Conference Webcams

A conference webcam is specified around being seen and heard clearly in a meeting, which is a different job from streaming.

Three things matter. Resolution: 1080p is the practical standard, since most conferencing platforms compress the stream anyway; 2K and 4K help mainly if the camera covers a room and people need to be recognisable. Field of view: a narrow one frames a single person well, a wide one takes in several people at a table — the wrong choice is why some cameras cut colleagues out of frame. Microphone: an integrated array with noise reduction handles a normal room; for a large one, a dedicated conferencing system is the honest answer.

Two extras worth having: a privacy shutter, so nobody wonders whether the camera is live, and Windows Hello support for face-recognition login on models that include an infrared sensor.

The range covers Genius, Kensington, Lenovo, Dell Pro and HP for personal desks, up to the Targus group video conferencing system for a meeting room.