Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The best way to make sure that you appear clear and professional on the screen – and don’t put your peers through a fuzzy picture – is through the use of a webcam with a ring light.
But for maximum results and much less hassle, the best way to participate in video conferences or streaming events is by picking up a webcam with built-in ring light. Many of the best webcams with ring lights are specifically designed for high-definition streaming, which is essential if you are trying to make your work from home space as professional and polished as possible.
Like all of the best webcams, this one has a plug-and-play setup, a noise-reducing microphone, sharp, HD imaging, and compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Android devices – plus Xbox One. The webcam has an auto-focus lens and dual studio microphones that simultaneously block out ambient noise and amplify your voice.
Can Ring Cameras Be Used as a Webcam?
I work from home and use a webcam every day to communicate with people all over the world. If you, like myself, are in the market for a webcam, there are great cameras available for working from home, vlogging and other at-home streaming. As more folks are relying on live streaming for work meetings and quality time with family and friends, we are looking at webcam options including cameras that we may already have at home.
However, you can download, edit and share videos recorded on your Ring camera, and you can invite family and friends into your home by sharing your video’s live stream through the Ring app.
Follow the steps below to share your Ring account with family and friends. A single Ring account can be used on multiple devices simultaneously.
Click here for all the ways to download your Ring camera’s recorded videos. Ring is best known for its video doorbells, but their security cameras have some impressive features as well.
This free app allows Ring users to communicate with their neighbors about security concerns and incidents.
Similar to social media apps, the Neighbors app allows users to post videos and pictures from their cameras and comment on others’ posts to stimulate conversation. Use the table below to compare some popular webcams and choose the one that works best for you.
The best ring lights in 2021
The best ring lights offer a simple and effective way to improve the quality of your videos and photos, whether you’re streaming to YouTube, creating a TikTok or simply on a Zoom call. Black Friday deals are already here and we’re seeing big discounts on all types of cameras and accessories — including some of the best ring lights. We’re tracking the best sales in our Black Friday camera deals hub, so bookmark it now to make sure you don’t miss out on a bargain. The Nanolite Halo 16C is another good choice, offering touch controls and lots of versatility in terms of light output.
However, if you’re not looking to spend quite as much or need something smaller and more portable, consider the 10-inch Raya Bendie-Brite Folding USB Bi-Color LED Ring Light. It’s relatively inexpensive (in fact see above for a Black Friday discount on it), weighs just a little over one pound and gives you the ability to adjust both the color temperature and the brightness.
(DC) / Unlimited (AC) Watt-Hours: 32.6Wh Removable Battery: Yes Color: Bi-Color Dimensions: 21.8 x 21.0 x 4.0 inches Weight: 11.1 pounds. Westcott has a long history producing top-notch lighting equipment for pros, and is an excellent choice, whether you’re using it for vlogging, live streaming, capturing video or shooting still photos for portraits, food, still life and many other types of genres.
It also has a built-in diffuser which produces soft, beautiful lighting that fills in shadows on your subject’s face with iconic catchlights in the eyes.
Nanlite Halo 16C Bicolor and Tunable RGB 16-Inch LED Ring Light A very versatile ring light with touch controls and Wi-Fi capabilities Specifications Brightness—Dimmable Range: 1-100 percent Mount Type: 5/8-inch Receiver Color Render Index (CRI): Up To 97 CRI Color Temperature (K)—Range: 2700-6500K CRI: 95 TLCI: 93 Lumen Output 6500K: 2340 Lumens Lux @ 1m 6500K: 490 Lux Power Source: 15v DC Max Power Draw: 31w Dimensions: 16 inches diameter (12 inches inner) Weight: 5 pounds.
Warranty: Limited 2 Year Warranty TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon View at BHPhoto Reasons to buy + Unique touch-control design to adjust settings + USB pass-through feature lets you power a phone while in the fixture + Wireless capabilities Reasons to avoid – A bit pricey, but worth the price The USB pass-through feature is another useful addition, as this lets you charge a phone while it’s positioned in the fixture, ensuring you won’t lose power during your shoot.
