Without a doubt, there’s a lot of webcams available out there. Some good, some very exceptional, all very plentiful. If you’re a gamer and you want to start showing off your face in streams. Or if you’re looking for a quality webcam for video conferencing, a bad webcam will hinder that experience. So let us help you find the best webcams currently available in 2019. Keep in mind that since we’re a gaming related site, we’re going deep into the webcam selection for gamers and streamers. But have no fear, these webcams will do just about everything you need them to do.
Logitech C920
Ah, the C920. The stable of streamers and content creators everywhere. It’s affordable, has a very simple design and does its job without much issue. There’s not really much to say about this webcam other than it’s considered the king. The image quality is sharp, and it does well in low-light scenarios.
The only issue with the C920, as is with every Logitech webcam, is the included software. For some reason, it will not retain all your custom settings. For example, if you adjust the zoom, tilt, pan, and sharpness, it works for the session. Close out your streaming or recording program or restart your computer and you’ll have to redo those settings. Sadly, this is all a software issue that has been known by Logitech for years. If you’re looking for your first webcam or just want a quality webcam that doesn’t break the bank. Then the C920 is calling your name.
Resolutions: 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps
Features: H.264 compression, low light correction, tripod mount, dual microphones
Price: $79.99, however you can fight this easily available for under $50 | Amazon
Logitech C922
The Logitech c922 is identical to the c920 in every way. It sports the same design and if you don’t pay attention you can easily mistake the two. However, the C922 sports a few upgrades over its older brother. The microphone is now omnidirectional. Meaning it can pick up incoming sounds from the front, left and right. The webcam also supports software-based chromakey support. Logitech noticed that a lot of people who used webcams typically used a green screen to remove their actual background. So they decided to include the ability to do it via software. Which is hit and miss at times. While it works, it tends to not do a very good job of completely removing the background.
The image quality is a notch above the C920, as is the contrast, brightness, and sharpness. The low-light viewing is also better. The upgrades in my opinion, in my opinion, don’t justify the price difference. Especially since you can find the C920 nearly 20-30% of the asking price of the C922. However, if you find the C922 lower than its asking price, snag it.
Resolutions: 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps
Features: Chroma key/background replacement H.264 compression, low light correction, tripod mount, omnidirectional microphones, 3-month subscription to XSplit Premium
Price: $99.99. Constantly goes on sale for $69.99 – $89.99 | Amazon
Razer Kiyo
Razer’s second attempt at a webcam met with a smashing success. The Razer Kiyo took what made the Logitech so widely accepted and added put their own spin to it. A ring light, that provides several different settings of light. Perfect for those low-light streams. I felt that the auto-focus on the Kiyo was a tab better and the grain created by low-light isn’t as bad as on other cameras. That said, the webcam does have its fair share of issues. The camera firmware cannot be upgraded, and the Kiyo isn’t supported in Razer’s Synapse application. The driver support is severely lacking and the camera constantly ignores setting changes in both OBS and XSplit.
When it works, it’s an amazing camera, however. There’s no mistaking that.
Resolutions: 1080p 30fps, 720p 60fps
Features: built-in ring light, YUY2/MJPEG or H.264 support, exceptional low-light performance, omnidirectional microphone, compact folding
Price:$99.99 | Amazon| Our Review
Logitech 4K Pro / Brio
This next webcam isn’t really directed for streaming, but more so along content creation and video conferencing. But that doesn’t mean you gamers can’t use this. The beauty of this camera is that not only does it support 4K and HDR, but it’s also 1080 & 720p at 60fps. In addition to those sexy framerates, it includes Windows Hello support. With this, you can a whole slew of protective features to your Windows PC. The adjustable FOV lets you alter your viewing angle. The built-in Ringlight 3 with HDR can brighten and sharpen just about any area, even low-light ones. Between owning this, the C920 and the Kiyo, this camera runs circles around them. Of course, for the price I expect it to do that.
It’s also is future-proofed, which is kind of the cameras’ downfall. You see, there aren’t any programs that support the 4K beast. Not Skype, not Google Hangouts, not even Discord. Still, if you’re looking to upgrade your YouTube recordings to 4K, this camera is all you need. At least for the asking price.
Resolutions: 4K (4096×2160) 30fps, 1080p 60/30fps, 720p 60/30fps
Features: 4K / HDR support, adjustable FOV, Windows Hello, 5X HD Zoom, privacy shutter, omnidirectional mic
Price:$199.99. Goes on sale for $159.99 every other week | Amazon
Elgato Cam Link 4K
Now, the Elgato Cam Link isn’t a webcam. Instead, this device will let you take just about any camcorder or camera and use it as a webcam. Meaning if you have a high-powered DSLR camera on hand, you can use it as a webcam. For a list of the supported camera, check out this list. With the right camera, the Cam Link provides a quality than most webcams on this list. The downside to the Cam Links that it does require USB 3 and not every computer or laptop supports this.
An alternative to this, if you have one is to use an Elgato HD 60 or HD 60 S, you could use the HD passthrough to accomplish the same feat.
Resolutions: 720p 60fps, 1080p 60fps or 4K at 30 fps
Price:$129.99. Can be found at as low as $115 | Bestbuy
So there you have it, these are our recommendations. Mind you, there are other webcams on the market that may do what you need. These are just the webcams that we’ve had actual hands-on and have tested. I’ll also say as a consumer and enthusiast, that I don’t recommend you pay more than $100 for a webcam. Paying more than this will provide you with diminishing returns. A Cam Link (or HD 60) and a good camcorder, DSLR or even a point and shoot is your best bet.
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