The home office might seem like a solitary setting, but people who work from home remain as connected to co-workers as ever thanks to virtual meetings, video conference calls and Zoom hangouts. Video meetings and streams are a big part of most remote work, but finding the right online video camera for work can be tricky. A low-quality camera will yield low-quality video. Troubleshooting a complicated camera can get in the way of doing your actual work. And having no camera at all will seem unprofessional. Finding the best camera for Zoom meetings and video conferences goes a long way toward promoting a good workflow and making your home office setup look professional.
In this post, we’ll go over the types of external cameras you can use for working from home and the best cameras for remote work in particular.
TYPES OF CAMERAS
Before getting into which cameras are best for working from home, here’s a brief breakdown of the types of cameras most commonly available.
Built-in Cameras
The camera that comes built into your laptop or monitor is obviously the quickest and most convenient way to add video into your work-from-home setup. However, a lot of sacrifices were made to fit the camera in such a small space, namely adjustable image settings, lens size and camera angle among others. So while you can certainly use your laptop camera for Zoom meetings or video conferences, your video quality won’t be much to write home about.
DSLR Cameras
These cameras are the go-to for most professional photographers and videographers, but they can also work as a webcam via your computer’s USB port. While these cameras are great for video recordings, they aren’t necessarily optimized for streaming or video meetings, so watch out for potential lagging or distortion issues. If you already have a camera at home, then it might be fun to try this out. But if you’re not into photography or home videos and just want a quick and easy video camera for Zoom meetings, then DSLRs might not be worth the price tag or the learning curve.
Webcams
A tried-and-true part of most well-equipped home offices, webcams strike a good balance between high quality and ease of use. With a webcam, you’ll be able to dial in the best video settings for your particular office setup and get a high-definition, professional look for any virtual meeting or online conference.
We recommend webcams as the best camera for work conferencing since they give you the best video quality with the least amount of fuss. But what’s the best webcam for working from home? Glad you asked.
BEST WEBCAMS FOR WORKING FROM HOME
Now that we’ve narrowed down the selection to webcams, here are a few different options for your work-from-home setup.
A common problem that arises during Zoom calls is a pixelated or laggy feed––an immediate momentum and productivity killer. With 1080p resolution at 60fps, StreamCam is optimized for live streaming and ensures smooth, natural on-camera motion for both live and recorded video. That means your virtual meetings will feel as in-person as possible. Plus, StreamCam helps you look professional and ready for anything in any setting thanks to tools like auto-focus, auto-zoom, and smart light exposure. You can even save your favorite camera settings with G HUB software so your setup is dialed in before your coffee is even done.
It’s hard to hold a conversation with co-workers during a video conference if all they see from you are blurry pixels. That’s why the Logitech C922 Pro offers both vivid 1080p resolution at 30fps or hyperfast 720p at 60fps—giving you crisp, detailed video with no lag, pixelation or distortion. Plus, with no-drop audio, autofocus, auto-light correction and a 78° diagonal field of view, the C922 Pro integrates seamlessly to any home office setup. And like the StreamCam, the C922 Pro also works with G HUB for easy access to your settings.
Designed to make online work more efficient than ever, this camera certainly lives up to the “Ultra” in its name. Along with all of the features of the previous two cameras, Brio Ultra also gives you 4K resolution, advanced auto-light and color correction technology and a flexible field of view. Plus, PC users can use the Brio Ultra with Windows Hello, which unlocks your PC and logs you in with advanced facial recognition software.
Sometimes the source of your connection problems comes down to your at-home internet bandwidth, in which case you need a camera that can do a lot with only a little. The C925e does just that, as its H.264 support, Scalable Video Coding (SVC) and UVC 1.1 encoding minimizes reliance on your computer and network resources when recording or streaming video to provide high-quality video feeds while using minimal bandwidth.
With 4K resolution and an extra-crisp 90fps, the 4K Pro gives you detailed, smooth videos and recordings that’s about as true-to-life as you can get. Along with gorgeous video quality, the built-in dual integrated omnidirectional mics with noise-canceling technology flawlessly capture audio from up to one meter away, ensuring that you’ll sound as good as you look on camera. The camera is also compatible with Windows Hello for an extra layer of security.
Sometimes work might take you away from your desk, whether it be a podium or white board. That’s where Mevo comes in handy: While all of the aforementioned webcams are great for home streaming, only Mevo Start can stream HD video without the need for a computer. With easy, real-time editing and even an AI Director mode via the smartphone app, Mevo is a powerful and versatile tool that brings extra production value to your home office. From a quick virtual one-on-one to a multi-camera presentation stream, Mevo will help you stand out from the rest and leave a strong impression.
For more info about the best gear for working from home, check out the rest of our blog.
March 8, 2022
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