The Best Webcams Keep You Looking Sharp During Your Meetings

Resolution: 2K | Field-of-view: 65, 78 or 95 degrees | Frames per second: 30 | Autofocus: Yes

Best for: Stepping up image clarity with a general-use webcam.

Pros:

• Affordable price
• 2K camera is good enough for most
• Has two built-in microphones

Cons:

• Camera does not swivel
• No digital zoom

The Anker PowerConf C200 is our top pick because it’s loaded with impressive features at an absurdly affordable price. Not only does this webcam have a 2K sensor, but it also features both a directional and an omnidirectional microphone, which together provide excellent vocal pickup and AI noise cancellation. It also has a built-in privacy cover and comes with easy-to-use software. Plus, while on camera, if you hold a product or item in front of you, in less than a second, the camera refocuses on what you’re holding up and then just as quickly refocuses on you when you put the item down.

The webcam measures around two inches and weighs just under three ounces. Thanks to this compact, lightweight design, you can easily transport and attach it to a laptop or desktop monitor. Because the camera uses a large aperture lens, it performs well in low light. What’s lacking in this webcam, however, is a built-in speaker. But you can easily use any Bluetooth wireless headphones, wireless earbuds or your computer’s internal speakers.

Resolution: 720p | Field-of-view: 55 degrees | Frames per second: 30 | Autofocus: No

Best for: Basic personal video calling needs.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Simple mounting mechanism
• Fixed field-of-view

Cons:

• No autofocus
• Low resolution

The Logitech C270 is an older model that still gets attention for its budget price. If you need a basic camera for personal video calls from a fixed position—and you aren’t too worried about how you look—this 720p camera can meet your needs. It’s a great choice for an older laptop setup that lacks a webcam or needs a camera replacement.

The C270 has limited automatic exposure and color adjustment, plus a fixed-focus 55-degree field-of-view. You also can’t adjust it; thus, you don’t want to be moving around at all during video calls. It easily mounts on any laptop or desktop monitor, too.

Resolution: 1080p | Field-of-view: 82 degrees | Frames per second: 30 (at 1080p), 60 (at 720p) | Autofocus: Yes

Best for: Seamlessly adding light to your video calls.

Pros:

• Can do 60 fps at 720p
• Built-in ring light

Cons:

• Weak microphone

The Razer Kiyo’s combination of a webcam and ring light gives you everything needed for a clear video call right out-of-the-box. The ring light ensures your face is well-lit and seen clearly while you’re on your video calls. If you’re willing to drop resolution down to 720p, the Razer Kiyo can handle up to 60 fps. The webcam has a built-in omnidirectional microphone that can pick up sound from anywhere in a room. If you don’t want to pick up those extra sounds, you might need a more targeted streaming microphone.

The Razer Kiyo clips onto the top of a monitor or laptop screen, or you can mount it on a tripod. Compact and foldable, it requires no extra gear or space for additional lighting. This makes it an excellent choice if you travel with your laptop or use it from a couch or bed—situations which are not conducive for setting up a separate ring light.

Resolution: 1080p | Field-of-view: 84 degrees | Frames per second: 30, 60, 120 | Autofocus: Yes

Best for: Live streaming with HDR-enhanced clarity and a low latency.

Pros:

• Range of frame rates and resolutions
• Low-latency connection
• HDR video improves image quality

Cons:

• Lacks a built-in microphone
• Need the RTX 20 series GPU or higher to use all features

The Elgato Facecam MK.2 enhances its already impressive predecessor with HDR support, improving how you look in screen. It also makes you more visible in high and low-light settings. There’s a new privacy shutter, which is great for when your stream is done and you want to make sure no one is watching. It doesn’t feature a built-in microphone, but if you’re streaming, you aren’t using that anyway.

This camera offers 1080p at 60 fps support, though you can do up to 120 fps at 720P if you switch off HDR. It has a very low-latency connection, so your webcam feed won’t fall behind the game or other content you’re streaming. It has a wide 84 degree field-of-view, and it has built-in AI functions for pan, tilt and zoom, as well as face tracking through Nvidia’s SDK. Though, as a heads up, you do need an RTX 20 series GPU or newer to fully use it.

Resolution: 1080p | Field-of-view: 78 degrees | Frames per second: 60 | Autofocus:  Yes

Best for: Live streaming and video calls.

Pros:

• 1080p camera autofocuses and auto frames
• Manually tilts and pans
• Optimized for streaming

Cons:

• Lacks a privacy shutter
• No 2K or 4K resolution support

Aimed at creators or live streamers, the Logitech StreamCam works well with Streamlabs Desktop, Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) and other live streaming apps. Plus, it works great with services like Twitch, Instagram Live and YouTube for live streaming and can stream and record in 1080p at 60 fps. The included Logitech Capture software adjusts the webcam’s settings and audio. Plus, you can use the software to create borders, effects and overlay on-screen text.

The StreamCam has both autofocus and auto-framing to keep you clearly in the center of the 78-degree field-of-view frame, even when you’re moving around. Also, you can use the webcam in either landscape or portrait mode. In addition, the webcam manually tilts and pans to help you find the perfect angle. The built-in microphone includes a noise reduction filter, and while the StreamCam mounts easily on a monitor, you can also mount it on a tripod instead.

Resolution: 720p, 1080p, 4K | Field-of-view: 65, 78, 90 degrees | Frames per second: 90 | Autofocus:  Yes

Best for: Live streaming and video calls.

Pros:

• Supports up to 4K resolution
• Supports up to 90 fps at 720p
• Powerful automated image adjustments

Cons:

• Expensive

If you want high fps, high quality and automated enhancements to make you look your absolute best on camera, the Logitech Brio Ultra HD Pro is the webcam to buy. It can do it all: 4K resolution, wide field-of-view, strong autofocus and auto balancing, support for HDR, and it works well with Logitech’s Capture software. The real unique feature of this webcam, though, is it supports high fps. Where some webcams can manage up to 60 fps, this one can go all the way to 90 fps, giving you the smoothest of video for when it matters. It’s only at 720p resolution, but this is one of the best fps options on the market currently.

The automated image enhancements are super impressive too, from auto brightness, to autofocus, this webcam ensures you look good no matter what you’re doing. It has a built-in pair of omni-directional microphones, which is great for group conference calls and meetings. It’s more expensive, but if you want a webcam that can do it all and do it all well (with high frames per second support, to boot) this is the webcam to buy.

We’ve tested this camera and love the video quality. It looks stellar, and the automated focusing and light levelling make sure that subjects look just as good on camera in the morning and afternoon as ambient light shifts. The high frame rate is really useful when we wanted to demonstrate something in fast motion, too.