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Webcams (2021)

by | Oct 27, 2021 | 0 comments

Webcams has been a thing that has soared in use since… ahem… you know what reared its ugly head. Obviously, there is now more needs than ever for a webcam and I figure to help along with this.

First, a webcam’s use is going to depend on a few factors. How often you will use it (which is minimal factor, but can play into appearance), quality, and convenience. If you have a laptop, then there is a decent chance that the provided webcam will work to your needs. If you have a chromebook however, hate to burst your bubble, but you’re probably pushing it on those zoom calls and this article might not even apply.

Also, if you need microphone capability from these, well, I will only point out when it works out well. Microphones on webcams are generally “ok” but usually the better the audio capability, the worst the camera quality and also vice-versa.

But when you need something that works, especially on a desktop (or a laptop whose webcam is broken), then we have a few in mind.

The links provided are amazon-paid links, but the opinions expressed are mine.

Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam

Standard Price: $69.99

This webcam is a great starter and can be mounted on your monitor and your laptop screen with little weight. For the most part, its just a simple plug-it-in and go type camera. But if you need more control, you definitely can get the Logitech software to assist with your needs. Logitech Capture is a nifty software for recording, but it can take up resources if you try to use it to also handle your video-based meetings which can be a concern on weaker systems. Logitech’s Camera Settings app might give you basic functions needed for previewing before using your webcam, though I wouldn’t utilize the Logitech G Hub if you aren’t into gaming. Though, it could be useful if you want those settings to stay sync’d at all times.

Logitech C925e Business Webcam

Standard Price: $99.99

Yes, another Logitech Webcam. But this one is a business focused cam and makes it look a bit more normal. Also, this has a Privacy shutter so that the webcam can definitely be off visually when not needing use. Quite possibly also useful to save yourself from embarrassing situation or if someone was to somehow gain access to the cam without you noticing, they can just see a nice black screen. Also, this marks the use to one of the newer products that has come out from Logitech that is useful which is the Logi Tune software. You can use it to hook into your Outlook or Google online accounts for the calendar and see when your online meetings are at a glance and just hop into them with the supported apps such as Zoom or Teams. Obviously with other apps, this feature isn’t as useful if they aren’t supported. You can also use it to change some simple settings with your camera so you can make sure the focus is correctly on you. And yes, Logitech Capture is supported for it if you’d like to use that.

NexiGo N680P

Standard Price: $99.99

NexiGo is known for being the simpler and functional webcams. You aren’t going to get super fancy, but what you will get, you get right and easy to work with. This has 1080p support, a tripod if you wish to place it on your desk instead (or just about anywhere else), and a privacy cover that you just change from the switch on the top. Just plug the device into your system, let the system recognize that it is a USB Webcam, and you should be ready to go within a minute.

Razer Kiyo

Standard Price: $99.99

Razer is mostly known as the For Gamers, By Gamers type company, but this camera has something a bit unique to it. It comes with a ring light built to the webcam. This can actually help where darker environment might need a small boost to see your face correctly, especially if you use something like Zoom’s background features to hide your room. Light can also eliminate some of that video grain noise that you might see, so instead of having to find the right lighting, this might just help fix it for you altogether. The lighting can be adjusted by turning the outer ring from left to right and doesn’t need to be fully installed, unlike its newer brother, the Razer Kiyo Pro which can have problems and the support on Mac is very limited for it.

Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam

Standard Price: $199.99

You might be getting tired of the Logitech recommends, but this is one that is useful for streaming, recording, and video conferencing for the premium price. The bigger step up from the earlier C925e is that this can capture at 4K at 30 FPS, but only if your system can handle it. Otherwise, it will only go up to 1080p 60FPS. If you don’t know what the FPS means, just note that 60 FPS is smoother and more fluid. Plus, chances are, anyone you talk to during these meetings or webinars is most likely going to be using 60 hz screen which effectively lets you match up with their screen refresh rate.

I must point out that what makes this webcam quite decent is that it also works very well as a moderate-sized conference room webcam. With its wide-angle, you can get a decent sized room captured. Provided you have good audio treatment in the room itself, you should be heard as well with the microphone. It also has ways to handle lower light a bit better than your typical webcam, part in due to the Infrared capability. And if you want easier logging into your Windows environment, this can work with Windows Hello which is neat for systems that don’t have anything else to work with that type of login. Best part, it works with Logitech Capture, Logi Tune, and Logitech G Hub so you have plenty of options to run the software you need! It also comes with an attachable privacy shutter so you can physically close it and open it when needed.

OBSBOT Tiny PTZ Webcam

Standard Price: $199

This is a product that may seem a bit unheard of, but it is definitely changing the stage for stationary webcams. OBSBOT’s Tiny PTZ Webcam sits on a small platform and does its best to keep track of you the entire time you’re talking. If you are the type to move around a little bit, this could be useful as it will try to keep you in the middle of the frame, but is best used with the hand sign for it to follow you. Also for some people, this could look like a cute party trick.

The software doesn’t have that much to work with except for the essentials, but giving you 1080p video and low-light correction that is seemingly decent, you can’t go wrong with it. And the audio capturing isn’t bad either.

HuddlecamHD Pro

Standard Price: $299.00

This is by far an over the top webcam, but if you want fancy, this has got it in spades. This is a webcam that is designed to run in conference rooms, but can still work anyways as single person cameras. This comes with a remote so you can access and tune the settings the way you need. What is great about the remote is that you can also create settings for the camera, whether its to have a different zoom for certain set of people or a different profile based on time of day.

The only unfortunate element is you also get complexity with setup. This has been known among some streamers and zoom-users as a nifty, but bulky camera, but it gets the job done.

By no means is this the definitive listing of webcams. Yes, there are others with various results based partially on price and features and some that just works, but may have little to no support. These options are a great starting point for decisions, but just understand, going below the lowest price listed here gets really swingy on the video quality and support. You could pay a standard price of $30 for a 1080p webcam and get results that are similar to a $15 webcam at 720p. You could also get one where its just not compatible with certain meeting software for whatever the reason. This can happen and that is why we made this list.