Even though online school may not be the most favored learning method for students, it is still the most popular option. And with more confirmed COVID cases being announced in schools each day, it seems like students will have to continue attending Zoom classes whether they like it or not. So, with online learning being a certainty for the foreseeable future, most students are going to have to be using their webcams more than they expected.
Now, although a majority of students have laptops with built-in webcams, it is no secret that these simply suck. They are garbage— it is a simple fact. They are only included on laptops because they have to. Companies just stick in the same camera they’ve been using since the 90’s and call it a day. Using a laptop’s built-in webcam for online classes should be a criminal offense to the eyes of other students.
With that being said, it is now the perfect time to consider buying a new webcam. This purchase would not only benefit a student currently — but also in the long run as it will become extremely useful when doing video interviews with college admission officers or potential employers.
So where to start?
Buying a webcam can be extremely daunting at first. There are hundreds of them, plus they all look the same. And it doesn’t help that their names are all filled with random numbers and letters. Taking into account that there is very little mainstream branding and marketing for webcams makes it even harder for an average consumer to find a good and trustworthy starting point for research. But worry not, since below is a list of the top five webcams for the average student that will blow any laptop cam out of the water.
Since each student has different budgets and necessities the list has been broken up into three categories. The first category is budget webcams, for students that want to upgrade but get the most bang out of their buck. The next category is the mid-tier category, for students that are willing to invest a little more for that added quality bonus. Lastly, it’s the premium category, for those students that price isn’t a concern and are trying to get the best webcam on the market.
Budget Category
It is easy to think that when someone cheaps out on buying a piece of tech, they get what they paid for, and end up regretting it. But the first webcam in the budget category really proves that thought wrong. The RALENO 1080P is just overall amazing.
At only $35 dollars it produces such a high-quality image and sound that is competitive with cameras in the other categories. It has a very wide field of view, which is a feature prominently sought out in premium webcams, but is usually subjected to personal preference. It has astonishingly good audio, but its camera quality is where it shines. It does have darker tones and a little too much contrast but it is hands down the best quality within its price range, no doubt about it.
The other webcam in the budget category is the Logitech C920S. This is the golden standard of webcams, and it has been since 2012. Its popularity throughout the years goes to show how good it truly is. Currently it’s $75 dollars, but the 40 extra dollars do make a difference. Even though the RELANO beats the Logitech webcam in microphone quality by a significant margin, Logitech does have superior camera quality over the latter. It has a tighter field of view, which again is a personal preference. It has a sharper image, slightly better color correction, and a more enhanced auto-focus system. Not only is the camera better but so is the build quality, giving it more mounting options such as tilt, pan, and swivel.
Mid-tier Category
Introducing the first webcam in the mid-tier category is the Microsoft LifeCam Studio. The LifeCam Studio is grossly underrated mainly for two reasons. One, it is over a decade old, being released in 2006. Second, it falls in a weird twilight zone in regards to price range, as it is too expensive to be a budget option but too cheap and old to be considered premium.
The main reason for such high praise is its camera quality— it is simply phenomenal. It has such great color correction and lighting evenness that it’s almost like shooting out of a DSLR. But it does have some downsides; although that flat look is great for film due to editing capabilities, using it for raw footage may look bland in comparison to other options. That doesn’t negate it’s super crisp and clean quality. Plus with a few tweaks within its programming, it can be tuned to better liking. The only issue is the program it uses is still the same one from many years ago, unlike Logitech’s more updated one.
The next webcam in the mid-tier category is the Logitech C922X, the older brother of the C920S. The C922X is meant to be an upgrade to the previous model and brings several improvements and new additions. But for $120 they seem to fall flat. To start, the newer model now has the ability to shoot at 60fps at 720p. The camera is now a little sharper and has a slightly improved autofocus system. And that’s about it. With this being the newer model it might seem obvious to just upgrade as one would do with any other piece of tech. But with this webcam series, there is an ongoing battle of which is superior, the C922X or the older C920S. One side argues for the C920S great color and light profile. The other side prefers having a sharper, more focused image. It really is all up to the buyer’s discretion.
Top-tier Category
Finally, it’s the premium category, starting off with the Logitech StreamCam. Now this webcam was considered a huge flop due to its terrible marketing. It was marketed towards streamers yet it had none of the features that the community had long been asking for. Instead, Logitech gave them useless gimmicks such as portrait mode. But besides all that, for an average student, this would be one of the best webcams they can buy. Costing $170 the StreamCam comes with a few more bells and whistles. Besides amazing camera quality and adjustable FOV, it has an extremely intuitive program, which allows for detailed customization of the video feed.
The last webcam in the premium category is the Logitech Brio Ultra HD Pro. This is truly overkill; especially for a student that is only using it for Zoom. But the $200 dollar price tag ensures the best possible quality and features. It is the only camera that has the capability of shooting in 4k. It also has more customizability for exposure, color, FOV, and autofocus settings in its version of the app. It has stellar camera quality but after the $100 mark, the law of diminishing returns begins to take a heavy effect. So compared to the previous model it simply comes down to personal taste.
Choosing the right webcam can be extremely subjective. It’s like taking an eye exam, one might look better for one person, but worse for another. In fact, there are webcams in the budget category that can be argued to have a better-looking video than ones in the middle and upper categories. It all truly comes down to the value and individual’s liking. And so, as detailed as this buyer’s guide has been, for one to truly know which webcam is best for them they would have to go online and look at actual footage from the cameras to decide.
