Gone are the days of pixelated video chatting on MSN Messenger. Today, people expect crystal clear images. Whether they’re jumping into their classroom’s Zoom call or gearing up for their latest Twitch stream, quality is imperative. Brands like Razer, AVerMedia and Elgato have wowed our writers this year, with plenty to come from companies like Logitech in 2022.
Here are CGMs nominees for Best Webcam 2021/22:
Razer Kiyo Pro Webcam
Writer: Brendan Frye
Score: 8.5
Price: $259.99
The Kiyo Pro feels very similar in design to their past iteration—with a round face, subtle Razer touches, and a robust build quality. The sleek black design lacks the ostentatious look we have come to expect of the brand, but what they have done with the Kiyo Pro will make it feel at home in any streaming space, or any boardroom. Honestly, I was surprised with how stylish it looked, especially since I am used to all the RGB the brand is known for; and I am happy to say it is also one of the best looking cameras I have seen in a long while.
The Kiyo Pro shines in the modern work environment, offering a robust camera with style and all the features anyone broadcasting to work or the world could ask for. While there were a few places Razer could improve on for the next offering—the inclusion of Sony STARVIS, HDR, a crystal clear 1080p signal makes the Kiyo Pro an easy camera to recommend, even at its hefty price tag.
For those looking to invest for streaming or work, few cameras come close to what the razer Kiyo Pro delivers.
AVerMedia Live Streamer Cam PW513
Writer: Joe Findlay
Score: 8.5
Price: $169.99
Before ever plugging it in, you notice a lot of key differences between the AVerMedia Live Streamer and many of its industry predecessors. First, it is big. It’s easily a third bigger than most, leaving a lot of room for the hardware and sensors required for decent quality. The second is the size of the lens, also considerably larger than most of its competitors, which gives it a number of advantages.
At $169.99, the AVerMedia Live Streamer Cam PW513 comes in at the same price as the newer Elgato Facecam. The quality of the camera’s image itself is top-notch and perfectly comparable to its challenger. It gets slightly edged out by Elgato in the software department due to the Camera Hub’s ability to fine tune more of the picture similarly to a mirrorless camera. But the camera/software combination provided by AVerMedia is well worth the money.
The AVerMedia Live Streamer Cam PW513 is one of only a couple of truly high quality webcams on the market that make it possible to get a beautiful picture without spending the big bucks on a Mirrorless solution. Combine that with software that greatly improves the experience, and you have a fantastic product for content creators.
Elgato Facecam (Winner, Best Webcam 2021)
Writer: Joe Findlay
Score: 9.5
Price: $259.99
Elgato’s philosophy for the Facecam was to “focus on what matters, Remove what doesn’t.” Their priority has been adding a high quality picture, which they’ve done with a 24mm f/2.4 prime lens and Sony CMOS sensor and image control that other webcams can only dream of. What did they leave out? A microphone. Elgato gets that people don’t use their camera audio, so they haven’t wasted precious space on something streamers don’t use.
The most interesting part of the Elgato Facecam, much like many Elgato devices, is the software. They are well known for their software, like the 4K Capture Utility, the Game Capture and Wave Link. They have done it once again with their camera control software, the Camera Hub.
At $260 USD, it is a very pricey camera, but it is a big enough jump in quality from the average webcam and, at about fifteen percent of the cost of a mirrorless camera, the Elgato Facecam feels a lot more like a justifiable upgrade.
