What to Look For in a Webcam

Whether you’re holding a conference call with your boss, videochatting with a friend in another state or sharing live stream footage on social media, webcams have become an essential technology for many of us. The best webcams provide a high-quality, professional look for business calls, but they’re also ideal for streaming, gaming and other personal applications.

A key feature of a good webcam is its resolution, which describes how clear a camera’s image will be. You may also want to consider the camera’s frame rate, which indicates how fast the camera updates, typically quoted in terms of frames per second (fps). A higher fps can help to reduce motion blur and jitters when streaming.

Other important features include the camera’s field of view and audio capabilities. A wide-angle lens is ideal for capturing large spaces, while narrower lenses are better for close-ups of faces and other small details. Some webcams offer auto-light correction, which adjusts the image to make it appear more natural in low lighting conditions.

Finally, you’ll want to decide if you want a camera that mounts directly to your display or a more traditional tripod setup. If you’re planning on a 24/7 webcam, it’s a good idea to run a test stream for the duration of a full day to see how the quality holds up and if you’ll need to use a ring light or other additional lighting options. Live webcams