External webcam vs laptop camera for video calls

Verdict: light and height beat the camera itself. Fix those first, then buy a webcam only if the picture is still poor or the laptop cannot be raised. A cheap webcam in a dark room looks worse than a built-in camera by a window.

Which wins on

Fix these before you buy

1. Light. Face a window, or put a lamp in front of you. Light behind you turns you into a shadow.
2. Height. Raise the camera so it sits at eye level. A stack of books or a laptop stand works.
3. Distance. Sit about an arm's length from the screen.
4. Clean the lens. A fingerprint blurs everything.

If you did those four and the picture still looks soft, then a webcam might help.

Pick an external webcam if

• Your laptop is several years old and the picture looks soft.
• Your laptop is on a stand or you use a second screen, so the built-in camera is out of reach.
• You want to place the camera at eye level on the monitor.
• You do many calls each day and want a better look.

Stick with the laptop camera if

• Your calls are short and informal.
• Your laptop is newer and the picture is fine in good light.
• You work from different places and want to carry less.
• You use the laptop in clamshell mode rarely.

The rule that matters most

Put the camera at eye level before you spend a penny. If you look down at the screen, the built-in camera looks up your chin. Raising it fixes that for free, and it also helps your neck. If your monitor is too low, see fix your home desk in this order.

Common mistakes

• Buying a 4K webcam and using it in a dim room.
• Clipping a webcam to the side of a monitor, so you look off-screen on every call.
• Leaving the autofocus unchecked. Some webcams hunt for focus when you move.
• Forgetting the privacy cover. Slide it shut when you are not on a call.

A worked example

Say you have three video calls a day, 30 minutes each. These are round numbers. That is about 90 minutes of other people looking at you each day. If you sit with a window behind you and a low laptop, you will look dark and tilted. Spend five minutes moving your desk to face the window and raise the laptop on books. The picture will usually improve more than from a new camera.

When the built-in camera is the problem

Some laptops have a low-resolution camera that cannot be fixed with light. If your picture is grainy even in a bright room, then a webcam is a fair buy. Choose one that clips on a monitor or sits on a small tripod. If you use a laptop screen as well, put the webcam above the screen you look at most.

End of shift

• First to go: the clip, then the cable at the bend.
• Check on Friday: the lens for smudges and the privacy cover.
• Do tonight: unplug, or close the shutter.