What are the main features to look for when buying a webcam for a home office? Let’s find out in this article
Webcams have gone from being a nice accessory to have for the computer to an essential item for almost any user. This is especially true for all people who work with computers and need to be connected with their employer and colleagues from home. Over the past eighteen months, video calling and video conferencing has become the best way to keep in touch with the workplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote working. If you are looking for a new webcam for your home office, these are the main features to consider.
Frame Rate
Freezing the screen image is never a good situation to deal with when you are on an important video call. This is usually the result of a slow frame rate. Most webcams that are built into laptops have a frame rate of 15 frames per second, which is widely considered below average for quality. Switching to an HD Webcam with a frame rate of at least thirty frames per second will help you avoid image freezing and intermittent transmission.
Auto-Focus
Auto-focus is a webcam feature that is becoming more and more necessary, especially for a home office where you spend a lot of time using the webcam to stay connected with colleagues. Auto-focus is a feature that allows you to move while using the webcam without it losing focus or having to be changed manually.
Automatic light adjustment
Another feature to look out for when choosing a new home office webcam is the automatic light adjustment. This means that instead of buying a webcam based on what the lighting is like in your home office, or spending time adjusting the light so that your image looks better on the screen during video calls and video conferences, you can rely on the webcam: which will adapt itself to the light. Of course, it’s still good practice to use some lighting strategies, such as placing your desk in front of a window.
Resolution
If you want clear, richer and more realistic images from your webcam, a high resolution device is important. The higher the resolution, the clearer and more defined the images it creates. To get good quality images, it is worth investing in a webcam that has a resolution of no less than 640 × 480 pixels.
Lens type
You can choose webcams with plastic or glass lenses. Plastic lenses tend to be cheaper than glass lenses, but the downside may be that they perform poorly. If you use your webcam a lot and have to rely on it for a high quality image, then investing in one with a glass lens is always a better idea.
Microphone
If you don’t have a separate microphone or headphones to use during video calls, it’s important to choose a webcam with a built-in microphone so you can be involved in the conversation.
Today, a webcam has become an essential piece of kit for a home office. If you are updating yours, look for these essential features.