Other interesting touches include a unique touch-control design — rather than traditional knobs — for adjusting the color of the light, and built-in wireless (so you can control the fixture remotely from your phone or other mobile device). In addition to the ring light, this model comes with a mirror, carrying case, AC adapter and smartphone bracket. TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon View at Walmart Reasons to buy + Stepless dimming from 1-100 percent + Kit includes a 61-inch light stand + Includes Bluetooth for remotely controlling the ring light Reasons to avoid – Color temperature is fixed at 5500K However, it also includes two color filters (white and orange), made from high-light-transmission plastic, which allow you to easily switch temperature from 5500K to 3200K.
This portable LED kit also comes with a 61-inch light stand, constructed from aluminum alloy, giving it exceptional strength. As you might expect from its name, the Rotolight Ultimate Vlogging Kit is designed for content creators making videos or streaming to YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. With that in mind, it comes with a mini tripod that can turn into an extended camera grip: very helpful if you often switch between shooting in a studio and on the go. TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at BHPhoto View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Light head rotates 180 degrees + USB ports can charge phones and devices + Offers a variety of mounting options for phones and stand-alone cameras Reasons to avoid – Doesn’t have an option to run on battery power
Warranty: Limited 1 Year Warranty TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Lightweight, portable and folds for easy carrying + Touch controls Reasons to avoid – Build isn’t as sturdy as pro-level models – On-camera labels and decals may fall off over time
It’s lightweight (weighing less than a pound) and can fold in half, so you can take it with you to shoot your vlogs or video chats or capture some casual selfies. (The manufacturer recommends that If you’re only carrying a smartphone, use a small power bank to run the light when you’re ready to record or talk.) It can also be used with a variety of devices, including a smartphone or laptop, which can be useful when you have a meeting and want to make the lighting look soft and natural.
XINBAOHONG Rechargeable Portable Clip-on Selfie Ring Light A very good value for a budget ring light Specifications Color temperature: 6000K (one setting) Brightness: 3 modes: low, normal, high Power: B built-in, rechargeable, lithium-ion battery Cable: 1 USB-micro cable Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.4 x 1.2 inches Weight: 2.4 ounces. Although this inexpensive ring light has a barebones design and feature set, it can be used on various mobile devices, including most phones and tablets, as well as on laptops.
7 Tips For Making Webcam Videos Look Good
If you’ve been dragging your feet when it comes to using video for online teaching, training, or communicating because the thought of stepping in front of a camera is a bit overwhelming, you’re not alone. Their reasons vary: some are self-conscious or feel they’re lacking in experience with video recording, while others simply prefer live face-to-face engagements.
Modern video platforms like Panopto give you the power to live stream and record a lecture, meeting, or event with just a webcam and a microphone, all at the touch of a button. Live virtual face-to-face conversations via video conferencing tools such as Zoom, BlueJeans, and Skype (now part of Teams) are also possible with just a few clicks.
We want to help you and your videos look polished and professional without the big production — and make it easier for you to focus on the content you’re presenting. Whether this will be your first time recording, or you’ve been using video to support your teaching and communications efforts for years, there’s always more to learn.
The good news here is that you only need your top half in the recording, so wearing pants in your next video is completely optional! Choose a solid-colored dress shirt or blazer, and avoid fabrics with small or distracting patterns that may draw attention away from what you are saying.
In a recent Zogby Analytics survey, 15% of respondents were most turned off by someone sitting too close to the camera on a video call (hearing people eat was only slightly less off-putting). When selecting a place to record, avoid locations with low light or too much backlighting (windows in the background are often a challenge for webcams). Try to keep the background simple by avoiding anything that looks busy or cluttered, and again, beware of windows that let in natural light or that might reflect your computer screen. As an alternative, you can use Panopto Express, the only free online screen recorder that includes virtual background blur and replacement, as well as an auto-tracking Smart Camera that keeps you centered in the frame if you want to move around the room while you present.
If you intend to use the standard microphone that comes in most laptops or that may be built into your webcam, be sure to create a test recording to make sure you like the way it captures sound. And if noise from outside the room is an issue, you can place a sign on your door that lets people know a recording is in progress. While you may be perfectly comfortable presenting in front of a classroom, you may feel different the first time you record yourself teaching on video.
Look Your Best On Video Chat With These Webcams With Built-In Ring Light
Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The best way to make sure that you appear clear and professional on the screen – and don’t put your peers through a fuzzy picture – is through the use of a webcam with a ring light. But for maximum results and much less hassle, the best way to participate in video conferences or streaming events is by picking up a webcam with built-in ring light. Many of the best webcams with ring lights are specifically designed for high-definition streaming, which is essential if you are trying to make your work from home space as professional and polished as possible.
