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Best webcams from 1080p to 4K for 2021 – CNET [CNET]
Having a decent webcam only used to matter for long-distance partners, business travelers and other geographically challenged communicators. But these days, so many of us are socializing from afar, schooling remotely and working from home that this once second-string class of products have been thrust into the limelight. For most of 2020 you simply couldn’t get a decent external webcam, thanks to supply shortages and spiking demand due to the pandemic. Now the crunch has eased, making this a good time to make an upgrade to a better model you might not have been able to before.
It’s not that hard to choose an appropriate webcam: Market-leader Logitech makes most of the most popular name-brand models on the market, notably the $100 C920x and basic, education-focused $40 C270, and you probably won’t go wrong just picking one that falls within your budget. Once you venture beyond known brands you can get lost in a sea of commodity models, though.
But you don’t need to worry about getting overcome by specifications. Frame rate (30 or 60 frames per second), resolution (720p, 1080p or 4K) and microphone (mono or stereo) are about it. That doesn’t mean they don’t really differ. Some are better than others in less tangible ways, such as how well the automatic exposure, white balance or focus works. Those tend to be what differentiate the just-OK cheap models from better, more expensive ones.
How do you know what you need? Well, if you have nothing now, then anything’s a step up. Most laptops — even expensive ones like MacBooks — tend to still offer 720p webcams, while most of the standalone models on the market are 1080p. The latter usually has video quality that looks much better than the former, since the greater number of pixels makes your image look sharper for your video calls, video conferencing and live streaming. And because you can put a webcam on a tabletop tripod or perch it higher than the built-in webcam on a laptop, you can bring it closer to eye level which is much more flattering than the from-below-view most laptop webcams deliver.
Read more: Best vlogging camera for 2021: Sony, GoPro, Panasonic, others compared for YouTube
If you need to zoom in to better frame yourself without looking soft, crunchy or blocky or to demonstrate physical objects, think about jumping to 4K. You can also use your phone or, if you have one, a DSLR camera as a makeshift webcam with an app or utility from the camera manufacturer. The software which allows you to use a digital camera as a webcam frequently caps the resolution at 1,920 x 1,080, but you may get better zoom results than from a webcam.
Furthermore, improving your environment with good lighting or a better angle can frequently improve the quality of your webcam video more than upgrading your camera. Keep in mind, however, that even the best camera won’t necessarily deliver great video and sound on the other end; that can depend upon the quality and consistency of your network connection.
We’ll update this list regularly with more advice and picks as we test webcams, so stay tuned.
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