4 best webcams (2023): Razer, Logitech and more

Razer Kiyo for $67A: Our previous top pick, the original Kiyo still offers 1080p at 30fps (or 720p at 60fps) and built-in backlighting, which is controlled by turning the glowing ring to make it brighter, dimmer, or turn it off. fully. Image quality is good, colors are pleasing, and the camera adjusts white balance quickly as the ambient light in the room changes. It autofocuses well, but you’ll see it adjust noticeably as you move around the frame. The field of view is slightly wider than conventional webcams at around 82 degrees. A month later, my Kiyo broke the loop, which made me think. But my second option is gaining momentum, and WIRED writer Parker Hall had no problem with his Kiyo, so we’re still confident in our recommendation.

Insta360 Link for $300: Super expensive, but the “AI 4K webcam,” as its manufacturer screams from the rooftops in its marketing, is an impressive beast. Mounted on a motorized gimbal that rotates both horizontally and vertically, Link will follow, refocus and zoom in and out (up to 4x) automatically as you move around the screen. It will even enlarge presentation boards or documents you want to show during a call. It offers outstanding sharpness, color contrast and white balance when recording at 24, 25 and 30 fps in 4K resolution. Downgrading to 1080p adds the ability to shoot at 60fps. Twenty-four frames per second is useful for film-like quality because movies are usually shot at that speed. It comes with a USB-C cable and a USB-A adapter. There are two noise canceling microphones and a screw mount on the bottom for tripod mounting. The only thing it lacks is a physical privacy shutter.

Poly Studio P5 for $83A: The reasonably priced Studio P5 offers 4x digital zoom and 1080p resolution at 30fps and matches the crisp video quality, color balance, and low-light performance of other cameras on this list, plus a few neat tricks. Turning the front of the entire webcam physically covers the visible orange shutter above the lens, and the status light changes from blue to red, so there’s no chance you won’t know if your webcam is capable of seeing you. Along with the built-in microphone, you can free up a precious laptop port by inserting a USB-A wireless adapter into the back of the case and using it wirelessly. Studio P5 rotates horizontally but not vertically. If you want to change this angle, you need to change the position of the mount itself. It’s not impossible, just a little cumbersome. Another downside is the mottled white, egg-like plastic casing, which reminds me of the plastic that toilet stalls are made from.

Anker B600 Video Bar 2K Webcam for $170: Review editor Julian Chokkattu calls the video quality of the B600 excellent. If your computer can power it, the B600 can stream video at up to 2K resolution. However, it is very expensive and too big to hang on a laptop screen like the other webcams in this guide. In low light, the image quality is very dim even when using the built-in light source, so it is best combined with an external light source.

Obsbot Tiny 4K AI Webcam for $269: Chokkattu has made Obsbot his main webcam for over six months, and as someone who video conferences with it several times a week, I can tell you that its 4K image looks great. What makes it stand out is that it automatically tracks your face if you move, giving the impression that you have a private film crew. You can turn this feature on and off with a wave of your hand as it responds to hand gestures.

Logitech C922x for $80: C922X is a powerful webcam with solid performance. It can stream 1080p video at 30fps or 720p video at 60fps, making the Razer Kiyo and Kiyo X its main competitor. But it’s more expensive than either and has a slightly narrower 78-degree field of view. It’s a good webcam, but you can get a comparable Kiyo X for less.

Logitech C615 for $30A: The specs were great (for the original price) – 1080p resolution at 30fps with a 78-degree field of view – and image quality is good in all but low light. You can also rotate the camera 360 degrees, which review editor Julian Chokkattu says he does when he’s not using it, since there’s no privacy shutter. On the other hand, the microphone records in mono rather than stereo, and the short cord can be annoying when used with a desktop computer, although it works fine with a laptop. If retail stocks are running low and that’s all you can find, this isn’t a bad option, although for a few extra bucks your selection will be much better.

Logitech C930e for $58: This is a business-oriented alternative to the Logitech C920 with a 90-degree field of view that is better for capturing large groups of participants than the C920’s 78-degree field of view. For a single user at home, 90 degrees can be an interesting and desirable option (I liked this extra setting on the Brio). Unlike Brio, you are limited to using only 90 degrees, which may not work for everyone. This webcam has historically not been as cheap as it has been in recent times. In the past, typical prices have been over $100, and it’s not worth the extra cost. Below $100, this is an acceptable webcam.