The pandemic forced many to use more to the webcam that is integrated into laptops, whether for a work meeting, a virtual class, a medical consultation or simply to chat with friends. But four years later, have they become obsolete compared to the new external cameras?
In the midst of the rise of social networks, live Internet broadcasts or streaming, the work of influencers, today there is a need for higher image quality, which webcams often cannot offer.
A report from El Confidencial points out that the cameras that are integrated into the laptop screen have encountered difficulties, “they are necessarily small because they are mounted in the small space on the lid of the device.” This forces a loss of thickness and loss of optical quality.
This has been overcome with external cameras. They have better lenses and larger sensors to have sharper images (even 4K), a greater field of view around you, and they perform better in low light conditions.
Another difference is that webcams, being part of the computer, can affect the sensor, generating more noise in the recording. They also do not have good microphones and end up generating an echo around the voice. Furthermore, the position of the camera does not favor having a good shooting angle.
On the contrary, the external camera, according to the report, allows you to better adjust the image simply because they can be positioned at will and have noise cancellation, to capture your voice and separate it from environmental noise.
Thus, everything seems to be in favor of external cameras: for quality, image, variety of angles. However, webcams are still part of the computer. One of the problems is portability, that is, always carrying an extra camera anywhere.
As for external cameras, it is recommended to buy a sensor that is not below 1080p, that is capable of recording at a minimum of 30 frames per second and can have a 90 to 110 degree field of view. In addition, it is capable of compressing video in H.264.