p lens capable of shooting at 60 frames per second. The aperture is set at f/2.4, the focal length is 24mm with a field of view of 82 degrees.

The color balance accurately captured the pink and white in my shirt as well as the yellow and green in the Grookey poster behind me. However, the contrast balance leaves a lot to be desired. The white in my shirt was slightly too bright, and the window to my right was completely blown out. There are even parts of my skin that were shinier than normal. However, if you spend time messing with the shutter speed and ISO settings, you might get a more desirable look, but it’ll be much darker if you want to capture brighter atmospheres.

You'll spot some noise upon close inspection, so zooming in will create an unflattering photo. Despite all of its fancy tech, like the Sony Starvis CMOS sensor, which lets the Facecam capture minimal noise, this very much remains a 1080p webcam and there’s no escaping the attached limitations without bumping up the resolution.

Elgato Facecam video

Now, if you’re looking for a camera for streaming, specifically something that you can pop in the bottom-right corner of a gameplay stream, then the Elgato Facecam is a good choice. But again, it isn't worth the whopping $200 entry fee.

Thanks to the 60 fps rate, video looked incredibly smooth when I was talking or moving around in the shot, which is helpful especially when I play D&D online. There are certain movements and nuances I need to capture on screen to convey to my players, so I was glad to see this webcam capture every detail.

However, the noise doesn’t do the Elgato Facecam any favors. When comparing the Elgato Facecam to the Razer Kiyo Pro, there was a clear difference in detail between the two. The Razer looked like it was shot on a professional camera, whereas the Elgato looked closer to a laptop webcam. It’s hard to believe that these webcams cost the same.

Elgato Facecam microphone

The Elgato Facecam’s microphone is…oh wait. Well, there is no microphone. Webcams at the same price feature microphones so this is a major drawback of the Elgato Facecam.

Elgato Facecam software

Elgato provides the Facecam with the Camera Hub, which is pretty neat and runs smoother than some of the other camera software I’ve tested.

You can adjust your zoom/FOV, contrast, saturation and sharpness. There’s an automatic setting for the exposure settings, otherwise, you can adjust the metering between being center-weighted or average, and you can also adjust the shutter speed and ISO. There’s also an automatic white balance setting that you can manually adjust if you’re feeling brave. And then there’s the processing tab, which features settings for noise reduction and anti-flicker. It can also easily mirror your camera’s viewpoint.

Overall, the software provides a clean interface and makes it super easy to set up your webcam.

Bottom line

I love Elgato’s streaming tech, but it feels like the company is so wrapped up in its premium pricing that it can’t see the Elgato Facecam for what it’s worth. There are some positives, like its privacy cover, sturdy design and companion app, but those aren't worth the price. The Elgato Facecam should cost $99, not $199.

People who want to start out streaming typically go to Elgato for all of the goods, but this webcam is not worth the premium price point. Turn to Razer or Logitech for a better webcam at the same price.

Overall, the Elgato Facecam is a decent webcam, but there is much better competition out there.

Whether you're working from home or back in the office, one thing remains the same: conference calls. And while 1080p webcams are fine, Konftel is looking to give mobile professionals a better option with Cam20. The $329 Cam20 is a conference camera capable of shooting 4K UHD video with a wide 123-degree angle and 8x zoom designed for medium-to-small conference rooms. 

While filming 4K UHD at 30 frames per second, the camera delivers crisp detail and vibrant color. Also, the mount works well and feels sturdy. But is this enough to warrant such a high price tag? Read on to find out.

Konftel Cam20 Conference Camera Price and compatibility 

Konftel’s Cam20 costs $329 and is compatible with both Windows 10 and macOS. It works with every video meeting platform, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Meet. I even used it with OBS without issue.

Konftel Cam20 Conference Camera design

The Konftel Cam20 isn't going to turn heads with its design. The hard plastic black satin finish is pretty standard fare. The large 4K lens is centered within the unit and feels like the all-knowing eye which I rather like. The adjustable, foldable mount is sturdy, providing excellent resistance with a firm hold of your monitor thanks to its rubber padded surface. Underneath, you will find a built-in one-forth 20 tripod mount if you don’t want to use the Cam20 on your monitor.

On the back of the unit, we find the USB port and the HDMI port. The Cam20 derives its power from your computer, so there is no power port. 

Overall, the unit has a substantial feel when in hand thanks to its weight-to-size ratio. The Cam20 comes with a handy remote, which allows you to control the zoom, pan, focus, backlight, and menu features. In the box, we find a 16.5-foot USB 3.0 Type-B cable that’s sturdy and thick. You will also find the remote and batteries.

Konftel Cam20 Conference Camera video quality and sound

When shopping for a webcam or conference cam, you want to ensure you're getting the best value for your money. You want a sharp, crystal-clear image in good light with accurate, saturated colors so that whomever you're conferencing with can see a clean image of you and your surroundings. The Konftel Cam20 does exactly what I described above while excelling in low-light situations and producing a detailed image that remains color accurate. 

The video I recorded using Microsoft's camera app, which only allows for up to 1440p recording, was great, even with the software holding it back; the footage is on par with most DSLRs that record in 4K. Even when I lowered the resolution to 1080p, the clarity remained super sharp with accurate color. 

The other win for the Konftel Cam20 is how quickly it adjusts to changes in lighting conditions. I tested this by shutting off the light in my work area; the unit adapted almost instantaneously to the new lighting situation. When I popped the lights back on, it adjusted to the blowout of light with the same speed. The autofocus is excellent, as is the ability to focus while using the remote manually.

The mics within the unit are set to mute by default. They’re OK and will pick you up from across a small to medium conference room just fine. They’re not great, but they will do in a pinch but; if you want better sound quality, Konftel sells a combo kit of the Cam20 and the company's Konftel Ego speakerphone, which you can bundle together.

Konftel Cam20 Conference Camera Software

The Konftel Cam20 is a plug-and-play device. All you have to do is plug the supplied USB-Type B to Type A into your computer, and that’s it. You can also connect the Cam20 to a TV via its HDMI port — no special software or drivers. However, Konftel supports free driver updates for the unit's proprietary software that drives the Cam20’s EPTZ functions. 

The Konftel Cam20 also comes with a two-year warranty.

Bottom Line

Konftel Cam20 is an excellent choice for your video conference needs thanks to its crystal clear, color-accurate 4K UHD video performance that takes you up several levels. Its outstanding low-light performance is also a huge asset and makes the Cam20 an intelligent buy.  Moreover, it makes for a heck of a streaming cam, even if you’re filming your gameplay with just the light coming off your monitor. That said, at $329, it is pricey and the mics aren’t the best, but remember, this is meant to be a conference cam for small- to- medium office spaces.  

With a versatile 123-degree wide-angle that you can pan, tilt and zoom in (thanks to the handy remote control), users are given a plethora of ways to get the best out of the Cam20. If you need a new webcam or conference cam for you and your team, the Konftel Cam20 is an excellent option. If you do a little searching, you will find a good deal on the Konftel Cam20.

The Papalook PA930 HDR webcam is feature-rich without breaking your budget.  For $70, you get 2K resolution at 30 frames per second with a 90-degree wide-angle camera, HDR support, and a nifty security cap to make sure no one is snooping on your camera. And for streamers, the camera can record at 1080p at up to 60 fps. Plus, it’s plug-and-play.

However, there are some concessions to be made at this price, namely hollow-sounding mics and a fixed USB cable. But for the price, the Papalook Webcam is worth a look.

Papalook PA930 webcam pricing and compatibility

The Papalook PA930 is currently available on Amazon for $69.99 and is compatible with both Windows 10 and macOS. It works with just about every video meeting platform, including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Meet. I even used OBS to test the streaming capabilities.

Papalook PA930 webcam design

The PA930 is fairly small at just 2.5 x 2.2 x 2.6 inches and lightweight at just 12 ounces. In comparison, the Logitech HD 920 measures ‎4.84 x 3.11 x 1.85 inches and weighs 6.6 ounces.  You can set it up on any laptop or monitor screen thanks to its adjustable bottom flexible mount clip which folds down, creating a flat surface. At the bottom of the mount is a screw hole for the included aluminum tripod that you can use instead of mounting to your display.  

The Papalook PA930 is made of plastic and covered in dark metallic grey. The lens is housed in the center surrounded by a grey textured cloth behind which the dual mic array is hidden. The fabric offers a nice tactile feel. At the top of the unit is the frame switch button that allows you to choose between 2K or 1080p. The unit comes with a permanently affixed USB-Type A cable for connecting to your computer.

Papalook PA930 webcam stills

For its price, the PA930 does a nice job in different lighting situations. I was shocked by how well it did in a dim environment, using only the light from my displays. When I turned the lights out, I expected the serious issues you tend to get with a laptop webcam. However, the PA930 performed great in low light with solid color saturation, and with only some minor image noise and pixilation. 

Items in the background were well lit and very discernible no matter the frame rate I switched to during my low-light testing. Under normal lighting conditions, the PA930 delivers sharp images, although my screengrab doesn’t do the live image justice. The PA930 did a very solid job with stills regardless of the lighting conditions.

Papalook PA930 webcam video

Whether recording video or during video conferences, to my vanities detriment, the PA930 accurately captured the salt and pepper of my beard. My red shirt was nicely saturated and the colors were spot-on. Under normal lighting conditions, the PA930 excels,  producing a very vivid, color-accurate video that is crisp and clear. 

I filmed a short video in low light to test how the unit performed. The webcam did not struggle in lowlight reproducing colors accurately and vibrantly, just as it did when I took a couple still photos. There was some minor image noise when I lowered all of my display’s brightness, with the PA930 quickly adjusting to the new conditions, and the video quality was more than acceptable.

Papalook PA930 webcam audio

I recorded some video and captured audio using the built-in dual mic array of the PA930. The resulting audio was clear, picking up the depth and timbre of my voice nicely. However, there was a hollowness to the audio I recorded, akin to recording in a large empty room. The noise-canceling worked fairly well, despite the efforts of my loud air conditioner, I didn’t hear any trace of the blowhard appliance in the background. Ultimately, for the best audio quality, I recommend checking out our best USB microphone page to pair with your webcam.

Papalook PA930 webcam software

You don’t need to download any companion software with the PA930.  You just plug it in, open whichever conferencing or meeting app you normally use, check your settings you’re good to go. I tried it out with Google Meet, Zoom, and used it with OBS to record a short video. There was no downloading and no searching for proper drivers, I just plugged it in, and hopped on a Google Meet with my 11-year-old daughter who won’t stop reminding me it’s time to Just For Men my beard cause “you look too old to be my dad, pop pop.” Maybe someone should make de-aging software for webcams?

Bottom Line

For $69.99 you can pick up a Papalook PA930 which offers surprisingly good image quality that will cover the majority of your video conferencing and streaming needs. It delivers solid results regardless of the lighting situation, even in dim-to-dark environments,  Plus, it’s easy to set up thanks to its plug-and-play functionality. And due to its flexible mount clip and bundled tripod, it can be set up just about anywhere. 

