Webcam for 2022

Hardware
1

I need a camera to sit on top of my monitor that is connected to my M1 Air. Mostly meetings, but also some streaming for recording YouTube video.

What do you recommend? Anything to be wary of?

There’s lots of good options at the moment, here’s a shortlist:

I liked using my phone as a webcam with Detail, but I would prefer a standalone solution that keeps my phone in play.

P.S. I read this post and it was helpful: Suggestion for Webcam to mount on LG monitor while using M1 MBP - #17 by DannyR.

2

The Elgato Facecam seems to be $199, unless I’m missing something.

Some folks use a DSLR as a webcam, with good results (if you happen to have one lying around).

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Thanks, I’ve corrected this price.

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I had the Logitech Brio but changed to my … iPhone 11. Use the Camo software with it when using Screenflow or Zoom or any other relevant app. Lifetime cost is $80, or subscribe for $40 per year. Lifetime price was a no-brainer for me. And iPhone cameras will continue to get better and better.

Pretty easy to find stands and clips to hold the phone. I think my grip clip is from Manfrotto.

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Canon EOS M200 mirrorless with the Elgato Cam Link 4K here.

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I purchased an Elgato Facecam a few months back and have been very happy with it. :+1::+1: What sold me was the quality of the camera and the flexibility of the accompanying app (Camera Hub). One detail that I especially like is that camera settings can be saved to the camera itself and will be preserved if I restart my computer or move the webcam to a different computer.

On a side note, I own a couple of other webcams, including a Logitech c930e. I also sometimes use the excellent Camo app that transforms my iPhone into a high-quality and flexible webcam.

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If you don’t mind using your iPhone I highly recommend Camo Studio. It’s well worth the money and can do some tricks that other webcams cannot.

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Camo Studio is fantastic. If you go this route you will be buying into a webcam that is only going to get better and better each time you purchase a new phone.

I use this Manfrotto product to hold my phone:

and I use this stand … though there are lots of options out there depending on your specific needs:

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A downside for Camo is that it will not work for FaceTime calls (Sure you can use your phone screen instead, but… it won’t be controlled on your Mac)

Also, ocasional updates on software (such as MS Teams) can break the workaround the developers found to allow for Virtual Cams to be used in their apps.

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… wait a minute … is Facetime still a thing? :slight_smile:

Yes, that can be a downside. But I need really good video when I’m on Zoom, or recording a screencast (Screenflow or similar) so I don’t run into this issue. If I’m using FaceTime it’s for a quick chat. But it may be a different scenario for others.

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FWIW, unless I’m really, really missing something, the Logitech C920 should be less than $100 just about everywhere.

That’s what I have, and it works great. If you don’t need 4K or something fancy, that will do the job just fine.

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Wow- I was quoted and contributed something useful :partying_face::partying_face:
I use the aforementioned Logitech everyday for hours a day connected to my new MBP 14 and am very satisfied with the experience :+1::+1:

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Yes, I like Camo too. I prefer Detail as a ‘tool for turning iPhone into webcam’ app. But still keen on a standalone webcam so my phone isn’t taken out of action.

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Sorry I did not fully remember your original post: that you wanted to not use your phone for this. My bad. Thanks for the link to Detail. I’m loving Camo, but certainly open to other products as well.

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elgato’s epoccam is quite good, a bit simpler than Camo but works fine

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If you have a phone that works with MagSafe, I would also recommend the Moment MagSafe adapter. IMO, it’s much easier to grab your phone on/off the stand.

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I second using an iPhone with Camo. Have gotten excellent results. The one thing you have to be aware of is that Camo is not currently supported by Quicktime, and thus FaceTime, so if that is important to you it might be a dealbreaker. I did chat withthe developers and I think they are working on this. Regardless, I also do a lot of YouTube videos for the classes I teach and use Camo along with the OBS app for recording which works great. I agree with @Mathew_T_Mitchell about the lifetime ownership price. In this day of subscriptions it has been absolutely worth it to know I will never have to pay for this product again. I have used Camo with both and iPhone 12 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max without issues.

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This will teach me to not reply without reading the entire post indicating you did not want to use your iPhone. Apologies.

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If I were to buy a webcam now I would opt for the Elgato FaceCam … just my opinion.

One thing I kind of remember from some review was, that this Webcam doesn’t have a mic built in, which one should keep in mind (sorry if I remembered that incorrectly). I would always opt for an external mic and/or headset anyways :blush:.

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20

I tried with the various ‘use your phone as a webcam’ options but I gave up and decided to purchase a dedicated webcam.

Got the Logitech StreamCam today - only to discover that its software isn’t compatible with M1 Macs! :exploding_head:

Never even thought to check their definition of ‘works on macOS’. More than two years of M1 and still not supported. Very poor form.

Should have read this discussion on Reddit.