Looking for the best webcam under 50? Well, we've got you covered right here.
For online work, school, and streaming, a decent webcam is a must-have item. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to pick the right one.
One of the first things to look out for is the resolution because this will directly affect how clear or distorted you'll appear to other people. We'd say a 1080p resolution or above is what you should aim for.
The frame rate is also important to consider. This will determine how "smooth" your video will look. For instance, a 30 FPS webcam can capture 30 still pictures in a second and merge them together to produce a video.
We say this because most budget webcams we found can deliver 1080p at 30 FPS. However, if you plan on streaming and want your video to match the fluidity of your gameplay, then you may benefit by going for a 60 FPS webcam instead. Zoom only supports 30 FPS though, so for work use, 30 FPS should be enough.
Any other features mostly come down to personal preference. For example, choosing between a 60-degree and 90-degree Field of View (FOV) will depend on how much of your background you want to include in your video. From our research, it would appear 78 degrees is the most common.
A built-in mic can also come in handy if you don't have one already, especially if it's noise-cancelling to reduce background sound, plus opting for a webcam with autofocus and a privacy cover can be useful to ensure you stay clear when on camera, and unable to be seen when you're not.
With all possible aspects covered and using these features as a guide, we've hand-picked the best webcams under 50 for work, streaming, and e-meeting. Let's get into it...
Best webcam under 50
Best webcam under 50 for work - Microsoft Modern Webcam
click to enlargeMicrosoft's 'Modern' series of products, which also includes a speaker and a headset, aims to provide everything you need to work from home.
The Modern Webcam, for example, has a clean, minimal, 'no nonsense' design, which shouldn't distract you whilst in a meeting or take up too much of your monitor's screen.
With a resolution of 1080p, the webcam delivers HD visuals. This, combined with the 30 FPS frame rate, should suffice for your meetings. Furthermore, you get HDR and autofocus to take any manual adjustments in your picture out of the equation.
The webcam also comes with a Light Correction feature, which scans your surroundings and corrects poor lighting. For instance, your webcam will boost light if you're sitting in a dimly lit room to ensure you remain visible.
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Coming to the Field of View, the camera captures 78 degrees, which looks to be the sweet spot for showcasing yourself rather than your background on video.
For your audio output, you get a built-in microphone with noise cancellation, to reduce any background sound to ensure your voice can be heard when on a call.
Unsure whether it's on? The LED indicator tells you whether your cam is recording. Meanwhile, the privacy shutter lets you slide and cover the camera when you don't want to be seen.
So, if you want a simple, straightforward webcam for work, then Microsoft's Modern Webcam could be your answer.
Best webcam under 50 for everyday use - NexiGo N930AF
click to enlargeFor everyday use, this NexiGo N930AF looks like it has you covered.
It comes with a full HD resolution that captures visuals at 30 FPS, plus autofocus to ensure your picture remains clear. Of course, if you prefer fixed focus, you can turn the autofocus off depending on the scenario.
With a FOV of 65-degree, this webcam is designed to maintain the focus on you rather than your background. When not in use, you can slide the privacy shutter onto the lens to ensure you're not able to be seen.
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As far as audio is concerned, NexiGo's cam features a built-in mic with noise cancellation. This ensures that ambient noise is reduced, meaning you should be heard clearly when on a video call, for instance.
The camera is foldable too, which means it's relatively portable. Plus, NexiGo boasts its ready-to-use right away with its 2-meter cable, making it convenient for quick setups.
If you're looking for a webcam for everyday use, then we feel this NexiGo webcam is worth considering.
Best portable webcam under 50 - Logitech C615
click to enlargeFrankly, webcams are small, and they can be packed away easily. However, they can be a hassle to set up sometimes. In this case, Logitech's C615 portable cam should come in handy.
To begin with, it's a small, sleek fold-and-go design, which can be clamped atop your laptop or monitor when in use. But don't be fooled by its small size as it still delivers 1080p visuals at 30 FPS.