Although the mics could provide a bit more depth and I wish you could remove that pesky USB cable, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a 2K resolution camera at this price. And with the money saved with your Papalook PA930, you should have enough left over to buy a USB mic and other peripherals to level up your home or mobile office.

Meet the new king of the external webcams. The Dell UltraSharp Webcam has arrived and it’s got a bag full of tricks. First off, it’s a 4K camera that serves up fine detail and gorgeous colors. And thanks to its advanced signal processing and 4K Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor, you get great photos in just about any lighting situation. And if that’s not enough, there’s the HDR, security features and AI Auto-Framing. Plus, it looks good and is easy to mount just about anywhere. 

However, there are a couple of drawbacks. First, it’s $200. It’s a pricey proposition considering one of our all-time favorite webcams is available for $70. Second, the UltraSharp, for all its bells and whistles, lacks a microphone, which might not matter to some people but it’s something that you’d expect at the price point. Still, the Dell UltraSharp Webcam is one of the best external webcams I’ve used and is worth every penny. 

Dell UltraSharp Webcam pricing and availability 

The Dell UltraSharp is currently available for $199 -- a price that is decidedly budget unfriendly. Our current favorite webcam, the Logitech HD Webcam C920, while older, is available for $67.99. The pricing is, however, on a par with other premium cameras on the market including the Razer Kiyo Pro ($199.77) and the Logitech Brio 4K Webcam ($171.30).

Dell UltraSharp Webcam design

With it's sleek, cylindrical body, the Dell UltraSharp is perfectly unassuming. It's for the best because it’s what's in front of the shooter that really matters. But the matte-black, anodized aluminum housing looks and feels good to the touch. Out of the box, the UltraSharp Webcam just looks like a small metal tube. 

Dell included two distinct mounts for when the time comes to start video conferencing and streaming. There’s one to attach it to a tripod and the other lets you place the cam along the back of the laptop. But instead of relying on complicated screws, Dell employs a series of powerful magnets that secure the mounts to the camera. It takes a pretty healthy yank to dislodge the mounts. And there’s more fun with magnets by way of the camera cover, which fits neatly on the top of the cam or along the back when the webcam is in use. 

The shooter measures 1.7 × 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches, which is smaller than the Logitech Brio 4K Pro (4 x 1.1 x 1.1 inches), Razer Kiyo Pro (8.5 x 7 x 4.5 inches) and the Logitech HD Webcam C920 (1.1 x 3.7 x 1 inches). 

The webcam also ships with a 6.7-foot USB Type-A-to-USB Type-C cable.

Dell UltraSharp Webcam security

The Dell UltraSharp Webcam comes with a few security and privacy features to ensure faster logins and prevent against Peeping Toms. The webcam has an integrated proximity sensor that detects when you’re in the vicinity of the shooter and wakes the computer from sleep with Dell ExpressSign-in. The UltraSharp is also Windows Hello-compatible so you can use facial recognition to login. And when you want to make sure you’re not being spied on, the magnetic webcam cover snaps right into place. 

Dell UltraSharp Webcam setup

Setting up the Dell UltraSharp Webcam is as easy as smiling for the camera. The magnetic mount is uber-slim. So much so that it fits nicely on my Dell XPS 13 with its barely-there InfinityEdge with no overlap onto the screen. Once you have the webcam in position, just plug it in and your PC will initialize the peripheral. If you’re using a Dell or Alienware, Dell Peripheral Manager will launch.

The software walks you through a relatively quick setup process starting with selecting one of the four presets (Default, Smooth, Vibrant and Warm) for how you want to appear on camera. I went with Warm as it worked the best with my skin tone. However, Vivid was my next choice as it did a good of job picking up the blue, purple and pink in my locs. Next, I was given the option to enable smart features, including AI Auto Framing and High Dynamic Range (HDR). All in all, it took less than three minutes to set up. 

Dell UltraSharp Webcam features

You don’t get to make the claim “world’s most intelligent 4K webcam” unless you have some pretty snazzy features under the hood. The UltraSharp Webcam has advanced image signalling processing which converts an image into a digital format utilizing a few features such as automatic white balance, noise reduction, autofocus and auto balance. The camera also features Digital Overlap HDR which ensures that the camera delivers an optimal shot regardless of how extreme the lighting conditions are. 

Have you ever snapped what you thought was a great-looking picture with a webcam, only for it to come out incredibly grainy? For those instances, Dell has the Temporal Noise Reduction (3DNR) and Spatial Noise Reduction (2DNR) technology to ensure sharp images with little or no visual noise. And thanks to AI Auto Framing, the camera automatically works to ensure that you’re in the center of the shot at all times. 

Dell UltraSharp Webcam picture quality

The UltraSharp is everything Dell said it would be. No matter if I was sitting in my recliner in natural lighting or downstairs in my game space with its darkened lighting, I looked pretty damned good. The 4K Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor is large, allowing it to capture more light than your average webcam. More light translates to better clarity and more vivid shots.

I started testing in my living room, lounging in my recliner. With the shooter set to Vivid at 4K at 30 fps, I was impressed at how well the UltraSharp captured my warm mahogany skin as well as my multicolored locs in their purple, blue and pink glory. The webcam caught fine details like the scratches, cracks and pockmarks in my exposed brick wall. And try as I may to dodge the camera, the autofocus adjusted about two seconds later to pan to my new position. 

Next, I dimmed the lights and took more test shots and videos. Although most of the color in my hair was muted, the camera utilized what light there was to illuminate the wall behind me as well as my skin and electric blue dress. Details took a hit as my locs looked like long, fuzzy blobs. However, the more prominent cracks in the exposed brick were still visible. 

For the last test, I shut off all the lights at midnight and sat in the darkness. This is where the UltraSharp resembled most of the integrated webcams I’ve come across during my career. There was plenty of visual noise throughout the test shots. My individual locs looked more like an amorphous black blob framing my face –– even the red brick looked black. But the camera managed to capture the bright blue hue of my dress. 

That’s not to say there weren’t a few hiccups, some of which were beyond the webcam’s control. For instance, I jumped onto the Laptop Mag morning meeting and encountered an issue with the screen momentarily going black when using the UltraSharp on Google Meet calls. Apparently, Windows only allows USB-powered webcams to play nice with one streaming application at a time. That meant I needed to close out of Dell Peripheral Manager before I did any video chats or streaming.

Dell UltraSharp Webcam microphone

This section is going to be pretty short because the Dell UltraSharp Webcam doesn’t have a microphone. Dell focused all its technical know-how on making the UltraSharp an excellent camera. That means if you want a microphone during your video call or streaming session, you’re either depending on the internal one on your laptop or investing in a USB microphone. It’s a bit of a letdown when you’re paying so much. It’s up to you to decide whether all those snazzy camera tricks are worth ditching the mic.

Dell UltraSharp Webcam software 

With a camera this swanky, you know you’re going to get great software and Dell Peripheral Manager does not disappoint. Aside from the quick, easy setup, the utility provides a host of features including AI Auto Focus, HDR, Zoom and Autofocus. In addition, you also have the ability to tweak the Auto White Balance, Brightness, Sharpness and Contrast as well as set the Field of View, setup Windows Hello, prioritize exposure or frame rate. You also have the ability to set where any screen captures will be saved.

Despite all the sliders and buttons, Dell made the Peripheral Manager a straightforward thing. Everything is on one page, easily accessible with no extra hoops to jump through. While they might not understand all the controls, I’d feel comfortable letting my mom and nana take a stab at this. Will I still have to do tech support? Probably, but definitely less than usual. 

Bottom line

Here at Laptop Mag, one of our persistent gripes about our namesake device is the webcam. Nine times out of ten it's grainy, with OK color accuracy, and poor white balance and exposure. This is why we regularly recommend you visit our best external webcams page (and you absolutely should take a look). And if you’re looking for the absolute best shooter out there, it’s hands down the Dell UltraSharp Webcam. 

Packaged in a sleek chassis, the webcam is easy to mount and has a host of features that make it worth its $200 price tag. First, you’ve got the 4K Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor paired with 4K resolution that will pick up even the finest details. That sensor can also capture  even the weakest light source to give great low-light shots. Plus, you’ve got HDR for amazing color. Moreover, Dell Express Sign-in and Windows Hello compatibility ensure your computer stays secure while Dell Peripheral Manager offers a fair amount of customization options. 

However, $200 is a lot to ask for a webcam, especially one without a microphone. If you want a great webcam and to pay less than $100, check out the Logitech HD Webcam C920. But if you want unparalleled picture quality, the Dell UltraSharp Webcam. 

The Logitech C930e webcam is currently on sale for a great price amid Amazon's back-to-school sale. So if you want to instantly upgrade your laptop's crappy webcam, you'll like this deal. 

Currently, Amazon has the Logitech C930e webcam on sale for $69. Normally, it retails for $129, so that's $60 in savings. It's a great price for this 1080p webcam and one of the best camera deals of the season.

• Shop: Amazon's entire webcam sale
• More: Best cheap camera deals
• Best webcams in 2021

Logitech's C930e webcam is one of the best peripherals for video conferencing and streaming. It features a 3MP camera with auto-focus and a dual omnidirectional built-in mic array with a range of up to 3 feet. The webcam supports multiple resolutions of 1080p and 720p at 30 frames per second. 

As we note in our Logitech C930e review, we liked its wide field of view and sharp, detailed video capturing. We were also impressed by its solid noise cancellation performance. During real-world testing, ambient noise was almost completely blocked. The Logitech C930e's 90-degree field gives you plenty of room to fit another person in the frame or show off your background. Optional camera settings let you control pan, tilt, and zoom.

Design-wise, the Logitech C930e's camera lens with surrounding speakers and LED lights looks nearly identical to the Logitech C920 Pro. With USB plug-and-play connectivity, it's easy to set up and works with Windows, macOS and Chrome OS machines. The webcam's universal mounting clip affixes to your laptop or external monitor. 

In a nutshell, the Logitech C930e is a solid choice if you're looking for an external webcam for school or work. 

Dell unveiled a brand-new 4K webcam inspired by the image quality of professional-grade DSLR cameras, and it comes equipped with a few fancy features that may pique the interest of remote workers.

The UltraSharp 4K Webcam includes a large 4K Sony Starvis CMOS sensor for clear video quality on calls, "Digital Overlap HDR" capability for color-accurate images, and AI technology that automatically adjusts to keep the user at the center of every frame. 

Better yet, those interested can head over to Dell's website to nab it right now. 

• Best webcams in 2021
• Best business laptops in 2021
• Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K review

Dell UltraSharp Webcam

The Dell UltraSharp Webcam (WB7022) is available right now, priced at $199.99 / £149.75. That puts it in the same league as the Razer Kiyo Pro, which also features HDR functions but loses out on 4K capabilities. 

