I finally get why people spend so much on a good webcam

I was helping my friend set up for a virtual job interview in her apartment in Denver last week. She was using her laptop's built-in camera and the video was just awful, really grainy and dark. I let her borrow my old Logitech C920, which I bought years ago and never used much. The difference was night and day. Her face was clear, the light looked way better, and she just seemed more confident. I always thought a separate webcam was a waste of money, but seeing that side-by-side changed my mind. For anyone who does video calls a lot, what's a good mid-range option that's better than a laptop camera but not super expensive?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sandra21d ago

Whoa, wait, you're telling me recruiters actually notice bad audio more than bad video? That's wild, I would have guessed the opposite for sure. @sam_murphy39 you're right though, laptop mics are terrible at filtering out background noise (I've had whole conversations with people's ceiling fans before).

the_tessa1mo ago

That article I read the other day actually said the same thing about audio being the hidden upgrade (apparently recruiters notice bad sound more than bad video, which surprised me). The C920 is a solid starter for sure, but I remember seeing a review that said the newer Logitech Brio models have better light correction for rooms that aren't perfectly set up. My own camera saga is similar to yours - bought a decent one, then realized my overhead light made me look like a ghost (so now I have a little clip-on light that looks ridiculous but works). For mid-range, maybe check out the Anker PowerConf C200, heard it's got good autofocus and doesn't break the bank like some of the higher end ones.

sam_murphy391mo ago

Wait, did you notice a difference in her audio too? I swear laptop mics pick up every echo and fan noise (it drives me crazy). My own story is kind of backwards, I bought a fancy webcam last year for work calls and then realized I had to upgrade my lighting too because the better camera just showed how bad my lighting was. So now I'm stuck with a decent camera and a ring light setup that makes me look like I'm doing a makeup tutorial. Anyway, what's your budget for mid-range? The C920 is still solid for the price but the newer models have autofocus that actually works (unlike my old one that hunted around constantly).

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