Logitech has long been the premiere name in webcams. They are the OG. The C920, released ten years ago, is still a staple among beginner streamers (and some veterans). As technology has advanced, so has Logitech. The Streamcam is a prime example of those advancements, now it is a matter of whether they make for a better camera.
First among the advancements is the fact that it does not connect to your computer via USB-A. It has a USB-C connection. The cable is a respectable five feet long, which should free you up to place the webcam wherever you please. The camera comes with two mounts, one standard webcam mount and one with tripod threads. The Streamcam can be easily removed to transfer between the two mounts.
The Streamcam sports a glass lens with a f2.0 aperture and a 78 degree field of view with a maximum resolution of 1080p/60 frames per second. It also features autofocus from 10 cm to infinity, so you should stay in focus wherever you are. The camera can be removed from its mount, rotated 90 degrees and replaced, so you can shoot in a vertical format for TikToks, stories, etc.
Its software, Logitech Capture, gives a lot of customization options to the Streamcam. You can create your content directly from the software and even set up a number of overlays, including a multi-source layout, text overlays and studio controls like, transitions, borders and more. All camera controls are available for you here as well. You can also use Logitech Capture as your camera source in streaming software to take advantage of these controls on your stream.
“Its software, Logitech Capture, gives a lot of customization options to the Streamcam.”
Setup was a little difficult for me because the USB-C cable would not stay in the USB-C port in my PC, which only has one of these ports available. I had to source a USB-C to USB-A 3.1 adapter to be able to use it. This highlights one of the camera’s main failures. The cable should be detachable from the camera so that any cable can be used in its place. I have plenty of USB-C to USB-A 3.1 cables in my possession. This also means that if a problem arises with the cable, you no longer have a Streamcam.
Once it was set up, the camera looked pretty good out of the box. It was a bit muted in its tones, but was well exposed, and the composition was nice. I would like to have seen a wider field of view. 78 degrees is not a lot when compared to other modern webcams and a wider angle has been a trending look on streams. What would be ideal would be a 100+ degree angle field of view with the ability to shrink it to whatever you want. You can shrink the field of view in the Capture software, but with 78 degrees being your biggest option, I couldn’t see people wanting to go lower.
Cleaning the image up with the software or with colour correction in OBS Studio was a breeze. All it needed was a little more vibrancy in the colours. A small increase in saturation and a contrast adjustment got it to a pretty decent quality. More than good enough for your stream.
At USD $169.99, the Streamcam is cheaper than some next generation of webcams. It doesn’t quite live up to the quality of those cams, but the quality is certainly good enough and the affordability factor could be enough to draw you in. My only major complaint is the fact that you can’t detach that cable. There are so many good cameras where that option is available and, frankly, that option gives me a feeling of security that an accident with the cable won’t cost me the camera.