The external 4K webcam is a pricey investment compared to other webcams, but it comes with a few perks. Dell claims the 4K Sony Starvis CMOS sensor and multi-element lens that captures more light, delivering "crystal-clear" video, while the Digital Overlap HDR feature offers up "true-to-life colors."

The UltraSharp camera also features automatic video noise reduction and auto-framing thanks to the AI tech it boasts, along with facial recognition to sign you in automatically when using "ExpressSign-In" on Dell laptops and other PCs. 

In terms of specs, the all-aluminum camera itself features up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second (FPS), and up to 60 FPS at Full HD resolution. The webcam's field of view can also be customized to various degrees, including 65°, 78° and 90°. You'll also find 5x digital zoom.

The UltraSharp comes with a magnetic mount and a tripod adaptor so it can attached to the top of a display or placed on its own, making it the "world’s most seamless webcam mounting solution in its class," as Dell puts it.

While made for business communication platforms including Microsoft Teams and Zoom, it's also a suitable option for live streaming on other platforms such as Twitch.

Dell's UltraSharp 4K Webcam appears to be a contender for the best webcams on the market today, but it may be too pricey for some user's tastes. If you're after something more affordable, check out the Logitech StreamCam. 

Prime Day 2021 is officially here and now's the best time to spend all of that money you've been saving for those things you've been waiting to go on sale. If you need a new webcam for work, pleasure or gaming, check out the Razer Kiyo Pro.

The Razer Kiyo Pro is on sale for $152 on Amazon, which is a much more reasonable price for its specs. 

• Check out our best Prime Day gaming laptop deals
• See our best Prime Day gaming mouse deals

Razer Kiyo Pro deal

Working from home has caused a significant surge in webcam sales, and Razer jumped on this opportunity by releasing the Razer Kiyo Pro, a webcam built for both gaming and business use. 

It’s a decent entry to Razer’s peripheral lineup, as it offers solid 1080p, HDR video and photo quality as well as a decent microphone. It even includes a neat privacy cover and a super useful companion app.

The picture quality balances color and contrast very well, highlighting the blue trees on my white shirt and capturing the outside of my window as well as my face without blowing either out.

In my original review, I said that the Razer Kiyo Pro was too expensive, but with this deal, it just might be worth the purchase.

It’s no secret that webcams have become an essential part of everyday life during the pandemic. From regular work video meetings in sweatpants, to family Zoom calls where you can’t get a word in over your gin-filled Aunty’s ranting, webcams are our only way of safely connecting with others.

Laptop makers continue to disappoint us with awful built-in webcams, so people turn to external plug-in options; Anker is joining that market with the PowerConf C300: an expansion to their work-centric line of products that could be far more useful than just a piece of teleconferencing equipment.

• More: Best Webcams
• Where to buy a webcam

Thanks to its 1080p, 60 frames per second capabilities, ultra-wide 115-degree lens and HDR, the Anker PowerConf C300 may just be good enough for the streaming community as well as your workplace. Let’s find out.

Anker PowerConf C300: Price and compatibility

The Anker Powerconf C300 retails at $129.99 in the US and £119.99 in the UK, which makes it considerably more expensive than the Logitech C920 that tops our best webcams list.

The complimentary Anker Work software package is compatible with Windows and Mac. 

Anker PowerConf C300: Design

Let’s not kid ourselves here. The PowerConf C300 webcam looks like...a webcam. It’s not ugly, but product design in this space hasn’t moved forward over the past decade. The name of the game is not style, it’s substance and functionality.

At 3.9 inches, the C300 is slightly wider than the C920 HD Pro, but it’s a bit chunkier with a 1.18-inch depth. Anker branding is prominent in silver, matching the ring around the lens, and two microphones are located on the outer edges of the front panel.

With a weight of 127 grams, the PowerConf C300 is a little on the heavier side, but it is easily supported by the mount which has a grippy rubber foot to clamp onto your monitor. Or, you can take advantage of the one-quarter-inch tripod mount.

Plus, for those with privacy concerns, Anker includes a privacy cover in the box to slide over the lens when not in use, and the bright LED indicator helps you identify when the camera is on.

Anker PowerConf C300: Picture quality

When you think of pictures that have that “webcam look,” your mind goes to a washed-out, oversaturated image that struggles with multiple light sources or looks grainy  in low light. This is usually caused by a small sensor and software that makes sure your face is well lit, rather than focusing on detail.

The Anker PowerConf C300 is different. It still looks like a webcam that shoots at 1080p, but it captures a surprisingly crisp picture compared to the results from Logitech’s C920 Pro or StreamCam, with far truer-to-life color reproduction. There is no oversaturation here.

This picture quality is bolstered by autofocus that takes 0.35 seconds to refocus on your face or a subject, and an HDR mode that works wonders tackling bright light sources. Plus, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Anker more than capably handles low-light conditions without looking like you just turned the ISO up to a million.

It is capable of 60 fps, but for that, you sacrifice HDR. Out of the two options, I’d go for HDR and cut the frame rate down to 30 fps, but it’s nice to have the choice.

However, there are some AI-fuelled features that you may want to keep switched off, like face tracking and auto framing. They are a good idea on paper, but in practice, the features are hit or miss — either missing my face altogether or zooming in so far that I’m surprised friends didn’t notice the pastry crumbs on my top lip.

Overall,  the PowerConf C300 is impressive in most situations. It is good not just for work Zoom meetings, but family get-togethers and even casual streaming. 

Anker PowerConf C300: Mic quality

Coming in loud and clear, the dual microphones do a great job of picking up your voice from the standard chair-to-monitor distance of 4 feet. In fact, the only real struggle for it registering my voice came at 8 feet away. That makes it ideal for any family activity Zoom calls that require you to get up and move about.

There is one problem, though. Anker claims the dual microphones work together with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to eliminate background noise. However, in testing, this hasn’t been the case. 

It does slightly silence the sound of passing vehicles outside my window, but anything more than that, like loud talking in the room or music even at a quiet volume from a speaker on my desk, bleeds through. As is the case with many other webcams, you’re going to want to either use headphones to isolate the output sound or accept that you may need to repeat yourself in louder surroundings.

Anker PowerConf C300: Software

The AnkerWork software is the ideal PowerConf C300 companion. Rather than registering as a completely separate piece of hardware like Logitech’s software does, it interacts directly with the camera — reducing RAM consumption in the process.

As for what it does, you get a generous array of customisation options from picking the lens crop to tuning brightness and contrast. With easy-to-use switches and sliders, and a detailed FAQ section in the app, this is intuitive software for any user.

Just be sure to have your picture fully tuned to your liking before opening up another application that uses your camera. One odd issue I’ve come across causes the screen on the AnkerWork software to go black when the C300 is in use on OBS or Google Meet. 

I reached out to Anker and found out it’s caused by AnkerWork being classed as a streaming application. On Windows, a USB device like a Webcam is only able to work with one streaming application at a time, so the moment you open up the likes of Zoom or Microsoft Teams, those applications will get prioritised and your AnkerWork camera feed will shut off. 

That seems to be a trade-off for not setting up your webcam software as a virtual cam à la Logitech.

Bottom line

The Anker PowerConf C300 may have been introduced as part of the company’s conferencing product line, but it transcends this narrow business use case thanks to good picture quality, clear audio and excellent ease of use.

Yes, it’s pretty expensive at $129, the ANC can get overwhelmed by speakers or other people talking, and the face tracking is unreliable. But if you can swallow the cost and look past these problems, the ultra-wide-angle lens, rapid autofocus and HDR mode make for one of the better pictures you can get from a plug-in webcam.

Plus, with Zoom certification and simple software, the Anker is a significant upgrade over that dull built-in option on your laptop.

The Lenovo 500 FHD Webcam is great for videoconferencing and streaming videos in 1080p quality. If you're looking for a webcam for your laptop, you might find interest in this deal. 

For a limited time, you can get the Lenovo 500 FHD Webcam for just $39.99 directly from Lenovo. It usually retails for $70, so that's $30 in savings and the cheapest price we've seen for this webcam. Lenovo offers this same deal via eBay

• Shop: Lenovo's entire webcam sale
• More: Where to buy a webcam
• Best webcams in 2021

Logitech webcams may dominate the market, but the Lenovo 500 FHD is also an affordable option. 

It streams and records pixel-perfect 1080p video, has an internal slicking privacy shutter, and supports Windows Hello. For pain-free installation, it offers plug-and-play USB connectivity and ships with a USB 2.0 Type-A-to-Type-C cable in the box.

Although we didn't test this Lenovo webcam, It has an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars on the brand's official website. According to Lenovo 500 FHD Webcam reviews, the camera is easy to set up and works well on Windows 10, Mac OS, and Linux machines.  

In a nutshell, the Lenovo 500 FHD Webcam is a solid pick and great value — especially at this price. 

Microsoft isn’t new to the webcam market, but it might feel that way given that it has been about five years since the company released one of its LifeCam branded webcams. It’s leaving LifeCam at the wayside now and opting for a more business and education-focused webcam this time around.

It would be easy to assume that the Microsoft Modern Webcam, released alongside the Surface Laptop 4, is the company jumping on the massive influx of video conferencing that has driven interest in higher quality webcams. In truth, there have been hints here and there about this product for years now, so here at long last is Microsoft’s return to the webcam market, the Microsoft Modern Webcam.

Microsoft Modern Webcam price and availability 

The Microsoft Modern Webcam will be available for $69.99 starting in June. Consumers can sign up at Microsoft.com for updates on retail availability, while education and business users can contact their authorized resellers starting today. 

Microsoft Modern Webcam image quality 

Given the $70 price point, it shouldn’t be surprising that the Microsoft Modern Webcam sticks to 1080p. As with most cameras these days the hardware is only part of the story with HDR and Microsoft’s “True Look” enhancing the image via software. The latter delivers facial retouch, light adjustment and autofocus to ensure that you look your best. The 78-degree field of view is similar to what we see on many of the best webcams on the market, wide-angle but geared towards a single user. 

Microsoft Modern Webcam features 

The generic name in a lot of ways fits the generic feature set for the Microsoft Modern Webcam, but it does have a couple of nice added touches. It’s also worth noting that for many webcams the downfall is either reliability or the software, if Microsoft’s webcam can deliver there it should be able to find success even without many specific standout features.

The most notable feature is the integrated privacy shutter, this button allows you to be certain that your video stream is turned off regardless of what video conferencing service you are using. Speaking of video conferencing services the Microsoft Modern Webcam is of course certified for Microsoft Teams.

A feature that is notably missing is support for Windows Hello, the biometric face login for Windows users. Not terribly shocking at this price, but it does feel like a missed opportunity for Microsoft, particularly given the likely target market for this webcam.

The Microsoft Modern Webcam uses a traditional webcam mounting system that can be attached to a monitor, laptop, desk or to a tripod. While some features will require the software be installed, the webcams basic functionality is plug-and-play using a 60-inch cable with a USB Type-A plug. If your laptop only supports USB Type-C you’ll need to pick up an adapter or a USB Type-C hub.

