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We know what you might be thinking: why, in this day and age, does anyone need a webcam? Most laptops have one built-in, and you can video chat on most smartphones and tablets if it comes to that. Think again, though, and there are plenty of reasons why a new USB webcam might be just what you need. If you use a desktop PC, for instance, then you’ll still want one if you want to take part in video calls, chats and meetings, not to mention those close-up facial inserts people like to broadcast in their Twitch and YouTube video streams.
What’s more, not many built-in webcams are actually that good. Most top out at a video resolution of 720p, while many struggle to maintain a decent picture in normal, indoor lighting. Colour-handling is frequently quite poor, and the angle your webcam shoots at is dictated entirely by the angle of your screen. Nobody wants to face the world shrouded in gloom or with a pasty face, just as no sensible person outside US politics or UK daytime TV wants to look bright orange. And why should you give your video chat friends a gruesome angle up your nose just because you like to sit close with the screen tilted back. A decent webcam can take all this pain away.
How to buy the best webcam for you
How much do I need to spend?
Webcams can cost anywhere from £15 to £150 and upwards, though the most expensive models are usually designed for video conferencing in the corporate boardroom – they’re not designed for bedroom use.
The key factor that separates them is their resolution, stretching from the hoary old 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution through to the now standard 1280 x 720 (720p) or 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolutions, and potentially right up to a pixel-perfect 3840 x 2160 (4K).
Even 720p is perfectly adequate for general video chat purposes – until the iPhone 7, it was the resolution for all iOS FaceTime calls. However, 1080p makes more sense for making videos or streaming purposes, and also allows you to take advantage of zoom and pan features without completely ruining the image quality – as webcams don’t have zoom lenses, these functions effectively just crop part of the 1080p image and expand it to fill the screen, thus lowering the effective resolution. 4K is better still, but it remains overkill for most of us, which is why you’ll only find it supported by wide-angle webcams designed for the enterprise conferencing market.
Does a high resolution guarantee good image quality?
If you’re looking for the next step-up in image quality, remember that resolution isn’t the be-all and end-all. Webcams differ massively when it comes to capturing colours, handling gloomy conditions or coping with bright lights from a window. Where a good camera gets you a bright, clear picture with lifelike hues, a bad one will give you something noisy, blocky, too dark to see anything or spoilt by over-saturated colours and washed-out highlights. Effective autofocus with face tracking is also a plus, as it ensures the camera stays focused on your face even if you move around a little in the frame.
If you’re working on a desktop PC or a laptop with a low-quality built-in microphone, look for a webcam with a built-in stereo or array microphone. This will improve the quality of the audio being captured no end, giving you better chats and calls and clearer broadcasts, if that’s your thing.
Are all webcams suitable for both laptop and desktop use?
Some webcams are designed primarily for desktop use, while others have been built to attach to a monitor or laptop lid. This will impact everything from their size and weight to the length of the cable and the way the webcam is supported or mounted. On the desktop, you want something really steady that allows the camera to sit at a comfortable position tilting upwards to see your face, plus a cable that allows you to position the camera wherever you need it. A tripod mount is a useful asset here, as it enables you to place the webcam on a desktop tripod at approximately the same height as your face. With a laptop webcam you want something light, with a shorter cable and some kind of tilt adjustment, so that you can angle the lid upwards or downwards and still keep your face in view.
What other features should you look out for?
Webcam manufacturers have always loved their bonus features, even if many of the effects and filters end up unused. Most of these are implemented through the webcam’s software and some can be fun or useful, including tools for motion detection recording – though security and wildlife photography applications are limited here – and stop-motion recording, where you can use your Webcam to ape your Aardman Animations favourites.
Beyond that, one emerging hardware feature is the addition of a second infrared camera for facial scanning, allowing the webcam to support the Windows Hello face recognition sign-on features of Windows 10. This isn’t always 100% reliable, but it can be a great time-saver if you want to sign-in to your PC with a glance. Also look for an LED indicator that tells you when the webcam is active; this gives you some assurance that you’re not inadvertently broadcasting (though the safest step is to unplug your webcam while not in use).
