Best Webcams You Can Still Buy

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cassian

Prominent
Jan 12, 2019
1
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I have been thinking about getting a webcam for several months, ie before the COVID19 disaster. I went to Amazon and then did an Internet search and found your timely and super review. So helpful. Thank you!

Most of my equipment is from Dell so I scampered over there and ordered the Logitech C930e HD Audio Webcam.
Delivery is May 4. So maybe all the novel coronavirus strain (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the disease COVID-19 will not survive the trip from China.

Just a side note. Tom'sHardware is the most useful, best written, and most interesting tech website I know. You all do an excellent job.
 
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starvinmarvin

Distinguished
Jun 17, 2002
90
1
18,665
Microsoft Lifecam Studio and Lifecam 3000/4000 have an unfortunate glitch which many (but not all) users have encountered. It's the auto-focus feature, and it keeps going briefly out of focus then back into focus every 8 or 10 seconds as it "hunts for the correct setting. If this happens to you try turning auto-focus off. Other than that it's a good webcam with nice detail, accurate color, and a pretty good microphone. As usual, the microphone works best when you sit up close to it.
We also have a Logitech C910 which is the predecessor to the C920. One of the main differences between the two is that the C920 has a different compression algorithm which makes it better suited for 1080p video chat. A good feature they both share is auto-focus. You can hold an item as close as 4 inches away from the C910 or C920 and within a couple of seconds the item will come sharply into focus (assuming you hold the object still, of course). Link to show auto-focus in action: Logitech C910 Auto-focus up close.
 
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Co BIY

Splendid
Jun 18, 2015
1,268
487
21,890
Was able to order a Razer Kiyo through Dell with delivery said to be April 17 for the MSRP of $100. Most other Web Cameras on the site listed delivery as June.

The Logitech HD Pro was also available but only bundled with a Blue Yeti Microphone for around $200. The Dell site had a nice feature on each product page that says "Check Delivery date" saved a lot of time and hassle.

We'll see if they deliver.

My wife does Telemedicine and asked me about a web cam today.

Thanks Toms's.

Additional:

hp.com - Out of Stock
Bhphotovideo - Back ordered most expecting availability in Mid-April.
Microcenter Denver - Sold Out
 
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starvinmarvin

Distinguished
Jun 17, 2002
90
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Co BIY said:
My wife does Telemedicine and asked me about a web cam today.
Click to expand...

May I inquire as to what software your wife uses for Telemedicine, please? My GF has two upcoming doctor appointments which had to be postponed because neither doctor was set up for Telemedicine calls, and there's no way she's going into a waiting room with sick people at this time. I realize that HIPPA privacy concerns must be met but, hey, the year is 2020 and Telemedicine has been around for several years in some medical practices, so what's the problem? I mean, is there any doctor who doesn't have a laptop or PC with a webcam?
 
daglesj

daglesj

Distinguished
Jul 14, 2007
485
21
18,785
I have a C525 and it's okay. Got it mounted on my 4K TV and hooked up to a spare PC that I made a Zoom/Skype control centre for the duration. It works just fine.

Strangely I have found a device with a surprising good webcam that I all but forgot about. I dug out my old work laptop which is a Dell Lattitude E6410. And decided for a laugh to see how bad the webcam was. Well...erm...it's really good. Nice and sharp, low noise, good low light and great colour. The mic array works pretty well too. I was quite shocked for such an old laptop. Better performance than any of the Macs/Macbook and more modern laptops friends etc. I connect to use.

You can pick them up for next to nothing on Ebay and super easy to upgrade to better specs on CPU/RAM/SSD/Wi-Fi.
 
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Co BIY

Splendid
Jun 18, 2015
1,268
487
21,890
My wife is using primarily Zoom but has also used Facetime when that's all her patient's have. Her office uses Microsoft Teams for their meetings and she has used that with patients too.

I have used Zoom to talk to my doc and thought it worked well. Although frankly a phone call works fine too. Fewer distractions.

I figure herd security tactics will work well for most video conference just like with regular mail. Billions of packets, they'll have to search a ton video of no use to anyone without direct connection to the event.

Unfortunately I got a email today and Dell cannot get me my web cam until August ! After promising me April 17. Only sent me the message today.
 
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starvinmarvin

Distinguished
Jun 17, 2002
90
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Co BIY said:
My wife is using primarily Zoom but has also used Facetime when that's all her patient's have. Her office uses Microsoft Teams for their meetings and she has used that with patients too.

I have used Zoom to talk to my doc and thought it worked well. Although frankly a phone call works fine too. Fewer distractions.