The Microsoft Modern Webcam is compatible with Windows 8 and later as well as macOS 10.15 and later, but not all features are supported on macOS.

The upcoming Windows 10 21H2 Sun Valley update appears massive, with the refresh bringing many improvements and tweaks. Two of the improvements revealed within an early build are to the webcam and display settings.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are now working from home and using apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to assemble with colleagues and clients. Getting an update that will improve webcam and display performance while making setup and configuration easier almost seems like a gift from Microsoft. 

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Windows Latest has been testing an early build of the update with the new webcam settings, located in Settings, Devices, Camera. Once there, you can choose and configure any webcam connected to your computer or the webcam built into your laptop. From within the settings menu, you can adjust the contrast and brightness to improve camera performance and image quality. A future update will also alert you when third-party apps are using your camera, adding another level of security. 

If you're interested in learning more about the new camera updates or even testing them, you can do so by joining the Windows Insider program. Microsoft is said to be rolling out many new features this upcoming fall. 

Display settings improvements

The Windows 10 21H2 update will also include some display settings improvements, such as the ability to turn off the content-adaptive brightness control. Adaptive brightness dims your screen depending on what you're working on or the type of media you may be watching, which can be an annoyance as it may affect image quality. 

In the upcoming Windows 10 21H2 update, you can go into settings, go to the system and then display to turn this feature off. Microsoft's upcoming Windows 10 update appears to be focused on granting users more personalization tools to empower users and allow for the best experience. The early build updates coming from Microsoft are an excellent way to whet user appetites with new settings and features that building curiosity in what else may be in store when the fully optimized refresh is officially launched. 

Logitech webcams let you stream and record crisp, 1080p quality videos on your laptop. Currently, two of the brand's best webcams for Zoom meetings and streaming on Twitch or YouTube are on sale. 

Walmart currently has the Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam on sale for $79.99. Normally $100, this webcam is $20 off and at the lowest price it's ever been. PC Richard & Son offers the same deal. 

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If you want to upgrade your laptop's crappy webcam instantly, the Logitech C920 is the best overall webcam to buy. It features a 1080p camera with autofocus, side LEDs and an array of built-in mics. 

As we note in our Logitech C920 HD Pro review, its sharp, clear photos and video is impressive. We also liked its wide field of view and gave the Logitech C920 HD Pro a 4.5-star rating and the Editor's Choice award. 

During real-world testing, we captured images with the Logitech C920 HD Pro in our lab. We were amazed by its image clarity, detail and color accuracy. Video chatting and recordings were crystal-clear as were audio recordings. 

Easy to set up, the Logitech C920 HD Pro's arm attaches to your laptop's lid or the back of your external monitor. Integrated into its design is a hinge that lets you adjust the arm's length, while a rubber foot secures it in place. 

As an alternative, Walmart also offers the Logitech 1080p Pro Stream Webcam for $64 ($16 off). It's one of the best webcams for streaming on Twitch or YouTube. Built-in autofocus ensures vibrant lag-free video of up to 1080p video at 30fps.

 The Nexbar N110 conference bar features a 4K, 120-degree wide-angle camera, solid noise canceling with background noise suppression, and even throws in AI to pull off neat tricks during Zoom calls. It’s a clever conference room camera that looks like a speaker bar and even has some quality speakers of its own. Long, sleek, with a satin black finish, it will bring style to any office or home office Did I mention it’s easily wall-mounted, too?

Meant for conference rooms and larger office spaces, the Nexbar N110 makes it a breeze for multiple users to video conference. It really is a plug-and-play device and went to work as soon as I connected it to my laptop; I seamlessly hopped into a Google Meet within seconds. 

NexBar N110 Price and compatibility 

The NexBar N110 costs $799 and is compatible with both Windows 10 and macOS. It works with just about every video meeting platform including Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Google Meet.

NexBar N110 design

With its satin matte-black finish, the NexBar N110 is sleek, elegant, and fits in with just about any room or office space decor. Matching speaker grills flank both sides of the centered 4K lens, which has the Nexvoo logo centered underneath it. Its hinged metal stand is sleek and the bottom is covered in rubber. This way,  when you place it on surfaces, it doesn’t cause scratches and helps to snuggly keep itself in place if you choose to mount it to a wall using the supplied wall mount. 

The NexBar comes with a USB Type-C port, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a power connector, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. The unit measures 19.8 x 0.6  x 3-inches and weighs 2.4 pounds, so it’s lightweight and easy to move around if need be. 

The NexBar N110 also comes with a remote control that allows you to turn the unit on or off, raise and lower the speaker volume, and mute the microphones. It has two different camera presets and also lets you control the camera zoom and turn the Bluetooth and AI on or off.

NexBar N110 Picture and sound

To be clear, the NexBar N110 is a conference room or large room camera bar. It’s not intended for small spaces although I did get away with using it in my tiny draped-off home office space. It performed much better once I opened up my drapes and let them cover my entire studio apartment space. The NexBar is marketed as being ideal for rooms of up to 150 square feet with 10 participants but can cover up to 15 people huddled together. 

That said, the 120-degree FOV 4K camera works great and reproduces natural colors with some added warmth. Skin tones were spot on, and there was no oversaturation; what you see is what you get, and that’s a great thing. However, it has a 4K resolution so don’t forget to shave and look your best cause it will catch everything. Images are crystal clear, however, if you’re using it up close in a tiny space, you may get some wide-angle distortion. This is easily remedied by using the supplied remote control and zooming in on yourself. Be careful to not zoom in too much as the camera is capable of 4x HD digital zooming. Nobody needs to see every fine detail in your face. 

The NexBar N110 comes with six built-in microphones covering far-field audio, as well as up-close audio. It does a nice job of capturing the voice of individual speakers and uses AI to zero in on the host when multiple attendees are chatting. The NexBar is rated to pick up the voice of speakers from up to 26 feet away. It also comes with noise-canceling technology and though some noise-canceling tech can sometimes over suppress audio, the NexBar doesn’t suffer from this issue. Moreover, the AI did a nice job of reducing background noise while I was recording. I dropped a large box during one session and the sound of it hitting the floor wasn’t picked up. 

The speakers on the NexBar work great, and although I wouldn’t suggest you use them to throw an office party, they do produce some nice bass. More importantly, they produce clear vocals from whomever you’re talking to on the other side of your video meeting. It’s not the booming soundbar you just purchased for your new TV, but it does the job nicely as I clearly heard my colleague on the other side of our studio apartment.

NexBar N110 Software 

There is no software needed to download; the NexBar is a true plug-and-play camera on both Mac OS and Windows 10. However, I’d be ashamed of myself if I did not mention the AI software within the unit. The AI does a very nice job of framing and auto-tracking the faces of up to ten conference participants. The autofocus of the NexBar functioned smoothly, and I experienced a delay in tracking or focus only once and it only lasted a second. 

When I walked around my office, the camera steadily followed me as I spoke to it from across the room. It kept me in a framed box the entire time. Also,  using the remote to zoom in on me from across the room is an excellent feature. Kudos to the team at Nexvoo for developing an intelligent AI system that recognizes the main speaker in a room but also keeps others in focus. I tested this out by moving around and speaking from a distance, and yes, the autofocus still framed me nicely and followed my movements, as my girlfriend sat off to the side pretending what I was saying was important.

Bottom Line 

The NexBar N110 is worth the investment if you’re the owner of a small business that’s growing in size and you want to level up your video conferencing with a wide-angle camera capable of capturing everyone in the room. It’s also great if you simply want to show off your new office space. Being wall-mountable is a huge bonus as you don’t have to leave it on a table or on top of a monitor. Also, it’s easy to slip it off the mount and take it to another room. Its AI-powered autofocus and tracking work smoothly and are an extra bonus. It delivers clear, bright, colorful video, and does an excellent job of capturing every voice in the room without having to strain or raise your voice to be heard. All in all, the NexBar N110 is a win for Nexvoo.

Even if you found one of the best webcams in stores last year, you might have discovered that getting your setup for video conferencing or video chats just right with a webcam, a microphone and lighting can be a hassle. 

This is precisely the issue that Movo is looking to tackle with its new WebMic series, it combines a cardioid microphone, a webcam and in some models a ring light all into one reasonably compact device that plugs in with a single USB-C cable (via New Atlas). 

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Now the company has turned to Kickstarter for this product, which understandably may turn some off. However, it's worth noting that Movo has been around since 2013 and shipped a number of well-regarded products in the realm of photo, video, and audio including three previous Kickstarters. There's always some risk involved with a Kickstarter, but with nearly $100,000 in funding on a $15,000 goal as of this writing and a solid past track record, there's reason to believe they can deliver.

With that out of the way, there are five models of the Movo WebMic; WebMic, WebMic HD, WebMic 4K, WebMic HD Pro and WebMic 4K Pro. The base model is purely a microphone, the HD and the 4K models add a webcam and the Pro models integrate an LED ring light. 

The microphone is a cardioid condenser microphone with a directional pickup pattern to avoid picking up extraneous noise. A gain control knob lets you hone in your audio and a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack ensures that you can hear yourself properly. 

The camera delivers 30 frames per second video, either at 1080p or 4K depending on the model you choose. Top-of-the-line webcams like the Logitech StreamCam or Logitech Brio 4K Pro Webcam offer 60 frames per second, but this isn't something that most users are going to miss.

Finally, the Pro models add a built-in LED ring light, which probably doesn't deliver results on par with a dedicated ring light. However, the promise here is convenience. You have three levels of brightness to choose from depending on your environment. 

All five models come with the same portable stand, which also doubles as a handheld grip as well as a detachable clamp that allows you to place it on your desk or clip it to the top of your monitor or laptop. The WebMic uses a USB Type-C port and comes with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A connector, so if you have a Type-C only laptop you'll need an adapter or a USB Type-C hub. 

During the Kickstarter campaign, the prices range from $89 for the WebMic up to $159 for the WebMic 4K Pro. It would be hard to recommend the basic mic option, there are plenty of great options at or below that price point, but for the options that integrate the webcam, it's a solid value. 

The Kickstarter will end on April 10 and the company anticipates shipping by June. Again, the short timeline there is actually encouraging as it suggests the company is basically using this as a pre-order process. If you hate trying to juggle a few different devices every time you need to jump on a video conference, this might be a compelling option to cut down on complexity and clutter.

There has never been a more important time to look good on camera. Unfortunately, laptop makers continue to fail us with awful webcams, even as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forces all meetings to be video chats. The solution is to buy an external webcam, one that mounts to your laptop or monitor. 

Our recommended webcam has, for as long as we can remember, been the Logitech C920 HD Pro. But now the competition is growing fierce and the ClearOne Unite 20 Pro has arrived to give business users another option. This 1080p webcam features an ultra-wide-angle lens, capable of capturing an entire workspace instead of just your mugshot. Photos and videos taken with the ClearOne are bright and vivid and provide a huge improvement over integrated solutions.

