Most laptop webcams suck. If you thought I’d have a good explanation on why swanky aluminum machines packed with laser-quick processors and costing upward of $1,000 still have the image quality of a disposable camera, well, I don’t. Whatever the reason you need a webcam—maybe you want to upgrade from the one in your laptop, maybe you’re building a desktop workstation—it pays to invest in a camera that’ll make you look good. Especially now that many of us are presenting our faces on Zoom and other video platforms at all times of day.
Ever since the pandemic began, webcams have been hard to find. Some are now (slowly) trickling back in stock, though many are still back-ordered and some prices are jacked up. If our picks below aren’t available, consider checking out our guides on how to use your smartphone or a professional camera (if you have one) as a webcam instead.
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