Cast your mind back, if you can, to the wild, lazy days of lockdown. No, not the bits where you could go to the pub in groups of no more than six, sat two metres from each other and all holding a substantial Scotch eggs, but to the actual lockdown bit of lockdown where nobody could go to work. Netflix became lifeblood and leaving the house for an hour’s ‘exercise’ each day was like being released from solitary confinement.
I had two very different experiences of lockdown. During Lockdown I, I was working on a print magazine, so I had to, initially, oversee production using email, the phone and WhatsApp. Of course, this also meant that nobody ever saw me, so I used the opportunity to grow a magnificent bouffant of hair, a beard you could lose a badger in as well as fat on fakeaways, cheap supermarket knock off-label beer and inactivity. However, as things inevitably shifted ready for Lockdown II, I suddenly found myself staring down the barrel of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet where, I admit, the image of myself suddenly rearing-up on screen like a manic hobo from a dumpster-fire not only did little to boost confidence in me as a responsible, employable freelancer, but also terrified both online onlookers and myself alike.
However, once I’d managed to regentrify myself, one thing became clear: when it comes to doing business, video conferencing and collaborating was not going away, it was actually the way forward. So, having accepted the idea that I could no longer work au naturel, I sought out the tech tools to help me conference with confidence.
And these days, those tools are available in abundance; hence why this week I’ve been live-streaming my mug into the lounges, home offices and, indeed, bedrooms of friends and colleagues across the globe in a bid to test out the latest webcam tech.
So, if you’re still stuck at the ‘Staged’ stage of camera chat and want to up the ante with some top-notch video conferencing kit, you’ve come to the right place. Wait… can you hear me? Did you hear any of that? Bloody hell, the mic was on mute all along…
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Poly Studio P21
Best for: next-next-next level video conferencing cool
Like something more commonly seen within the sphere of Sci-Fi, for those able to afford the admittedly extravagant entry fee, the future of the digital face-to-face may have come early. Behold the Poly Studio P21, a means to video calling and conferencing that takes the idea of the webcam and utterly extrapolates it to make the whole process a fully-pro, standalone system.
Firstly, suitably sexy looking, this conventional computer display-ducking device is a screen, camera, microphone, speakers and lighting rig all in one - which may mean you’re going to have to free-up more desk space to fit it in… but, well, just look at it!
Compatible with PC and Mac and all existing video apps, all you need to do is connect the P21 using USB and, well, you’re already up, running and ready to tackle your upcoming calendar of video calls with all the confidence of someone who has the most advanced set-up available.
Display-wise, at 21-inches on the diagonal, this LCD delight gives you a fixed 1080p FHD resolution for super-sharp images, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a wide viewing angle of 89-degrees, a stunning 250cd/m2 brightness and 16.7-million colours. So if anyone on your conference call drops even the faintest facial cue at any point, you are not going to miss it.
And the same applies to sound, with dual stereo speakers offering 80Hz to 20kHz frequency response at 10W per channel, making sure every background mumble comes across with the clipped enunciation of a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
At the other end of the lens, your call-in contacts will be able to enjoy your image via the 1080p (Full HD) camera (with 4x zoom), while a single uni-directional MEMS microphone featuring a focused pickup rejects noise and reverberation to convey your dulcet tones without interference. The built-in lighting with ambient sensor will also put you in your best light at all times.
Naturally, a privacy shutter is present, as is mute up and down controls with status LEDs to reassure everything is on or off as needed, and, well, what more need I say? The Poly Studio P21 is, without a shadow of a doubt, the dazzling pinnacle of video conferencing kit available both today and any time soon.
Buy now £754.00, Poly
Trust Teza 4K Ultra HD
Best for: crisp imaging and sound
As illustrated in my intro, if advances in video communication technology have thrown up one problem for old-school home workers, it’s that we can no longer get away with slobbing-out during working hours. Back when business was done via email or phone, things were simple, dressing gowns were worn, hair was unruly and breakfast cereal could be eaten straight out of the box all day. Then came video conferencing and suddenly you needed to be not just dressed but presentable too, never quite knowing when your face would be needed up on screen. Working with low-res cameras, remaining a slattern was still quite manageable for hardcore remote working recluses, but today there is no excuse not to appear crisp and clear in impossible-to-hide-the-imperfections high-res.
