Whether you want to stay in touch with relatives and friends around the globe, become the next vlogging sensation on YouTube or hold professional meetings, you’ll need a good-quality webcam. You want a webcam that makes you come across clearly and naturally, both in appearance and voice.

There’s plenty of choice and it can be confusing. Webcams vary by price and features, as well as their ease of set-up and use. Our guide will help you navigate your way through the decision-making process and ensure you buy a webcam that’s right for you.

Logitech C930 E Webcam

+ Video processing within camera that frees up CPU usage

+ Sharp video quality

– Expensive compared to similar models

Able to stream HD 1080p video quality at 30fps, the Logitech C930 produces consistently clear and sharp images. This webcam supports H.264 with Scalable Video Coding and UVC 1.5 encoding technology and takes the pressure off your CPU by doing the video processing itself. The result is fast, smooth streaming and uploading without affecting whatever else you’re doing.

It also has a 4x zoom in 1080p, meaning even the smallest details can be picked up for total clarity. Every movement and expression appears on screen, allowing friends, family and business contacts to fully appreciate what you’re trying to convey. Pan, tilt and zoom with a 90ﾟfield of view, allowing you to show a wider angle of vision, which is perfect for group videos over Skype. The ZEISS glass lens is of the highest quality and produces crystal-clear images even when you’re showing things up-close on screen.

Microsoft LifeCam Studio Web camera

+ Effective auto focus

+ Automatic exposure correction

– Requires third-party software for 1080p recording

This mid-budget webcam can bring the digital to life without costing you a fortune. It offers only 720p for video but you can use third-party software to boost this to 1080p HD for even greater video quality. This makes it great for chatting casually with friends and family but also the option to go for 1080p quality for more formal situations. The auto focus and high-precision glass-element lens work together to produce crisp images.

The Microsoft LifeCam Studio features TrueColor Technology, which works by tracking your facial movements and adjusting exposure automatically. This means the colours in your video remains vivid, even in dim lighting situations. The microphone picks up your voice clearly but you may find it picks up a little background noise, too. Customers have said how easy this webcam is to mount, how it can ‘fit laptops and desktop screens’, and have also praised the tripod screw and cylindrical shape, allowing it to be clamped in other stands.

Logitech Webcam C170 USB Black

+ Plug-and-play set-up

+ Good, clear images

– Lacks more sophisticated features

The Logitech C170 is an extremely budget-friendly webcam at under £20. As you’d expect, it’s not the highest spec, so this might not be the ideal webcam if you need to do a lot of professional video calls, but it more than does the job for casual chatting. It’s incredibly easy to get started with its plug-and-play set-up and features a universal clip that attaches to both laptop and PC screens, as well as shelves and desks.

With a resolution of 640×480 when video calling with the VGA-quality sensor, you’ll appear clearly on screen without pixilation or other distortions. The resolution could be higher but this is an entry-level
webcam and you should expect to pay more for increased resolution. A built-in microphone with RightSound technology conveys your voice clearly and works to reduce background noise, which it does well considering the Logitech C170’s bargain price.

Creative BlasterX Senz3D Depth Sensing Webcam

+ 3D face-sensing technology

+ Smart camera with gesture and facial recognition

– Pricey

This webcam is every gamer’s dream, with a spec that’s full of 3D technology that can scan your face and ordinary objects and make digital experiences more lifelike and immersive. It’s no surprise that with an
array of advanced features such as the 3D scanning, the Creative BlasterX Senz3D comes with a big price tag. It’s not for the casual video caller or vlogger but it’s a webcam that’s worth forking out for if you want to experience the ultimate in 3D technology. Voice recognition works with Cortana, so you can easily search files on your computer and open programs quickly and easily.

The Creative BlasterX Senz3D has three lenses to capture visual data, and they work with Intel RealSense Technology to track your facial expressions and movements. Adding even more to the experience is the depth-sensing technology and its ability to add a layer of virtual reality to your surroundings and blend into whatever game background you have.

Logitech C922 Full HD Pro Stream Webcam

+ Full high-def 1080p streaming

+ Free 3-month XSplit premium licence included

– 1080p streaming capped at 30fps

The Logitech C922 is perfect for gamers who are really into streaming. You have the power to change your background while you stream. It also comes with a three-month subscription to XSplit, so you can get expert help with streaming and recording your gameplay for YouTube and Twitch. This webcam comes with a tripod, so you don’t need to have it resting on the top of your monitor.

You can choose to stream at full HD 1080p at 30fps or fluid HD at 720p at 60fps, but you’ll probably go for the former if you want clear, sharp video that captures all the details. The 720p at 60fps will be faster for particularly smooth video, but you’re comprising a little on quality. HD auto focus and light correction are great features as the webcam can react to even dim lighting and still deliver sharp images. The Logitech C922 is also very good at covering all bases when it comes to audio. There’s a microphone on either side of the camera, too, so your voice will be heard clearly and naturally from every angle.

As you can see, there are plenty of great webcams available and you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a high-quality version packed with features. It comes down to what you are going to use your webcam for – a webcam that’s best suited to business meetings, for example, won’t be as ideal for vlogging. Check how the features of a webcam meet your individual needs and you’re certain to make the right choice.