Like all of the best webcams, this one has a plug-and-play setup, a noise-reducing microphone, sharp, HD imaging, and compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Android devices – plus Xbox One. The webcam has an auto-focus lens and dual studio microphones that simultaneously block out ambient noise and amplify your voice.
Top 5 Webcams With a Ring Light
No longer do you see a dozen IR lights flanking a tiny lens (yes, ‘that’ era). Instead, webcams can easily pull off FHD and even 4K resolution videos (like the Logitech Brio Stream) with ease. Like most conventional webcams, they do their deed of transmitting the video feed to you and vice versa. As you may have guessed, these lights remove the hazy and pixelated look that is usually associated with low-light video calls.
Plus, you do not have to invest in a separate ring light, or sacrifice an extra USB port on your laptop makes more sense. For one, with the light enabled, you’ll find almost accurate color reproduction, and you can say the same about the texture.
Like its counterpart above, this one is a small and compact webcam and shares quite a few standard features with the camera above. While the audio leans towards the satisfactory side, videos can turn out to be a tad fuzzy for streaming.
The autofocus is decent, but it tends to fail at times leading to blurry images.
Also on Guiding Tech Top 5 Wireless Mouse With USB-C Connector Read More The good thing is that the touchscreen is responsive, and a simple touch does the trick. Razer is one of the big names in gaming accessories and is known primarily for its quality and well-performing products, and the Kiyo is no different.
This one brings several exciting features to the table that makes it great for video conferences and streaming. More importantly, this webcam lets you play with the settings via Razer’s Synapse 3 software. Should you want to install the software, you can play with the brightness of the camera and the contrast and saturation. The wire connecting the Kiyo to the laptop or PC is also braided, adding to its durability.
Ditch the Built-in Webcam Today, laptops’ specs have touched the skies, whether you are talking of the newer MacBook Air M1 or the HP Elite Dragonfly. Third-party webcams are both portable and let you go about your meeting and video conferences with ease.
The best webcams for 2021: best work-from-home webcams
And with an uptick of Covid-19 cases this winter, coupled with a phased distribution of coronavirus vaccines, those who can telecommute will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. A Gallup poll found that two-thirds of U.S. employees working remotely would like to continue doing so. If you want a good quality image and decent audio at an affordable price, Logitech’s C920 and C920S models are widely considered the best bang for your buck.
Stock is limited, but if you can find it for under $100, grab it — the C920 is the standard model while the C920S has a privacy shutter that I definitely recommend using.
If you like the idea of built-in lighting but don’t want to spend much, there are quite a few off-brand webcams on Amazon you can grab at relatively lower prices. Razer’s Kiyo webcam is designed for video game streamers, contains a high quality camera and a built-in ring light to make you look your best, if you’re willing to pay a little extra for lumination.
GoPro also has similar software, as does budget tech brand Wyze, so check what you have lying around — you may already have the gear you need for those face-to-face video calls. Some cameras use cheap plastic lenses with narrow fields of view, which will make the video look smudgy and cramped.
Ideally, you want a camera with a wider aperture (i.e. f/2.0 instead of f/2.8) a glass lens, and a field of view above 65 degrees. Finally, some webcams have extra features like built-in lighting, a privacy shutter to keep the lens covered when you aren’t using it, or detachable cables.
None of these are strictly required (after all, you can light your face with a desk lamp and cover your webcam with tape), but they are nice to have.
The 3 Best Webcams 2021
Like its predecessor, the C920S captures sharp, high-definition (1080p) video with excellent auto white balance and speedy autofocus. It’s easy to set up and use, plus the new webcam cover protects your privacy and will make you feel more comfortable having it always attached to your computer or monitor.
But the brightness of the light, even at its lowest setting, can be jarring the first few times you use the webcam and would be more distracting than helpful if you’re mostly in professional video conferences.
The 2 Best Ring Lights 2021
If you’re a streamer, a vlogger, or someone who’s on video calls a lot for work, good lighting is essential. A ring light is a simple tool whose diffuse glow can bring you out of the dark and make you look more professional.
Unlike many ring lights, which can draw power from a laptop’s USB port, this Neewer model requires an outlet to work. The stand’s flat, fold-out feet make the light easy to position behind a monitor.
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