Take for example this, the Teza from Trust. Capable of 4K Ultra HD capture, this small but feature-packed wonder of the webcam world can sit pretty atop your display or stand proudly alone on its own tripod, but either way, it will be recording every inch of your image in unforgiving 3840 x 2160-pixel UHD resolution, at a ferocious 30fps. It features greater depth perception and automatic white balance as well as backlight compensation delivering realistic, vibrant colours all chucked in for good measure.
With a 74° diagonal field of view and autofocus, there is truly no escaping this electronic Eye of Sauron’s gaze, while stereo integrated microphones with up to 5m of range also ensure that every word uttered is clear to all on the call.
Connecting to your computer via detachable USB-A to USB-C cable and coming with an attachable privacy shutter for those who fear being caught on camera after they think a call has ended, the Trust Teza 4K Ultra HD is a highly portable, high-quality camera all-rounder at a remarkably reasonable price.
Buy now £120.00, Amazon
Creative Live! Cam Sync V2
Best for: high-def discussions at a low-end price
Despite the envy instilled in you now by thoughts of those who can afford access to the Poly Studio P21, you don’t have to be some kind of overly affluent Elon Musk type to enjoy quality high-definition video chinwags, you know? No, just take the Cam Sync V2 from Creative Live! (the exclamation mark is them, not me) into consideration.
A 1080p Full HD (30fps) offering, it also comes boasting dual built-in microphones to allow for increased accuracy in audio pickup, so whether you’re competing to be heard during a feverishly uptempo Teams meeting or on a personal call to an elderly relative who’s a little hard of hearing, you’ll come across clearly.
A plug-and-play webcam that plays nice with both PC and Mac, you might imagine you’d already had your money’s worth for less than 30 quid, but the Cam Sync V2 keeps on giving. Firstly there’s background noise cancellation technology and – a real boon to online educators and the uncertain alike – the inclusion of VoiceDetect, an auto mute feature that turns your mic off the moment your lips stop moving, opening it up again the instant you utter forth, meaning you’ll never have to fumble slyly for the mute on/off while being scrutinised on-screen again.
Giving a 77° field of view, capable of pivoting through 360° and coming complete with a laptop mount and a built-in privacy cover, the Creative Live! Cam Sync V2 covers all desirable webcam bases at a bargain price.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
Trust Taxon 2K QHD
Best for: trusted Trust tech for under a ton
So, you don’t quite have the confidence to allow every pore of your skin to be broadcast online, either on a video call or via a vlog post, in ‘warts and all’ Ultra HD? Well, I don’t blame you – in that kind of scrutinising detail, even only slightly stray nasal hair could become the star of the show. Also, perhaps you’re not overly enamoured with the thought of stumping-up quite such a sum for Trust’s 4K camera either? Whatever the reason, you can still look stunning on-screen for considerably less cash with the Trust Taxon 2K QHD.
Lowering the resolution from 4K to a still blisteringly high-res 2K QHD (2560 x 1440-pixels at 30 frames per second) and cutting 50 quid off the cost of the Teza, the Taxon is the ideal face-framing solution for ensuring you’re still seen and heard in high-def detail.
Featuring an 80° wide-angled glass lens with Autofocus, two integrated microphones designed to pick-up your words with pinpoint clarity, even if, for some reason, you’ve wandered off up to five-metres away. It reduces background noise (even though, at five-metres away, you’re now in the background), and a sliding privacy filter for those – like myself – who suffer with some variant of online anatidaephobia.
There’s an LED to keep you informed of your Taxon status and a cunning universal stand design. This allows your 2K Trust to attach to your monitor, or stand erect on your desk.
Whether heading-up a vital video conference call on ‘corporate strategy going forward’ or checking in with Mum, the Taxon can tackle all such essential tasks with ease.
Buy now £70.00, Amazon
Razer Kiyo Pro
Best for: professional vloggers looking to step-up
I’ve never really been an influencer. But there is big money to be made these days – so I hear – by promoting products and places online via a vlog, by performing elaborate stunts on YouTube, by delivering dance tutorials on TikTok, or by… well, you get the idea. So, if you fancy using your mug to make your fortune then, forget half-measures, the only way to compete with the likes of MrBeast and Charli D’Amelio (to drop two names I’ve just Googled), is to go big and go Pro - or go home.
Yep, I’m talking about the Kiyo Pro webcam from that Goliath of the gaming world, Razer. It’s capable of giving the impression your video call is being shot by Francis Ford Coppola himself, or Peter Jackson if it goes on for far too long. The Kiyo Pro delivers a thoroughly professional video standard for both conferencing and live streaming alike, thanks to its ability to produce unerringly clear and crisp video regardless of ambient conditions.
