- Webcams come in many shapes, sizes and prices.
But the thing that binds many of them together
is that, well, they can be terrible.
It looks pretty bad.
They are more important to people than ever,
but few categories of consumer tech
have needed more of an overhaul than the webcam.
But that's not to say that all webcams are bad.
If you're unhappy with what you've got,
or you're buying your very first webcam,
I'm gonna show you a few good options.
Let's start with a $300 Opal C1,
a camera that improves on the webcam formula
in some big ways.
First off, it's sleek design and sturdy build materials
make it stand out compared to most other models.
It also has a good camera sensor.
It's actually the same 12 megapixel sensor
originally used in Google's first pixel phone from 2016.
When you put it like that,
I know it sounds a little long in the tooth,
but in the world of webcams,
it amounts to a major boost in quality
that outpaces any other webcam I've tried.
The picture isn't soft and grainy.
Good hardware like this is important.
But the thing that separates the Opal C1 from the pack
is it's heavy reliance on software
to improve picture quality.
As practically all smartphone makers have illustrated,
software along with some machine learning
is crucial for squeezing more out of small camera hardware.
In Opal's case,
this approach to making a webcam makes it really smart
at figuring out the best color accuracy,
white balance, exposure, and more
without the need to adjust settings manually.
If you're one of those people
who likes to manually tweak all of the dials,
you can do that in Opal's macOS app.
Oh, and just a heads up for the windows users out there,
Opal says full Windows compatibility
won't arrive until late 2022.
Back to the macOS app.
It can enable some cool features in the C1.
It's most effective feature
is an adjustable bokeh effect that looks softer
and far more realistic than the intense blur
provided by most video conferencing apps.
Some of my Verge colleagues weren't fooled
by the simulated bokeh,
but hey, what'd you expect?
We're tough critics.
I think most people will like the way that it looks though.
Opal's focus on software and machine learning
gives the C1 some other tricks.
It has a feature that can keep your face within the frame.
Several other webcams at this point
can do some version of this
though the face tracking in the C1
is surprisingly responsive.
I'm impressed with what the Opal C1 delivers,
but some of its most interesting features
aren't available yet, like gesture control.
The company wants you to be able to drop out of calls
simply by holding up the peace sign in front of the camera.
Opal also thinks it'll be possible
for the C1's microphones to listen for speech patterns,
like uh and um that you wanna rely on less often
and provide feedback after your meeting.
These features seem fun but I'm a little skeptical
that they'll work as well as it sounds on paper
Opal is showing that software can take webcams
to greater Heights,
even higher than the company's original ambitions.
And that's cool, but the C1 S $300 price
is more than double what a lot of typical webcams cost
and it doesn't end there.
The Opal C1 includes access to its growing suite
of software tools for early adopters.
But at some point it'll begin charging $4 a month
for some features, a subscription plan
probably isn't what most people have
in mind when they purchase a webcam
but the Opal C1, isn't your average webcam.
If you have a bigger budget
and want the absolute best video quality
the next step beyond a C1 is a DSLR.
And considering that these can cost
more than a thousand dollars,
I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you have at least
a budding passion for photography.
I bought this Olympus at the beginning of the pandemic
for about 500 bucks, including the lens.
So it is possible to get a web camera ready camera
without completely breaking the bank.
But here's the thing, even after your big investment
you'll likely need to wrestle with a few cables and dongles
and mounts, a power supply, and maybe even a new microphone.
You'll also need to become an expert of your camera settings
to get your setup just right.
Some people may like this challenge.
And if that's you go for it, the results might be worth it.
Several Verge staffers swear by this method.
Or they're just trying to get the most
out of their indulgences either way they look great,
except for when their cameras overheat.
If you have a budget of $200 or less
I recommend checking out our buying guide
where I've compared a handful of webcams
in different price ranges
to see what's actually worth buying.
We've linked that in the description below
and we'll be updating it
with more 2022 models as they release.
One of my favorites from that list is Elgato's Facecam.
It sells for 200 bucks and sometimes a little lower
and it's just a webcam that's great at the basics.
It supports 1080 P resolution at up to 60 frames per second.
It has a customizable field of view
and it offers a plethora of other settings
in Elgato's PC app.
It fits in with the rest of Elgato's streamer focused gear.
To that end the Facecam has a heat sink
to keep its internals cool during marathon streams.
Most importantly, if you have decent lighting
the face cam produces a clean image
that'll be a leap over what a laptop webcam
or even many dedicated webcams can deliver
though compared to the Opal C1's video fidelity
it comes in a rather distance, second place
and it lacks a built in microphone.
So you'll need to provide one of your own.
Okay, despite saving this for last
I've been most excited to tell you
that there are ways to get a good webcam without buying one.
No, it doesn't involved theft.
A few app developers out there have figured out low cost
or no cost solutions
for turning your smartphone into a webcam.
And even some slightly older phones out there
can deliver better image quality than many webcams.
The app that I've used the most is called DroidCam
and it works with Android and iOS with Windows PCs.
The free version of the app
gives you all of the essentials to get started.
But aid version comes with extra features
like boosting the resolution,
letting you rotate the picture or zooming in.
This could be a great option for you even if the phone
you have might not be all that useful otherwise.
Another option if you have an iPhone is Elgato's EpocCam.
It lets you easily blur your background
or super superimpose yourself onto a different background
with its chroma key feature.
This will make it will for creators or for people
who just wanna keep themselves entertained
by imposing themselves onto a pizza or something.
The paid version includes support
for 10 ADP HDR footage, video filters and more.
Outside of a webcam's specs and features
one thing I like to have is the option
to mount it to a tripod.
On my desk I use this Gorillapod,
which I like because I can stand it upright
or wrap it around a monitor arm.
And if you don't have natural lighting to light your face
it'd be a good idea to invest
in a small key light to stay well lit.
I never thought that I'd become so invested in webcams
but they're so important to so many people.
Now I've gone just a few options to step up your webcam game
and whichever route you choose
I hope you get the results you're looking for.
By the way I brought a power bank and a USB cable
if we wanna do like a fun, like guh, you know under lit.
Do you have a cool webcam rig at home?
Let us know about it in the comments below.
And thanks for watching.