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The camera also features a 78-degree FOV, a common FOV for most budget webcams. With the 360-degree swivel, you can adjust the webcam at any angle, plus the autofocus means you should remain clear regardless of the angle.
Additionally, Logitech's webcam sports a built-in mic that has noise-reducing features to help ensure your voice can be heard clearly when using this webcam for a call.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a webcam that is 'plug and go', then make sure you check out this Logitech bit of kit.
Best webcam under 50 for presenting - EMEET 1080p
click to enlargeEMEET's webcam comes with a Full HD 1920 x 1080p resolution capturing at 30 FPS and a 5-layer high-performance optical lens designed to keep you in crystal clear detail while on video.
You also get an 88-degree FOV, which is wider than other webcams on this list. So, if you're looking to capture more of your background let's say, for a presentation, this EMEET webcam could be for you.
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To enhance picture quality, you get low-light correction, which should deliver optimum brightness even when you're dimly lit.
Furthermore, the camera rotates 90-degree, so you can find the best angle to capture you or your surroundings. The base of the camera is adjustable as well, so it should fit on your laptop or PC with ease.
For speaking, you get dual mics with omnidirectional sound pick-up. This means the built-in mics filter out background noise to deliver a "crystal clear voice" with a "radio effect" according to EMEET.
Finally, you can connect this webcam to your PC or laptop simply with a USB cable - so you should be able to plug it in and go live as soon as you unbox it.
Best webcam under 50 for streaming - NexiGo StreamCam
click to enlargeApart from video conferences and work-related virtual meetings, webcams are also used for streaming. However, if your streaming journey is just getting started, you may not have the funds to invest in the best camera right away.
So, to start off with, this NexiGo StreamCam could be your answer as it comes with a 1080p resolution producing 30 FPS, which NexiGo boasts captures "true to life videos".
With autofocus as well, the cam should quickly adjust the focus to ensure you remain at the centre of your stream whilst also finding the optimal focal length automatically, regardless of the distance.
On top of this, you get a built-in light ring that has 3 levels of adjustable brightness. These lighting modes can be changed at a touch of a button on the camera itself.
For speaking, you get a built-in mic. This comes in handy for quick meetings or when you don't have access to your headphones or an external mic when starting out on your streaming journey.
Also, you should find it relatively straightforward to set up as all you need to get started with the camera is a USB-A cable. So, if you're looking for a budget webcam for streaming, then NexiGo StreamCam may be your answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you're looking for the best webcam under 50, you might encounter these questions...
Is 1080p good for a webcam?
A 1080p resolution can deliver a detailed picture to ensure you're clearly visible on screen. Therefore, we'd say a 1080p resolution is good for a webcam.
As far as video conferences are concerned, the full HD resolution is sufficient to deliver a clear picture, and you don't necessarily need to be too concerned about the frame rate here as much as if you were streaming, for example.
As 1080p is fairly common these days, it's relatively easy to find a webcam that delivers this resolution within your budget, hence why the webcams we've featured here are all 1080p or above.
Is 4K better than 1080p for webcam?
When it comes to picture quality, 4K is better than 1080p as it has greater pixel density to give more detail in your video.
We'd say a 4K webcam can be a good investment if you're looking to shoot YouTube videos, for example, and want as detailed a picture as possible to keep up with the standard of videography on the platform these days.
However, for video conferences or home office meetings, a 4K webcam might be an overkill. A 4K cam will produce high-quality videos - but you need an equally powerful PC and bandwidth to run it smoothly.
Furthermore, even if your computer can handle 4K, your viewers and colleagues need to have a 4K-enabled setup too to see the high-resolution picture. 4k videos need 23 to 35 Mbps of bandwidth - and not everyone has it.
Therefore, for work or everyday use, we'd say that a 1080p resolution webcam will more than suffice.