Webcams are an incredibly useful tool. They allow us to call other people and remove the need to have things like a standalone mic.
They are especially important in this era of using platforms like Teams and Zoom for online meetings and talking with friends or family.
What We Suggest
Best Value: Microsoft Modern Webcam
Best 1080p: Logitech C930e
Best 4K: Logitech Brio 4K
Best For Streaming on a Budget: Logitech C922 Pro
Best For Streaming: Elgato Facecam
Best For Mac Users: Logitech 4K Pro Magnetic Webcam for Pro Display XDR
Best Overall: Dell Ultrasharp Webcam
How To Choose A Webcam
Understanding Your Budget
The first thing that you need to figure out before picking out a webcam is your budget. Making sure that you have a specific budget will the process easier for you to narrow down your search so you can find what you want faster.
It is very easy to go over your budget to get something that provides a higher resolution or features like Windows Hello so we suggest always looking at the performance first and then if you have extra money to spend, look at other features.
General Use, Streaming, Professional Work
When looking for a webcam, understanding what you will use it for can help you understand if there are certain options and features you should look at.
You can find monitors that feature lighting and can capture 60FPS versus the standard 30 for gamers. In contrast, those who use their camera for meetings or even creative work might want something like a 4K webcam. If you are someone who just wants a webcam for weekly Teams calls or just in case then you don’t need any of these exciting features.
Webcam vs Camera
For those that are looking at a webcam for making videos, either for streaming or other content creation, you may want to consider a camera instead. Really big streamers or those that create youtube videos and want the best quality possible will typically use a dedicated camera.
This process is certainly more complicated and we won’t go over it in this article but it is worth mentioning that certain people will benefit from this.
If you don’t think that you need a camera then a webcam is right for you. A webcam also can be much more convenient as you don’t need multiple devices and cables like you do with a camera setup.
Camera Quality
Although there are some cameras that work in resolutions like 1440p or 720p, the most common resolutions are 4K and 1080p. Deciding what is best for you out of those two options is very important.
For most people, even streamers 1080p is probably good for you. If you really want peak camera quality for meetings or content creation then you may look for 4K webcams. 4K webcams typically cost more but also capture better colors and often have features like HDR and wider viewing angles.
FPS
If you are a streamer and you want to have a webcam that looks at your mouse or keyboard, then the frame rate of your webcam may be important for you. Cameras that capture 60FPS or higher can create a smooth-looking experience that captures your flicks for your audience.
Typically, cameras that offer 60FPS are labeled for streaming.
Additional Features
Besides the main camera itself, there are some features that you may like. For example, Logitech in their highest-end webcams offers Windows Hello support. This is very nice if you don’t want to type in your password but you still want a quick and secure way to log in.
There are also quality features like HDR or a wide field of view that are nice to haves for some people. If you are a streamer, you may appreciate a light on the webcam to still capture your face well in a badly lit environment.
Resources To Use
While you can just look for webcams to get on guides or visit a site like Amazon or Best Buy, there are some very useful resources that you can use. Besides looking at guides, one of our favorite resources to use is PCPartPicker. PC Part Picker is a website to help compile lists of parts when building a PC while also checking for compatibility.
You can sort to find webcams with certain levels of quality at a variety of different price points. PC Part Picker is also very easy to use.
Why Trust Us
At The Tech Frontier, we are a group of tech enthusiasts who have tons of experience with computers, peripherals, monitors, and more. We have tested a variety of different webcams and cameras.
We have made sure that these price options align with features and price points that we think are best for all people but we also have made sure that there are a variety of different webcams for all sorts of needs and budgets.
We have compiled this list not just by understanding the tech of each of these webcams and the features but by understanding what the end-user may want. We often use webcams for meetings and have some experience making videos too.
Conclusion
Hopefully, these options have helped you narrow down your search as to what options are best for you and you now know what to look for in webcams while researching what to purchase.
There are many webcams that appeal to different markets that deliver certain levels of quality. You can find webcams for the average computer user and webcams for streamers.
If you want to check out more guides and reviews check out the rest of our site with new articles coming out every week. As always, thanks for reading!
The Tech Frontier 
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