Some higher-resolution cameras have what's called AI autofocus, which combines autofocus with digital zoom to center the frame around your face as you move around within the camera's field of view. This is preferable because you don't have to worry about sitting in the same spot to remain in focus. More expensive webcams often include an autofocus system, which means their lenses adjust to make sure you're clear at any distance from the camera. This behavior is fine if you sit directly in front of the camera a few feet away, but it's easy to wander out of the focal plane (particularly if you want to show something up close). That means the lenses don't adjust to keep you in focus, or are simply set to capture you within a wide enough range that you show up clearly. Most inexpensive webcams are fixed-focus. In this case, the smaller the number, the smaller the field of view. Typically, these ranges fall between 65 and 90 degrees, with 78 degrees serving as a common middle ground. If you want to record an entire conference room, make sure the webcam has a wide field of view. If you want to capture only your face and cut out your messy bedroom, get something with a narrow field of view (or a high enough resolution that you can crop the frame). The lens also determines the camera's field of view, which is important for framing. Should You Choose a Webcam With a Wide or Narrow Field of View? Webcams don't often advertise their aperture sizes, but they generally range from f/2.0 to f/2.8. The lower the number, the wider the aperture and the more light that comes through. This is known as the aperture size, and most cameras express this value as f/(number). It determines how much light reaches the camera sensor, which affects how you look in less-than-ideal lighting scenarios. The lens on a webcam is just as important as the sensor, and generally bigger is better. A 60fps webcam presents you in a much more realistic and natural way than a 30fps webcam, so be sure to pay close attention to that spec before buying. The frame rate affects how smooth your video looks. Stay away from 720p models if you can they offer the softest image quality and are likely no better than your laptop's built-in webcam. Quad HD 2K (2,560 by 1,440) is a rare but flexible middle ground between those two. Full HD (1080p) resolution is a good starting point for a decent webcam, but if you want to up your picture quality (or be able to crop your frame and keep it sharp), a 4K webcam is what we recommend. What Webcam Frame Rate and Resolution Do You Need?Ī webcam can only get as sharp as its sensor can resolve pixels. Here are our top picks for webcams, followed by what you should know when shopping for them.
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