But there are some downsides, including the hefty price tag and poor microphone quality. Is the Unite 20 Pro going to dethrone the C920 Pro? No. But it might be a better option for you depending on your needs.

ClearOne Unite 20 Pro: Price and compatibility 

The Unite 20 Pro webcam retails at $105 (currently on sale for $89), making it one of the more expensive options on the market and considerably pricier than the Logitech C920 ($79).

You won't run into any issues using the Unite 20 Pro on your laptop or desktop as the webcam supports every OS, including Windows 7 and up, Linux, macOS 10.10 and up, and Chrome OS. 

ClearOne Unite 20 Pro: Design 

At 4.7 inches wide, the ClearOne is much chunkier than my trusty Logitech C920 HD Pro (3.7 inches), which, need I remind you, was released in 2012. The Logitech has been the gold standard of webcams since its release, still, you'd hope for progress after nearly a decade. 

The cylindrical base of the ClearOne extends to the left and right of a central camera module, and the lens on the ClearOne juts out from the base unlike on the C920 Pro where the lens is flush with the body. Two sets of microphones flank the camera on the bottom corners and some "ClearOne" branding is visible on the front. 

Where the ClearOne has an edge over other webcams is with its lens cover. It's a simple rubberized hood that you manually put over the lens, but hey, it's much more attractive than Scotch tape. 

The ClearOne uses the same method as the C920 to mount to your laptop or monitor. A flexible angled arm in the back presses against the back of your monitor or the lid of your laptop, while a flat rubberized piece hangs over the front of your screen to hold it in place.

I had no problems mounting the ClearOne on my monitor or laptop, however, it's time for this attachment system to evolve. It was fine when the C920 HD Pro was released, but with display bezels being trimmed down on modern screens, the overhanging bit on the webcam could potentially block some of the screen. That definitely happened when I used the ClearOne with an HP e27d G74 monitor and Dell XPS 15 laptop — a few lines of pixels were blocked in the top-center of my screen, giving me flashbacks to Apple's notorious iPhone notch.

On a positive note, the ClearOne felt stable on whichever device I mounted it to. There wasn't any wobble or rocking, even during voice chats with my XPS in my lap. The weight seems evenly balanced, and while the ClearOne is made entirely of black plastic, it feels sturdy.

ClearOne Unite 20 Pro: Picture quality 

So the ClearOne isn't as sleek as other options, but the picture quality from its 1080p CMOS sensor is good. I tested the Unite 20 Pro by taking photos and videos in a well-lit room, a dimly lit room, and with a bright light pointed directly at me to test the exposure. I then took those same shots with the Logitech Pro 920 and compared them side-by-side.

Overall, the ClearOne Unite 20 is a massive step up from most integrated laptop webcams, but it lags just behind the C920 HD Pro. Even then, the ClearOne has a few perks over the Logitech. One benefit is the ultra-wide-angle lens, which has a significantly larger field-of-view than the C920. I consider this a "benefit," but it's possible some might want a narrow lens that focuses on their face and not everything else around them. Whatever the case, the ClearOne captured almost my entire office whereas the Logitech caught only a bit more space beyond my shoulders. 

The Unite 20 Pro also took a bright image under all lighting conditions. The above image is a selfie taken with the ClearOne in a well-lit room, with the overhead lights turned on and some light streaking in from a window in front of me. As you can see, there is plenty of light coming through the lens; you can see the color variances in my face and minimal grain or digital noise, even when zooming in. This isn't the sharpest image — my beard is more of a blob than anything — but it looks clear and the colors are accurate. 

In fact, it did an even better job than the C920 in this round. The Logitech took a darker image that obscured my hair and beard. Its narrowed picture was also slightly grainier than the one taken on the ClearOne Unite 20 Pro. However, you can see more details in my face on the C920 because, unlike the Unite 20, it didn't iron out the flaws in my skin (for better or worse). The C920 also did a better job of capturing my complexion — I look a tad pale in the Unite 20 Pro shot.

The photos and videos I took in a dimly lit room were a dead heat between the ClearOne and Logitech. There were some minor differences, but I was very pleased with both cameras. Comparing them, the ClearOne (as seen above), apart from taking a much wider shot, captured cooler colors, which helped separate the different red and peach tones in my skin. The C920's colors lean warm, so my face looked more uniformly orange. The webcams were similarly detailed with the ClearOne showing just a tad more noise. 

The Logitech flexed its muscles in the third shot when I pointed a standing light at maximum brightness on one side of my face. The C920 was astonishingly good in this scenario, capturing sharp details and natural skin tones. With a bit of extra light coming in, the C920 took the only photo I'd want to post to my social media accounts. Yes, the illuminated side of my face was washed out, but the exceptional details in the rest of the image made up for it. 

The Unite 20 Pro didn't do a poor job under these conditions, but the gulf in quality between it and the C920 HD was wider than in any other. A larger portion of my face was washed out in the ClearOne shot, and the details in my face were more blurry. I couldn't see individual strands of hair in my beard or even pores in my skin as I could in the Logitech photo.

ClearOne Unite 20 Pro: Mic quality 

Up until now, barring a few hiccups, the Unite 20 Pro was keeping up with the big shots. That's why it's such a shame that the mic quality pales in comparison. During the Laptop Mag morning meeting, my colleague said I sounded OK, but that the echoey noise you hear from a poor microphone was present. And there’s no noise cancellation; several people on the call complained about the clacking of my mechanical keyboard as I typed notes.

The mic revealed its deficiencies when I played back a video from the ClearOne and compared it to that of the C920. You know when your video connection is poor so videos don't render and the audio sounds terrible? That's what my voice sounded like on the Unit 20 Pro compared to the Logitech. 

My tone was distant and sharp, its bassier notes turned into piercing trebles. There was also a hint of scratchiness, the sort of grating noise you get from a video shot on an old cell phone. On the C920, my voice had a deeper, more relaxed tone. 

ClearOne Unite 20 Pro: Software 

There isn't any utility software for the Unite 20 Pro, however, ClearOne has its own video chat app called Collaborate Space. It combines video meetings with cloud collaboration tools. Think Google Hangouts or Microsoft Teams. You can read more about it on the ClearOne website.

Normally, it wouldn't bother me if a webcam didn't come with an app — after all, there's only so much tinkering you can do with a webcam. However, I did run into one annoying hiccup with the Unite 20 Pro; switching to the external webcam when using the Windows Camera app led to an error message claiming there was a conflict because another app was using the webcam.  

Fair enough. However, it still didn't work after I closed every app that could possibly be using the camera. And when I plugged in the Logitech C920 with all the same apps running? The Windows 10 Camera app lets me switch right to it, no questions asked. 

Bottom line 

If you absolutely need a wide-angle webcam with good video quality, the ClearOne Unite 20 Pro is a solid, if overpriced, option. It delivers a bright, sharp picture whether you're taking photos or in a video meeting with colleagues. And while it's considerably bulkier than other options on the market, the Unite 20 Pro has a flexible mounting system and feels sturdy. 

And yet, most people shouldn't spend $105, or even $89 (if you find it on sale), for the Unite 20 Pro. Yes, the picture quality is good, but the microphones are poor, and the unit is chunky. Instead, you could get the legendary Logitech C920 HD Pro for $79. You'd be saving money and getting a webcam with a more compact design, similar if not better picture quality, and much cleaner microphones. 

But as I mentioned, if you absolutely need an extra wide-angle lens and a lens cover — or if the Logitech C920 HD Pro is sold out (which it often is) — the Unite 20 Pro will do the job — and be a huge step up from any integrated laptop webcam. 

While we’ve seen a few laptops up their game in the webcam department at CES 2021, the reality is that most of them are pretty disappointing and needless to say they don’t do you any favors when it comes to lighting. 

With CES starting to wind down, the solution to all of these problems has arrived in the form of the Avita Admiror II from Nexstgo with a total of three webcams and a built-in “ring light” (via Engadget).

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So what exactly is the purpose of having three webcams in your laptop? Well much like the rear camera arrays on modern flagship smartphones these three webcams are giving you a variety of different zoom options. Nexstgo doesn’t offer exact focal lengths, but they are identified as “Close-up,” “Medium Close-up” and “Wider Shot,” so presumably this would roughly equate to a telephoto, wide-angle and ultra-wide.

Beyond getting to play the director of cinematography during your video conferencing or streaming sessions you also are going to be well lit by the built-in right light in the bezel of the laptop. The Avita Admiror II is pitched as a Creator laptop. To that effect they have partnered with Loupedeck, a company that makes premium tools for photo, video and audio creators, but it’s unclear what the partnership entails.

Details on the laptop itself are similarly pretty scarce as well, while Nexstgo has announced laptops with Intel 11th Gen and AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, it didn’t specify either for the Avita Admiror II. The original used a U-Series Intel 10th Gen processor paired with Intel's UHD graphics. The laptop has an otherwise traditional clamshell design with a large touchpad and two prominent speakers and it also features an integrated subwoofer.

The Avita Admiror II is unlikely to be released in the U.S. as the Hong Kong-based Nexstgo doesn’t have a history of releasing outside of Asia, but it’s certainly one of the more unique laptops that we have seen during CES 2021.

This webcam Black Friday deal will make you forget all about Logitech! Packed with a noise-cancelling microphone, 1080p resolution and low-light correction, this webcam is only $19!

The Fuvision 1080p webcam, originally $26.99, has dipped down to $19.19 at Amazon. Why spend so much of your hard-earned cash on higher-end webcams when this camera offers similar features at an affordable price?

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Black Friday webcam deal

This webcam Black Friday deal blew our mind when we discovered it. The highly-rated Fuvision webcam, earning 4.1 out of 5 stars on Amazon, is only $19.19, and it offers noise-cancelling microphone, 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second and low-light correction. 

The noise-cancelling microphone has sensitive, advanced noise detection technology that can pick up your voice and filter out unwanted background distractions for sharper, clearer communication with whomever is on the receiving end of your video. Fuvision also features a universal clip that offers 360 degrees of rotation.

Fuvision boasts that this webcam can be used for live video streaming on social media platforms (e.g. Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.). It is also ideal for work meetings, webinars and video calls with friends and family. Current owners of the Fuvision webcam found the product to be easy to set up — they were also pleasantly surprised by its impressive image quality at such an affordable price.

Black Friday deals are here and there are tons of deals on the industry’s best tech. Be sure to bookmark our best Black Friday laptop deals page to stay on top of this year’s exclusive deals on laptops.

It's been a hard year to stay in touch with people, and even if you can talk to people over text, there's just something different about seeing someone's face while talking with them. Thankfully, this Black Friday deal makes face-to-face communication easy.

