In the home office, a large part of professional communication occurs via video chat, and you quickly notice the poor quality of the built-in laptop webcam camera. Some desktop PCs have no cameras and now have to be retrofitted.
Unfortunately, many webcams on the market offer only moderate quality and are not worth the money. After all, a sharp image and good sound quality are just as important with a webcam as a stable and flexibly adjustable mount. In addition, the camera should independently focus on the person in front of the lens and not distort colours too much.
What is important in a webcam?
Every laptop user knows the webcam in the housing above the screen. But, unfortunately, their image quality is often poor, and they cannot even keep up with the cheapest smartphones. Anyone who has an all-in-one PC at home is often confronted with the same problem – and users of a classic PC usually do not have a camera on their desk at all. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to look for a webcam with better image quality.
The advantage of an external webcam is that it can deliver a much clearer image with a slightly higher resolution. The fact that the resolution is not as high as that of a selfie cam in a smartphone guarantees that the video stream does not consume too much data, which benefits the video quality.
A look at a laptop camera is sufficient as a small example. It usually offers 0.9 megapixels at 1,280 x 720 pixels (720p) and creates a jittery, fuzzy image. However, increasing 2.1 megapixels with 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (1,080p) is enough to generate a sharp HD image with lots of details.
If you invest a little money, you can significantly improve your appearance in video chats or at the next Skype evening. Depending on the model, additional functions or software from the manufacturer offer some extras that are not available with a permanently installed camera. A little extra plus comes from the fact that you can pull the camera off the PC after use, and it is guaranteed that it no longer secretly records anything.
Set up and installation
A webcam should be easy to attach to your monitor, for example, and then offer a firm hold. So, you can turn and adjust the lens a little later without holding the whole camera in your hand again. If possible, the location should be chosen so that the sun does not blind you through a window behind you or that personal items are not directly in the viewer’s field of vision.
If you buy a camera for your PC, you do not want to spend long installing it. Ideally, the webcam is connected to a USB port and works directly. Under certain circumstances, however, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with video software. However, this is usually unnecessary for simple video chats via Skype and Co.
Focus and image quality
The best web cameras for PC and selfie cams in smartphones often only have a fixed focus area. It means that you can only sit a certain distance away from the camera so that the image appears sharp. Some inexpensive cameras have a manual focus, in which you focus your image by hand on a wheel around the lens. Good webcams do this automatically and control the sharpness of moving back and forth. In some cases, these even recognize when several people are in the picture and widen the image section to see more.
Many factors play a role in image quality, and ultimately personal taste is also decisive. Almost all of the models we tested have different strengths and weaknesses, such as rendering colours or how they deal with backlighting. In addition, frequently promised features, such as automatic lighting correction, do not always work satisfactorily or only work with the manufacturer’s software.
Different webcams for different needs
You can now communicate in many ways on the Internet. Video chat programs such as Skype, Discord, Microsoft Teams, and many more have become commonplace. A simple webcam is sufficient for this, which transmits its image reliably and with good quality. Many models also come with a built-in microphone so that you can get started right away. No extra software is required because the camera works effortlessly with common programs.
But if you want to upload your videos to YouTube or deal with streaming platforms such as Twitch, you should invest a little more money and use a high-quality camera and an extra microphone. In addition, it may be necessary here that the webcam is not simply clamped to the screen but rather placed on a tripod at an attractive viewing angle on the table.
Final Thoughts:
However, if you want to adapt your image in various ways, there is no getting around the software. However, only a few manufacturers, such as Logitech with “Logitech Capture” or Razer with “Razer Synapse,” provide their own and somewhat more extensive software. For example, with Logitech Capture, you can already make many adjustments and upload them to various video platforms or live to stream them directly.
A very powerful but not exactly uncomplicated tool is the freely available “Open Broadcaster Software” OBS, which many lets players and live streamers use. However, it is only worthwhile to incorporate it if you have already had some experience in video streaming.
