In fact, while there are some 4K webcams targeting boardrooms and YouTube streamers, you might not want others to see a close-up of your face in that much detail. 4K is better still, but it remains overkill for most of us. 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. However, 1080p makes more sense for making videos or streaming purposes and allows you to take advantage of zoom and pan features without completely ruining the image quality. We’re also seeing a few reach the heights of 2,560 x 1,440 (QHD) and 3,840 x 2,160 (4K).Įven 720p is perfectly adequate for general video chat purposes – until the iPhone 7, it was the resolution for all iOS FaceTime calls. The key factor that separates the cheapest webcams from the priciest is resolution, stretching from the hoary old 640 x 480 (VGA) resolution through to the now-standard 1,280 x 720 (720p) or 1,920 x 1,080 (1080p) resolutions. Prime Day deals on the 10 best monitors for work and gaming in 2023 Buy a new webcam, and all that trouble goes away. We all want to show the world our best side, not a face straight from The Walking Dead, just as no sensible person outside US politics or daytime TV thinks it’s great to look bright orange. Colours tend to be either dull or hopelessly oversaturated, and the angle your webcam shoots at is dictated by the angle of the screen, with some recent laptops placing it below the display so that it shoots right up your nose. Many still have a maximum video resolution of 720p, or struggle to maintain a decent picture in normal indoor lighting. How else will you do those bizarre close-up facial inserts and reaction videos?Įven if you use a laptop you might still want a better webcam, for the simple reason that many built-in webcams aren’t that good.

And if you plan to take up streaming, a decent webcam is every bit as essential as a microphone. What’s more, some of us are now expected to join in videoconferences and chats for work.

That’s a shame because as more of us use Skype and similar services to keep in touch, a webcam is starting to feel essential. While you will struggle to find a phone, laptop or tablet without a front-facing camera, there’s still one device that goes without one: the desktop PC.

Zooming meeting login