The Gesma 1080p Prostream webcam currently at the mind-bogglingly low price of $25. That's down $10, or 30%, from its original price of $35. It may be cheap, but the loads of high reviews on amazon speak to this device's hidden worth.

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Gesma 1080p Prostream Webcam deal

Gesma blew its customers away with its 1080p Prostream Webcam. Able to capture full HD makes it attractive to people needing to do video calls for work, check in on their loved ones, or even those delving into streaming games. Its also small, unobtrusive, and easy to mount on your monitor. The webcam's microphone also has a built-in noise reducer to provide clearer audio.

While we haven't had the chance to review this device, the positive reviews speak for themselves. There are thousands of happy customers on Amazon preaching the quality of this device. The most popular features are its ability to consistently provide high-quality video and its easy plug-and-play installation. Oh, and the low price, of course.

Black Friday is just about here and we’re seeing tons of fantastic deals on today’s top mobile tech. Be sure to check our Black Friday 2020 deals hub for the best holiday discounts.

This webcam Amazon Prime Day deal is unbelievable! If you're working from home and you've been hoping to come across a knock-out webcam Prime Day deal, here it is! This ZZCP webcam is only $20!

Act fast! This deal will only last for a few hours.

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ZZCP Full HD 1080P webcam just $20 in incredible Prime Day deal

If you've lost out on that deal, don't worry! There's also an Aukey 1080p webcam on sale for just $31.94.

Both deals won't last long! This webcam Prime Day deal will only last for a few hours, so snatch it before it's too late.

MacBooks lack the camera-hiding features found on some Windows laptops, and now Apple doesn't want you to use a third-party webcam cover, either. 

The company published an advisory earlier this month urging users not to use any form of webcam cover because the "clearance between the display and keyboard is designed to very tight tolerances." 

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"Covering the built-in camera might also interfere with the ambient light sensor and prevent features like automatic brightness and True Tone from working," Apple added.

While that sounds like a reasonable explanation, it certainly limits the options MacBook owners have of ensuring that they aren't being spied on. Spotted by MacRumors, the advisory says to use the camera indicator — the small LED light next to the lens — to determine if the webcam is on or off. When it glows green, the camera is on.

Apple says to trust the tiny indicator, but that will feel like a hollow promise to the privacy-concerned users who cover their webcams. While there are no reports of it happening to MacBooks, it's not entirely unfeasible for a bad actor to take control of your laptop and disable the indicator light. 

How to protect yourself from webcam spying

You have a few options if the camera staring at you from above your MacBook's display puts you on edge. As always, the first line of defense is to download antivirus software. Next, choose which apps have access to your camera. Apps must gain your permission before they can use your webcam, and you can always revoke or grant access to programs in System Preferences. 

Are you still worried? Apple has a few guidelines to follow if you need physical evidence that your webcam is covered:

• Make sure the camera cover is not thicker than an average piece of printer paper (0.1mm).
• Avoid using a camera cover that leaves adhesive residue.
• If you install a camera cover that is thicker than 0.1mm, remove the camera cover before closing your computer.

If you're a high-risk target like a government worker or celebrity, then you might consider abandoning Apple and jumping to Windows. Certain Windows 10 laptops, including most new business laptops, have a physical mechanism for covering the webcam. 

Laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Dell Latitude 5400 use a webcam cover that you can slide over the lens, while other models, like the HP Spectre x360 13, have a kill switch that cuts power to the camera. HP's new $800 Envy x360 13 slides a white shield over the webcam when you tap on the disable video key.

We hope Apple includes one of these solutions when it launches the first MacBook with custom ARM-based CPUs later this year.

The Logitech C920 HD Pro is the best webcam you can buy. It provides remarkable imagery whether you're videoconferencing, capturing images or recording videos.

Right now, you can get the Logitech C920 HD Pro webcam for $89.99 from Adorama. That's $10 off the store's $100 retail price and the best price available right now. 

Keep in mind that the demand for this camera is so high that it sells out fast. Although it's currently on backorder, you still buy it now for the deal price. 

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In our Logitech C920 webcam review, we were impressed by its sharp, clear photos and video. We gave it a 4.5-star rating and named it the Editor's Choice webcam. 

It features a 1080p camera with a wide 78-degree field of view and autofocus. Side LEDs and an array of built-in microphones round out its list of attributes. 

Easy to set up, the C920 webcam's arm affixes to the back of your external monitor or the lid of your laptop. Integrated into its design is a hinge that lets you adjust the arm's length, while a rubber foot secures it in place. 

In real-world testing, we captured images with the C920 in our lab. We were floored by its image clarity, detail and color accuracy. Video chatting and recordings were also crystal-clear. 

As for sound, audio recordings were loud and clear with minimal background noise. So if you want to upgrade your laptop's webcam to top tier performance, the Logitech C920 is the camera you want.

Webcams can be handy tools for improving your productivity and generally making it easier for you to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. Sitting on the inside of your laptop or monitor right above your screen, they're ideally placed so you don't need to do much to snap a picture of yourself or start streaming video to others.

But there's also a problem with webcams. 

In a world where security is paramount and privacy is increasingly difficult to preserve, malicious hackers can break into computers and spy on you through your webcam. They can snap pictures or record video of you or just look to see what you're up to at any given moment. And the worst part is, you'll never even know they're doing it. 

Many who are concerned about their privacy have turned to webcam covers. The simple, relatively cheap devices attach to the top of your screen to cover your webcam. In many cases, they even come with a slider, so you can quickly view your webcam without needing to remove the entire cover.

Based on our research, these are the best webcam covers for you to consider.

If you're not into graphical covers and want something simple, consider the Trobing Webcam Cover. It's a universal cover that can attach to computers, tablets and even your Amazon Echo Show. And at 0.03 inches thick, it shouldn't be too bulky during use. It has a ribbed area to help you easily slide the protector on and off your webcam and attaches to your device with an adhesive. Credit: Trobing

While many webcam covers are made from plastic, the Cimkiz Webcam Cover tries to differentiate itself by being made from metal. It has a sliding function to cover the webcam and, thanks to an adhesive on the back, you can attach it to just about any device, including an iPhone or a monitor, to cover your webcam. It's also thinner than a credit card, meaning it won't be bulky if you attach it to a smartphone.

If you want the simplest webcam cover you can find, opting for the Eysoft Webcam Cover might be a good idea. It has a black finish and a slider design, so you can easily cover your webcam. And since it has an adhesive, you can attach it to just about any device. Be aware, however, that at 0.07 inches thick, it's slightly thicker than some of the other options in this roundup.

The Mosench Webcam Cover Ultra Slim is all about adding color into your life. And with a four-pack that offers a black, silver, pink or blue finish, you should have more than enough choices for any design aesthetic. The cover attaches to any device with an adhesive and has a switch on the front that pushes the cover over your webcam. It's one of the more attractive options available. Credit: Mosench

Colampra's Webcam Cover is decidedly different than others in this roundup. That's because it ditches the sliding function and replaces it with a simple cover that you can place atop the webcam. When you want to use the webcam, simply take the cover off your camera. According to Colampra, the cover can be attached 300,000 times before it needs to be replaced. The price includes six units.

The streaming industry is booming and much of the growth is thanks to the new wave of streamers who are expanding their content beyond gaming. The Logitech StreamCam ($169.99) combines HD clarity, ease of use and intuitive design in a compact package that makes it one of the best webcams for a new generation of influencers.

Musicians, artists and streamers in the Just Chatting Twitch category will find a lot to love in the StreamCam. The camera's fantastic automated framing and focus makes it a strong entry-level shooter for any entertainer requiring a full-screen stream.

But for gamers, this might be too steep of an investment. The StreamCam is one of the most expensive streaming cams on the market and is confined to USB Type-C devices.  Plus, $170 is a lot to pay when your selfie box is only a small fraction of your streaming setup. However, if you want a high-quality camera that does all the heavy lifting for you, the StreamCam is a solid choice.

Design

At 5.3 ounces, 2.6 x 2.3 x 1.9 inches, the StreamCam is seriously compact. The frame is squared and comes in either white or graphite plastic. Both models feature a heather gray canvas surrounding the lens and a Logitech logo to the left of the lens. Each side of the camera has a bump that slides it into the mount in either landscape or portrait mode.

Unlike its big brother, the Brio 4K Pro, the StreamCam features a sturdy plastic mount, which latched securely to both my MacBook Pro and BenQ XL2420TE monitor. No matter the position, angle or tilt, the cam didn't budge even when I shook my laptop and my desk. The clip portion of the mount can be removed and replaced with a tripod, which comes with the StreamCam Plus, but not the base model.

The only major flaw is the cable. It's a 5-foot inline that can't be removed, so if you were hoping to swap it for a shorter or longer cable, you're out of luck. It's also only available in USB Type-C. You can use an adapter to connect it to a USB Type-A 2.0 or 3.0 port, but doing so will cap your FPS to 30 from 60, which eliminates one of the major advantages the StreamCam has over the competition.

Picture and sound

For such a tiny device, the StreamCam shoots great video. Logitech's Capture software was good enough that I didn't need to do any additional tweaking. All the built-in auto-adjust features kept me well-lit and in the frame as I moved my head around and waved my fingers across my face. It isn't 4K, but the 1080p resolution is really all you need when streaming.

The StreamCam delivered crisp, clear footage of my face when I used it in the sunbathed study hall of my local library. It also worked in a darkened room in my apartment, lit only by my desktop monitor and the white LEDs off my keyboard.

• MORE: Working from home essentials

The built-in microphone isn't great, but still quite serviceable. If you're a musician, you may want to invest in a mixer and mic setup, but for gamers, high-fidelity voice quality isn't a priority. The popular video-game streamer Tyler1 has been a steadfast fan of the Logitech G430 for years, despite breaking several of them over the course of his career.

Software

While Capture isn't as robust as OBS or XSplit, it has a lot of quick, easy presets that makes streaming accessible to everybody. Underneath the streaming window are such typical settings as photo, record and stop, as well as volume settings for the mic. 

Users can also adjust the video aspect ratio or pixel quality along with five FPS settings from 24 to 60. There's also a variety of layouts ranging from split-screen to the traditional corner box. 

New streamers with green screens can toggle the Chroma key to blend themselves into the background and selfie-minded streamers can play around with text overlays, filters (fisheye, black and white, etc.) or they can flip the source around or tag on a Logitech watermark if they're feeling the brand loyalty.

• MORE: Where to buy a webcam? 

Notice your frame rates dropping? With one click, you can tell the camera to prioritize frames over image quality, which it does very well..

Capture even has a Dark Mode for fellow night owls out there.

Bottom line

The Logitech StreamCam is designed for a broad range of streamers. And while this jack-of-all-trades approach is typically a bad idea, in the StreamCam's case, it works.

However, at $170, it's one of the most expensive devices in its class and useless for any setup that doesn't have a USB-C port (unless you want to use a dongle). If either of these things is an issue, you might be better served with the Razer Kiyo.