I figure herd security tactics will work well for most video conference just like with regular mail. Billions of packets, they'll have to search a ton video of no use to anyone without direct connection to the event.
Click to expand...
Obviously, security and privacy are factors to be considered for Telemedicine visits. Ideally, they should be HIPPA compliant. This is best obtained by using an app that has end-to-end encryption.
My GF has now had a Telemedicine visit with her doctor. His group practice uses an app which i think is called LifeSize if i understood correctly. After a phone call from the doctor's office GF received an email with a link to download the app. She also received a link to join the video conference with her doctor. It worked flawlessly as far as we could tell. The important thing at our end was for GF to sit facing a window so that her doctor could see her clearly. That was accomplished by placing a laptop at eye level (we used a stack of books) on a table between her and the window. So, LifeSize works well.
She has an appointment soon with a different doc who we discovered is using a different app. I wonder how safe and private it will be?
 
JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky

Glorious
May 30, 2007
10,902
10
44,315
Several months later - The shortage of Logitech Brio 4K UHD webcams has pretty much eased. I bought a brand new one from a fairly well known online vendor for $182.00. That's a little bit less than the MSRP. Wife used her smartphone while we waited a few months to avoid price gouging.

I also ran into several scam sites that advertised the Logitech Brio for $99.00.
 
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Deleted member 3023

Guest
I've been trying to get the Logitech 920S for some time (even before this COVID business). At the moment, I'm just checking every few days hoping to find one at a reasonable price.
But it the meantime, I'm on the fence on which of these 3 I should buy:

Amcrest AWC195-B
Amcrest AWC205
Ausdom AF640

The 2 Amcrest webcams are virtually the same. Only difference (I notice) is the 4.3mm Lens-90° vs. 3.6mm Lens-70°. How much does this matter?
 
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Co BIY

Splendid
Jun 18, 2015
1,268
487
21,890
The Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam appears to be available for $79 MSRP at the Logitech website.

Everything else is still back ordered.

I'm back in the market since my son stole the Razer Kiyo for his remote classes.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Jul 27, 2011
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Makaveli said:
The logitech 920S goes for $99 that $400+ amazon price is laughable.

Talk about price gouging.
Click to expand...

That's Amazon's annoying minion sellers , like "MaxProductSales" or "ARF Tech". You can get the real thing from Logitech directly for $99 and bypass the middle man. That's how I have been getting Logitech products in the last year. If it's not sold and verified by Amazon or Newegg, do not buy it. You will most likely be buying refurbished, used, or broken products that won't work the way they would new out of the box. It's a really annoying tactic used by large retailers and it's getting old.

I got a C930 at the start of the pandemic not realizing it was a refurbished knockoff and it's been sitting in a drawer. I replaced it with a C925e which I bought direct from Logitech and it has been a much better camera.
 
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H

Horse Badorties

Commendable
May 12, 2021
6
3
1,515
I have the "Looca 4K Webcam". Some important things to know:
  1. It is NOT 4K. Its top video resolution at a 16:9 ratio is 1440p, 30fps.
  2. I measured the field of view at about 60 degrees on the diagonal, not 75. It is the narrowest field of view I've found in a webcam.
  3. It is fixed-focus. Mine was initially focused to infinity, which is a strange choice for a narrow-angle camera. I was able to change it to a closer focus, after opening the cam, removing a glob of glue, and turning the focus ring by trial and error. Now my face is usually in-focus while the background is slightly blurred.
I actually like the webcam a lot. I knew it wasn't actually 4K before I bought the cam, and really wanted a narrow field of view. The quality of the cam and its image is fine, and it sells for less than 40 bucks.
 
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KitchM

Jul 19, 2021
1
0
10
There seems to be a problem with the megapixel counts. What are that actual figures?

I didn't think it should matter, but when the author mentioned some windows app, I worried that the cams might not work on Linux system. Does anyone know about this?
 
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hertzsae

Distinguished
Sep 13, 2006
6
8
18,515
I can't believe that Windows Hello support is missing from so many cams. Seems like a big miss. I hate that the Brio is the only cam listed with support.
 
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razor512

razor512

Distinguished
Jun 16, 2007
2,157
84
19,890
The Insta360 Link is pretty much a webcam company taking what would normally be the rear camera module from a mid range smartphone and turning it into a USB webcam, but with an insane markup when you consider that many rear camera modules have around a $20-30 BOM cost.
 
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webscorpion

Honorable
Oct 4, 2017
2
0
10,510
hertzsae said:
I can't believe that Windows Hello support is missing from so many cams. Seems like a big miss. I hate that the Brio is the only cam listed with support.
Click to expand...
I agree. Had I known it was a thing, hello support would have been the deciding factor in my purchase.

Now I'm stuck opening my laptop to log on and then closing it and sliding it under my monitor stand for the rest of the time. If I have to restart for any reason I must pull the laptop back out, open it, wait for hello to recognize me, close it, and put it back. Ugh.

Hopefully, I can resell this MS Modern Camera and get one with hello support. A Microsoft device that doesn't support Windows hello...go figure.
 
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