It does this by combining uncompressed 1080p at 60fps or HDR-Enabled at 30fps video with automatic low light correction to constantly monitor the room around you, adjusting itself to compensate for poor light conditions. This thereby ensures you always look your best whether lurking in the shadows like some brooding Batman, stuck somewhere in the twilight hours betwixt night and day, or plunging into the blinding heart of a white dwarf star.
Not, as you may have noticed, a 4K camera, the Razer offers something else: larger pixels rather than simply more. How does this help? Well, it means those pixels capture more light, something which helps to vastly improve video quality. The takeaway from which appears to be that ‘less can be more’ but also ‘size matters’.
The Kiyo Pro’s large aperture, wide-angle lens also allows for three field-of-view options (Narrow, Medium and Wide), further adding to your pro-production properties, while the built-in mic will make sure all audio is crystal clear and you’re never misunderstood.
Compatible with Windows and Macs via a simple to set-up plug-and-play USB 3.0 connection and coming complete with a privacy cap, the Razer may be more flamboyantly priced than most other standalone webcams, but you have to speculate to accumulate and if you want your online persona to become the portal to purchasing your first mansion, I speculate that the Kiyo is the kit for the job.
Buy now £170.00, AO
Poly Studio P5
Best for: Poly power at only a percentage of the price
After all the overwhelming awesomeness of the Poly Studio P21 I openly ogled over earlier, the P5 brings things firmly down to Earth again, albeit still with added pizzazz. A more ‘usual’ looking webcam it may be, it is still decidedly stylish and breaks away from the repetitively blend-in but a bit bland black finish of most other models. Sadly, I couldn’t actually find any official Poly reference to the colour of the camera’s casing, so have instead Christened it myself: behold ‘Sparingly Gritted Snow’.
But then, who cares about colour when there’s tech to be talked about? Indeed, avoiding any further mention of shallow aesthetics, what your £120 gets you here is a 1080p (Full HD), 720P (HD) compatible camera, delivering 30fps, with auto focus, 4x zoom, an 80° field of vision and low light quality compensation to save you from looking as if you’re joining the meeting from some back-alley scene of late-night brutality.
On the sound side of things, the P5 is all ears, its directional microphone clearly captures your on-screen allocation, while filtering out all background babble if, say, you’re working from home with kids running amok. However, even that experience can be improved by wirelessly pairing up with a Poly headset using the camera’s cleverly built-in USB parking port.
Mac or Windows PC simpatico, the P5 plays nice with all the usual video conferencing app options, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, and is simplicity itself to set-up via USB plug-and-play. So, if you want all the P21 professional online appearance at a fraction of the P21 price, make your calls and conferences come alive with the P5.
Buy now £89.99, Currys
Logitech C920S Pro HD
Best for: cash-placed consumer confidence
Logitech’s best-seller, the C920S Pro HD, is that for a reason. First of all, it comes in at considerably under £100. Secondly, despite being considerably under £100, it comes packing Full HD 1080p video at 30fps for video calls and conferencing or 720p should you be live-streaming epic footage of you ‘owning’ on Fortnite.
What’s more, a five-element glass lens and autofocus help increase image clarity still further, ensuring your phizog fills your contacts’ screen in all its full glory, while automatic HD light correction and a wide 78° field of vision guarantees everything within frame is perfectly lit and colours and contrast come across clearly even if you’re somewhere dark and dull, like Bradford.
On the sound front, built-in stereo mics either side of the lens filter out unwanted background noise while simultaneously hanging on your every word, serving up each syllable to the waiting ears of your online audience with crisp coherence.
Compatible with all up-to-date OS comers and completed with a snug-fitting privacy cover to save you from any snooping eyes, Logitech’s best-seller sells itself.
Buy now £85.00, Amazon
Verdict
When it comes to the new-normal of looming down a lens for modern meetings, who doesn’t want their video visage to look every inch like they’re calling in from the future? If money is no object, the no-brainer webcam system of choice is the Poly Studio P21. To more realistic ends, if you’re looking for a more than proficient webcam for video calls and conferences that confidently treads the tightrope between performance and price like some feature-packed funambulist, then the Trust Taxon 2K QHD ticks all the boxes.
However, if you’re all set on some kind of online fame and fortune, you’re probably going to want to up both the ante and the expenditure for all the extras offered by the Razer Kiyo Pro. And, on the off-chance you do end up rich beyond the dreams of online avarice as some form of web-based wonder-child, just remember whose webcam-associated advice helped get you there, eh?