Otherwise, the StreamCam is a fantastic, albeit expensive, steppingstone for budding musicians, entertainers and personalities who are starting their livestream careers but can't afford to invest in big-league equipment like a mirrorless or DSLR. For gamers, it's a high-end device that will provide a consistent, 60 fps stream in vibrant detail.

And in this new era of streaming where gamers are also hosting cooking streams and political commentators make the odd foray into video games, the StreamCam's flexibility is clutch.

I never thought we'd see the day when toilet paper would be such a rare gem in our society, but the lower-body hygiene product isn't the only commodity growing increasingly scarce. The best webcams are now the new toilet paper rolls.

As government officials and health advocates issue mandates for social distancing, a sizable chunk of the global workforce is now working from home. Webcams, as a result, have been flying off the shelves -- and now there are very few in stock (except webcams from price-gouging resellers).

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Logitech dominates the webcam market. According to AndroidPolice, you may not be able to snag a webcam from Best Buy or Walmart, but Logitech still has some cameras in stock in its online store.

So yes, you can actually purchase the Logitech C920 Pro, a long-time favorite of our editors, without getting the frustrating message that you'll have to purchase on backorder.

Logitech, perhaps to curb panic buying and profit opportunists, imposed a five-item limit per customer. As of this writing, purchases over $29.99 have free shipping but don't expect super-quick delivery.

"The company says shipment times might be longer than usual, but receiving a webcam later is probably still better than not receiving one at all," AndroidPolice correctly notes.

For years, we've recommended the same webcam. Now that webcam is selling for 50% off this Black Friday, which makes it an impulse buy for anyone who is in the market. 

Amazon is selling Logitech's C920 Pro webcam for just $49 after a discount of the same amount. Best Buy is matching that deal with its own. If you want to protect yourself from snooping eyes, you can opt for the Privacy Shutter, which adds another $20. 

In our Logitech HD Pro C920 webcam review, we called the external camera the very best for photos and videos. Whether you're on Skype chats with friends or conferencing with employees, the C920 provides a crystal-clear 1080p image with accurate colors and a wide field of view. 

No webcam has eclipsed the Logitech C920, which is incredible to think about when you consider how long it's been around and how far video has come in the past few years. 

If you're looking for more peripherals or even a new laptop or tablet, see our Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals pages for the latest discounts. 

Black Friday: Quick links

• Amazon: New Black Friday deals every hour
• Walmart: Best deals you can get now
• Best Buy: Shop Black Friday now 
• Dell: Save up to 40% on XPS, monitors, desktops
• Newegg: Sales on components, graphics cards, SSDs 
• Mixbook: 45% off sitewide via "BF19" 
• Lenovo: Up to 56% off ThinkPads 
• HP: Up to 63% off Envy, Spectre, and more laptops
• Alienware: Up to $550 off Alienware gaming desktops and laptops
• B&H Photo: Up to $500 off Canon, Nikon, and more
• Adidas: Up to 50% off select apparel

Face it, there's only one webcam anyone should buy: the Logitech HD Pro C920. And now, during Amazon Prime Day, that already-affordable peripheral is even less expensive courtesy of some huge discounts.

During Amazon Prime Day, you can buy the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 from Amazon or Best Buy for just $40, an aggressive $60 off retail.

• Logitech HD Webcam C920: was $99 now just $40 @ Amazon
• Logitech HD Webcam C920: was $99 now just $40 @ Best Buy

For years, we've been recommending this model as a savior to your laptop's dreadful integrated cameras, and for years, nothing has even come close to providing the same image quality for the price. Needless to say, if you've been eyeing the C920, or an external webcam in general, this is a can't-miss deal. 

So who is the HD Webcam C920 for? If you frequently video conference for work or want to get into live streaming, the Logitech C920 produces sharp 1080p images with accurate colors and smooth motion. 

When we reviewed the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 in 2016, we praised the webcam for its clear photos and videos, as well its wide field of view and long cord. I've personally been using the C920 for the last two years as a fix for my Dell XPS 15's dreadful "nosecam," and have been impressed by its ease of use and picture quality.

Looking for more laptop, tablet or accessory deals? Check out our main Amazon Prime Day page to stay up-to-date on the latest deals.

Webcams can be handy tools for improving your productivity and generally making it easier for you to communicate with friends, family and colleagues. Sitting on the inside of your laptop or monitor right above your screen, they're ideally placed so you don't need to do much to snap a picture of yourself or start streaming video to others.

But there's also a problem with webcams. 

In a world where security is paramount and privacy is increasingly difficult to preserve, malicious hackers can break into computers and spy on you through your webcam. They can snap pictures or record video of you or just look to see what you're up to at any given moment. And the worst part is, you'll never even know they're doing it. 

Many who are concerned about their privacy have turned to webcam covers. The simple, relatively cheap devices attach to the top of your screen to cover your webcam. In many cases, they even come with a slider, so you can quickly view your webcam without needing to remove the entire cover.

Based on our research, these are the best webcam covers for you to consider:

The EscapePanda Universal Webcam Cover is a universal cover that can work on everything from your laptop to your desktop to your iPhone. It clips on to your device and covers the front-facing camera with, well, a panda face. You can then slide the panda face to the side when you want to use your webcam. Credit: EscapePanda

If you're not into graphical covers and want something simple, consider the Trobing Webcam Cover. It's a universal cover that can attach to computers, tablets and even your Amazon Echo Show. And at 0.03 inches thick, it shouldn't be too bulky during use. It has a ribbed area to help you easily slide the protector on and off your webcam and attaches to your device with an adhesive. Credit: Trobing

While many webcam covers are made from plastic, the Cimkiz Webcam Cover tries to differentiate itself by being made from metal. It has a sliding function to cover the webcam and, thanks to an adhesive on the back, you can attach it to just about any device, including an iPhone or a monitor, to cover your webcam. It's also thinner than a credit card, meaning it won't be bulky if you attach it to a smartphone. Credit: Cimkiz

If you want the simplest webcam cover you can find, opting for the Eysoft Webcam Cover might be a good idea. It has a black finish and a slider design, so you can easily cover your webcam. And since it has an adhesive, you can attach it to just about any device. Be aware, however, that at 0.07 inches thick, it's slightly thicker than some of the other options in this roundup. Credit: Eysoft

The Mosench Webcam Cover Ultra Slim is all about adding color into your life. And with a four-pack that offers a black, silver, pink or blue finish, you should have more than enough choices for any design aesthetic. The cover attaches to any device with an adhesive and has a switch on the front that pushes the cover over your webcam. It's one of the more attractive options available. Credit: Mosench

Tired of the same old webcam cover design? The Supcase Webcam Cover might be a good place to start. The cover comes with a black design and attaches to everything from your iPhone to your desktop monitor. It has a slide feature like the others, but a more rectangular design that's quite attractive. And at 0.5mm thick, it's nicely thin. Credit: Supcase

TechPrivacy's Webcam Privacy Cover is about as straightforward as it gets. But that's not a bad thing. The device is a simple cover that comes with a slider for you to quickly cover or reveal the webcam. It works with any device, thanks to an adhesive back, and at 0.28 inches thick, it's nice and thin. TechPrivacy's cover is available in a three-pack. Credit: TechPrivacy

Colampra's Webcam Cover is decidedly different than others in this roundup. That's because it ditches the sliding function and replaces it with a simple cover that you can place atop the webcam. When you want to use the webcam, simply take the cover off your camera. According to Colampra, the cover can be attached 300,000 times before it needs to be replaced. The price includes six units. Credit: Colampra

The Targus Spy Guard Webcam Cover has one of the best designs in this roundup with a slide function that looks more attractive than most. It comes with a black design and an area in the middle that lets you slide the cover away from the webcam. It's designed for most devices, but given its size, when you reveal your webcam, it's probably best for a laptop or monitor instead of a smartphone. It comes in a three-pack. Credit: Targus

Credit: Trobing 

Face it, your laptop's webcam is bad. For whatever reason, when companies pack their products with the latest and greatest tech, they tend to forget about the webcam.

That becomes especially obvious when you power up the camera app in a dark environment. Picture quality in low light is often grain, blurry and practically unusable.

But for how much we criticize those cameras, most laptops can actually capture a decent image under the right lighting. That's where the Lume Cube Air VC comes in. Using a suction cup mount and the Lume Cube Air lamp, the newly released Air VC can be attached to just about any gadget, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

The concept is simple. Just mount the Go Pro-shaped Cube Air light onto the back of your laptop using an included suction cup. From there, you can use the accompanying app to customize brightness, light strobe and strobe speeds. The adjustable 400 LUX wide-angle LED will do the rest of the work, brightening up your face to improve the overall quality of your video.

MORE: How to Turn Off Your Webcam

I got a chance to demo the Lume Cube in a terribly lit conference room where it could really shine (sorry, pun intended). The image quality of the MacBook Pro improved the moment the light was flipped on. Better yet, the Cube didn't overexpose my face or cause the webcam to blown out the background. 

Because the Lume Cube relies on a suction cup, you can move it from one device to another without adjusting or changing out clamps. The lightweight Air VC is waterproof and has an internal battery for wireless use. The light charges via USB.

The Air VC is available now for $79.95. That makes it somewhat of a tough sell considering you can buy the Razer Kiyo, a 1080p webcam with an adjustable ring light, for $99. Still, I could see the Air VC being a useful tool for creators or business users who need a solution on-the-go.

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It's hard to look good when streaming on Twitch or Mixer. The best streamers have studio setups with professional microphones, bright lighting and, sometimes, even green screens. The new $99.99 Razer Kiyo tackles lighting by featuring a built-in ring light that lets you illuminate yourself without any extra equipment. It's a big boon to image quality, and is both innovative and easy to use. Want to make your stream look good? Go with the Kiyo, especially in low light.

Design

The Razer Kiyo looks nothing like any other webcam I've ever seen. A giant light ring will do that. Despite the shape, it's still the best-designed webcam I've ever seen. Every detail looks like it was meticulously thought out.

When it's closed, the Kiyo is a stack of three discs: the camera and light ring, a hinge with a grip that clutches the front of a monitor, and the rear hinge that squeezes tightly to the back of your monitor. It squeezed snugly to the laptops and desktop monitors I tested it with, and it's just as solid as its chief competitors, the Logitech HD Webcam C920 and C922, both popular webcams among streamers and office users alike.

The webcam is in the center of that top disc, surrounded by a thick, white, LED light ring and a dial to adjust how bright it gets. It's noticeable, and far more conspicuous than other webcams. But it also serves a functional purpose. As with all cameras, a webcam's biggest weaknesses appear in low-light shots.

On the bottom of the lowest disc is a mount for brackets and tripods, for folks who'd rather not clamp it to a monitor.

My only issue with the Kiyo's design is the 4.9-foot braided USB 2.0 cable. It isn't detachable, and it's not as long as the ones from some competitors. Razer's own Stargazer has a longer cable (8.2 feet, USB 3.0) that can be detached and easily replaced, and the Logitech C920 has a 6-foot cable, though it's not detachable, either.

Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention Razer's branding. The Razer brand name is right under the camera lens, but the three-headed snake is tucked away on the back of the first disc. If you're not looking, you may not even notice it.

MORE: Best Video-Editing Software Under $100

Image Quality and Sound

Razer's camera looks just as good as our favorite webcam, the Logitech C920, and its gaming version, the C922. The 4-megapixel, 2688 x 1520 camera takes colorful photos and video, especially in great light. And thanks to this camera's 81.6-degree field of view, you might even be able to fit a friend into the shot.

In our lab, which is filled with natural light, images and video I snapped looked awesome. My forest-green shirt was very close to the right shade, and my blue eyes looked better than on any other camera I've tested. Little details, like individual hairs in my beard, popped, and I could make out all the holes in our pegboard far behind me. When I did an exact comparison shot with the C920, I found that while my shirt was slightly truer with Logitech's lens, my skin and eyes looked better on Razer's webcam, and both offered great detail.

Then, I took our Alienware 17 into a pitch-black room, lit only by the display, and turned on the light ring. Photo and video I took in there were surprisingly decent, considering the circumstances. My face was clear, thanks to a 5600k color temperature (the same as daylight), and the colors popped again.

There was no visual noise on my face, though there was in the background. However, when I recorded some footage from Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017's biggest disappointment) with OBS, that noise was far less noticeable because I was in a smaller box in the corner.

Speaking of OBS, the camera supports any streaming software, though Razer specifically mentions OBS and XSplit. You can stream 1080p at 30 frames per second or 720p at 60 fps.

The light is good in situations besides pitch-black darkness. My desk, for example, has some fluorescent lighting around it, but it's far from optimal. Two clicks of the light wheel provide a bit of extra light, which is great for a conference call or quick stream to Twitch.

The only big issue I had is with the audio. The microphone isn't amazing and leans toward the quiet side during playback. However, most gamers and streamers will use a headset or microphone (Razer would love for you to try its new Seiren X) on services like Twitch or Mixer, so it's not the end of the world. But cheaper cameras, like Logitech's, have better mics built in, so I wish Razer didn't skimp on it here.

Software (or Lack Thereof)

Most of Razer's PC peripherals connect with Synapse, its software to adjust settings and change colors. The Kiyo doesn't do that. Razer explained to me that the Kiyo, as well as the Seiren microphone, were designed to be plug-and-play devices.

For some setups, though, having some options in Synapse would really help. Particularly, it would be nice to have a software option to switch among the 12 light stages instead of having to twist the ring. I'd love for a future version to work with Chroma and adjust colors in Synapse for some special effects, but that's wishful thinking for a future iteration.

MORE: Best DSLR Cameras From Beginner to Pro

Bottom Line

The Razer Kiyo is one of the most thoughtfully designed peripherals I've ever seen. It fulfills a need, but takes it to the next level by adding professional features without tacking on a higher price tag. A single light ring (albeit a very good one) isn't the same as a full setup, but it brings something more like a studio to a lot of people.

The price may be a sticking point for some people. At $99.99, it's the same price as Logitech's C922 streaming camera. But the C920, which is also popular among streamers for its wonderful image quality, can be had online for as low as $55 (far less than its $80 MSRP). It doesn't have the lights, but its microphones are better and its photo and video quality are stunning. If you don't need the light, it's a great buy as an all-around daily driver.

But for something dedicated specifically to streaming, the Kiyo is a winner. It will add to anyone's production value, and make them look great. I wish it had a detachable cable and a better microphone, but at least the latter can be resolved with a headset. If you want a great image and strong, vibrant lighting, you can't go wrong with the Kiyo.

Credit: Razer

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Now that laptops and monitors with 4K resolutions are widely available, Logitech is upping its webcam game. The Logitech Brio 4K Pro Webcam ($199) is the first mass-market 4K webcam and the first to use HDR for accurate colors. The webcam has a 90-degree lens for wide-angle shots and software that lets you pan, zoom and replace the background behind you, green-screen style. It even has an infrared camera that you can use for Windows Hello facial logins.

Unfortunately, the Brio's clip is a huge step down from those on previous models, and it doesn't hold the camera tight against displays. Moreover, the privacy clip is loose and left adhesive residue on our review unit. If you can put up with those annoyances, the Brio takes the best shots you'll get right now, as long as you can find software that supports 4K.

Design

When you put the Brio on top of your monitor or laptop lid, you'll notice its 4 x 1.1 x 1.1-inch black-plastic frame and a friendly, oval design centered on the 4K lens. That makes it smaller than the 5.1-inch-long Razer Stargazer. Outside of the device's shape, the Brio is pretty plain. There's a Logitech logo printed in gray, and not much else.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Lips

I'm happy to report that the cable on the Brio is detachable, so you can replace it with the connector of your choosing. The included cable measures 4.9 feet long and has a USB Type-A connector to link to your PC or laptop and a USB Type-C connection to attach to the camera. You can swap out this cable for a USB Type-C cable of your own. I found this particularly useful, as the laptop I tested the Brio with had only a single USB 3.0 port, and I was using that for a flash drive.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Lips

Unfortunately, the Brio is a big step down in build quality. Logitech webcams typically have some of the best clips in the business, because they are made of hard plastic that locks them in place against your screen. The Brio's arm is made of a flimsy rubber material. You need to bend the arm to just the right position before placing the attached foot against the back of the display, or else you'll knock it off the next time you move your computer.

Whether I used a laptop or an external monitor, the Brio wobbled with just a touch. It even fell off a laptop a couple of times when I was carrying it around. Once connected, the Logitech C930e, C920 and C922 held onto monitors and lids with a near vice grip thanks to their sturdy, two-part arms.

I understand why Logitech made the change: This arm is detachable and pulls out to reveal a tripod mount. It's a cleaner look than the C930e, which has the tripod mount on the arm. Removing the arm also lets you leave the camera sitting flat on a shelf. But the most noticeable result of the change is just how easy it is to knock this thing over.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Lips

The Brio comes with a privacy webcam cover, which I appreciate, but that, too, is shoddily made. Our review unit had some adhesive on the inside of the cover, which made it stick to the front of the camera, but the back of the clip was loose and easy to knock off when I opened and closed the cover. The C930e's cover clips on securely to both the top and the bottom for a snug fit.

It's almost as if those details -- the clip and the privacy cover -- were afterthoughts.

Logitech also includes a drawstring carrying case in the box, which is a nice addition for travelers who are using the Brio on the go and don't want to jam it into a bag without protecting it.

MORE: How to Stream to Twitch

Picture and Sound Quality

The Brio takes the best-looking pictures I've seen from an external webcam. They're wide-screen, with accurate colors and nice, sharp details. Logitech's webcam uses its RealLight 3 technology with HDR (high dynamic range) to adjust to any environment, and it took great shots under the fluorescent lights of our office and in our lab, which is full of natural light.

My blue sweater appeared exactly as it does in real life, and the camera caught every little hair on my head. Thanks to the wide 90-degree lens, it caught more of the background than usual, including the mountainous piles of boxes, which looked sharp in my test shots. The only time the Brio fell to its predecessors, the C930e and the C920, was in complete darkness. When I was lit only by the monitor of a laptop, I was almost impossible to make out, rendered as a ghostly apparition in the darkness.

The dual omni-directional microphones produce clear sound. It was nice and loud, and when I tried recording at my desk, I heard myself over everyone else talking, including a loud meeting occurring in our open-layout office.

4K Use Cases

Right now, there aren't many ways you can use the Brio at its full 4K resolution. There aren't a ton of apps and services that stream in 4K, and you need a 4K monitor to truly appreciate the picture. I called my colleagues in Skype for Business and HipChat, and although they admired the white balance and 90-degree camera angle, they saw me in only 1080p -- not 4K -- because Microsoft's app doesn't support 4K. Google Hangouts also lacks the ability to display content in ultra-high definition.

In theory, you could live stream 4K to YouTube if you had enough bandwidth. You could also record locally in 4K and upload later to platforms that can handle video at that resolution. For video chatting, enterprise app Vidyo is the only software that supports 4K that we could find. (I can't blame you if you don't want to overturn your entire workflow for Vidyo.)

But until apps and services that support 4K are available widely (and lots of people own 4K monitors), the ultra-high-resolution aspect of the camera will not be immediately useful, and the wide-angle lens and RealLight 3 with HDR will shine instead. 

MORE: Which Laptop CPU is Right for You?

Software and Infrared

The Brio uses the Logitech Camera Settings app to adjust image brightness, contrast, white balance and color intensity, as well as lets you pan and zoom. Additionally, it can switch the Brio's 90-degree field of view to a more limited 78 or 65 degrees, for when you don't want to show so much of your office in the background.

The Camera Settings software doesn't install automatically when you plug in the Brio. Instead, you'll have to go to Logitech's website to get it.

There's an optional background replacement feature powered by Personify. Logitech says that feature is in beta and won't always work perfectly, which is why it's not built directly into the app. Instead, you need to download an extra driver to get it to work.

There's a really cool new feature that blurs the background, which is awesome if you're in the type of office where sensitive documents are just left on desks all willy-nilly. There are a bunch of other preset backgrounds, Chromakey (green screen) for game streaming and the option to add any custom background you want.

The camera can support varying frame rates depending on which resolution it's capturing (though that control is based on the software you're using). It can record 4K video at 30 frames per second, 1080p at 30 or 60 fps, and 720p at 30, 60 or 90 fps. In the Windows Camera app, a video recorded at 90 fps in 720p was far smoother than 4K video, even if it wasn't as detailed.

The Brio uses an infrared camera to support facial recognition to log in via Windows Hello, which works great no matter the lighting situation in your room. I used the Brio to successfully unlock a computer in both bright light and complete darkness.

Bottom Line

You should get the Logitech Brio 4K Pro Webcam if you have the budget and you want to be ahead of the curve. Right now, there's limited utility for 4K video, but the HDR functionality means you get the sharpest, most-color-accurate photos I've ever seen on a webcam. You'll look great, but you'll look better when your friends have 4K displays with software that supports 4K video chats.

Unfortunately, Logitech seems to have forgotten about build quality with the Brio. The clip doesn't fit monitors and laptops as well as prior generations, and the privacy camera is a residue-laden afterthought.

Most people who are in the market for a new webcam now should go with the $60 Logitech C920 or the $93 Logitech C930e -- the company's much cheaper consumer and enterprise versions, respectively, that both shoot awesome 1080p video with excellent sound. Both also have far better clips, and the 930e comes with a superior privacy cover.

If you're a YouTuber who wants to live stream super-sharp video in the highest resolution you can, the Brio is for you -- but you should use a tripod instead of the lackluster clip. But everyone else should wait for a future revision of the Brio. By the time that comes out, 4K will be far more widespread, and hopefully, you'll get better hardware.

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