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The best webcams you can buy from £20
1. Logitech HD Webcam C270: The best budget webcam under £20
Price:£20
If you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive upgrade, Logitech’s entry level Webcam is hard to beat. It’s light enough to sit on a laptop lid or a monitor and supports 720p recordings and video calls, either using Skype and Google Hangouts or Logitech’s own more obscure VID HD app. There’s a simple mount to attach the webcam to your monitor or laptop screen, while Logitech’s RightLight technology means you can get decent quality video even in low light conditions. Sound quality isn’t quite so brilliant, but it’s good enough for calls and conferencing and the built-in microphone reduces some background noise. This might be one of Logitech’s most affordable webcams, but it has the same software as its more expensive stablemates, giving you pan, tilt and zoom controls, motion detection and face tracking.
Key specs – Resolution: 720p; Focus: Fixed; Audio: Built-in microphone with noise reduction; Mount type: Clip stand, Cable length: 1.5m
2. Microsoft LifeCam Cinema: The best mid-range webcam under £40
Price:£40
While you have to move up to the LifeCam Studio for a full HD resolution, the LifeCam Cinema is a great performer at a lower price. With its barrel design, big glass lens and top-mounted mic it looks pretty cool by webcam standards, with a versatile mount that holds it steady on the desktop but can clamp to a laptop lid or monitor with ease. Combine an auto-focus, all-glass lens with Microsoft’s TrueColor exposure controls and the LifeCam Cinema can capture bright HD video with realistic colours in most lighting conditions, and there’s a useful auto-zoom feature to help keep subjects centre-frame. Sound, meanwhile, is a cut above the webcam or laptop norm. Logitech’s C920 is worth the extra money, but this is a classy webcam that doesn’t cost the Earth.
Key specs – Resolution: 720p; Focus: Automatic; Audio: Built-in microphone with noise reduction; Mount type: Desktop/clip; Cable length: 1m
3. Hue HD Pro: The most versatile webcam under £60
Price:£58
When we say the Hue HD Pro is flexible, we mean it literally. Designed primarily for education, it’s effectively an HD webcam attached to a weighted base by a long twisting, bending stalk. This holds the camera module in roughly any position you can place it. In the classroom, this is used to place the camera over objects or documents so that all the class can see them through a projector, and you can probably think of your own useful, entertaining and possibly downright disgusting applications for the home. There’s even built-in LED lighting to illuminate your subject. However, you can also use it perfectly well for Skype or Google Hangouts chats, with decent video quality and reasonable sound. It’s not necessarily the best webcam for the money, but it might be the most fun.
Key specs – Resolution: 720p, with LED illumination; Focus: Automatic; Audio: Built-in microphone; Mount type: Desktop; Cable length: 1m
4. YooFan Windows Hello Camera: The cheapest way to add Windows Hello
Price:£67
While some mid-range and high-end laptops are now shipping with a Windows Hello-friendly infrared sensor, most of us have to do without quick and easy facial sign-ins. You can fix that with the YooFan Windows Hello camera, which combines a 720p webcam with that all-important depth-sensing camera. YooFan isn’t exactly a household name and – unsurprisingly – build quality isn’t exceptional. Supporting software is non-existent and the instructions could definitely be improved. What’s more, there’s no built-in microphone, so you’ll need an existing built-in mic or USB mic for any chatting. Despite all these downsides, it works pretty well both as a webcam and as a vehicle for Windows Hello, though anyone expecting excellent image-quality may go away disappointed by the results in low-light conditions.
Key specs – Resolution: 720p, with infrared sensor; Focus: Fixed; Audio: None; Mount type: Clip; Cable length: 1m
5. Logitech C920 HD Pro: The best 1080p webcam for under £70
Price:£70
While you can splash out big money for a 4K webcam like Logitech’s own BRIO, 1080p is a better choice for mainstream users with more mature hardware and software support right now. The Logitech C920 HD Pro is the current king of the full HD webcam hill, thanks to the kind of excellent image quality you get with a CMOS sensor, a responsive autofocus and a five-element, all-glass lens. The C920 captures sharp, well-exposed video with lifelike colours even in quite gloomy lighting. The dual microphones, mounted each side of the lens, do an equally impressive job with audio, while the versatile stand works brilliantly both as a monitor clip and a desktop stand – there’s even a proper metal tripod mount. Whether you’re steaming on Twitch or YouTube or just want to look your best on Skype, the C920 HD Pro is the webcam for the job.
Key specs – Resolution: 1080p; Focus: Automatic; Audio: Dual microphones; Mount type: Clip/stand; Cable length: 1.5m