Logitech - C920

I just did this with my Logitech "C920 HD PRO" (model 960-000764 if you want to look it up) which is 1080p, 30fps. it works, but I cant really comment if its good or bad cause its the only camera I got. It definitely does the job; I watched [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcXP7SNRchw) video to get an idea of curves and then modified mine depending on what I wanted. Opentrack with Neuralnet tracker. I suppose if I wanted to upgrade, I'd get something that was 60fps. EDIT-Rereading this it doesnt seem like a glowing endorsement. I like it, you cant go wrong with it. I am hoping someone points us both in a better direction.

A webcam is a webcam, and most are trash. If you're not using your phone, a "decent" middle-ground webcam that you can use for other 1080p purposes is the Logitech C920x. [https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-C920x-Pro-HD-Webcam/dp/B085TFF7M1](https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-C920x-Pro-HD-Webcam/dp/B085TFF7M1) $59.99 on Amazon. Might be cheaper on other sites, and Black Friday is right around the corner. They just need to see you, see your ID card, etc. 4k isn't doing anyone any favors, so even that one is overkill. Includes a microphone like most. The much more important buy happens after you get the camera. They need to see your monitor, your workstation (whatever computer you're using). Basically, proctors need to see: 1) Your screen 2) Your hands 3) Your keyboard all at the same time. Webcam type won't change that, it's all about the angle. The webcam I suggested can clip onto different surfaces, attaches to tripods and selfie sticks. I've even clipped it around a lamp while visiting family, or the back of a chair to point at me. Pretty versatile. If someone suggests a cheaper one, go for it. Just don't go "better" for exams.

I had the c920 prior and it always went out of focus. Recently bought this one and when it does go out of focus, it auto focuses so much better and faster than the other. I’m happy with it as a cost-effective option.

That looks just like the C920. I would say it is. As with all webcams, make sure you disable all the auto things like white balance, focus, etc. Especially if you're using a green screen. Also, bad lighting can make the image look much worse than it actually is.

I use the logi 1080 with nvidia broadcast and good lighting set up and looks great

Hahaha, under $50 you're stuck with the cheap crap that's going to look awful. The c920 is what I'd consider the bare minimum; it goes on sale for about $60-70 sometimes. Decent starts to come in around $100-150 and may give you 1080p60, and good starts in the $200 range... usually quality improvements and maybe 4K30. Past that you're going to a mirrorless/DSLR and capture card setup to get into 'great', anywhere from the mid three digits to well into four digits. All that said, any webcam is going to not be great. They generally use sensors a quarter the size of your pinky nail. Even with a TON of light, 'good' tends to be about where they top out, even for stuff like the Elgato Facecam Pro.

> will be streaming in 4K What, like to YouTube? Because you *absolutely* aren't going to be doing that on Twitch any time soon. They don't even allow enough bitrate for a proper 1080p60 stream, much less one with four times as many pixels per second. Yeah, not going to get even 4K30 for under $150 or so. Heck, you aren't even really going to get 1080p60 for that. There's the Logitech BRIO, but they're horrible basket-case shitgoblins; I have two on the shelf that I'll occasionally grab one and update its firmware and software just to see if they managed to fix it yet. So far no dice. $70 range you're looking at the gold-standard starter webcam, the Logitech c920/c922, if you can find one on sale. 1080p30 with decent image quality if your lighting setup is at least OK. *Do not* skimp on the lighting.

Logitech c920 is the gold-standard starter cam. Needs a lot of light, but can look quite good, even if the Logi software/firmware can be a pain in the butt. Of those two options, I'd go with the Elgato every time. A built-in light shouldn't be a deciding factor; it's not going to properly light you in any attractive way with a single point source. Investing in a decent three-point lighting setup isn't that expensive; three bowl-reflector worklights from your favorite home improvement store, some nice bright matched-temp high-CRI bulbs, and a pack of diffuser socks from Amazon should run you around $50 all-in. Great starting point.

Cheapest webcam I'd buy is the Logitech c920. Anything under $30 is just going to be absolute hot garbage, not worth wasting the money.

Logitech c920 is the gold-standard starter cam. 1080p30, decent quality if you give it enough light (and white-balance it!). To stress, make sure you have planned your lighting setup, and if you have not, spend a bit of time watching at least basic lighting-for-videography tutorials on YouTube. A decent 2 or 3-point lighting setup will make a major difference, even if it's just bowl-reflector worklights with high-CRI bulbs and cheap diffuser socks from Amazon. Stepping up from there on the cam goes to the realm of the Elgato Facecam series, in the $250 range. (Which also need good lighting to give best results.)

Brand names like the c920 are known performers. They have people who have actually used them, and deliver a known result point. The other three you have listed are no-names. The sensors may be crap; even if they technically output 1080p60, they may look like absolute hot garbage. The whitesheet spec is not the full story. What kind of optics do they use? What kind of dynamic range does the sensor provide? Is the gain amp clean, or cheap noisy trash? What kind of reliability and reproducibility do they bring to the table? Do they have a decent autofocus? How big is the actual sensor they use? --- I got fooled by the white-sheet on the Logitech Brio. Looks *amazing* on paper, the perfect camera that I'd always been hoping someone would make. I bought two, sight-unseen, when they first came out. They were (and still are) horrible basket-case shitgoblins. Sitting on my shelf, back in their boxes. Overheating, crashing, disconnecting, image corruption, and sometimes not even being recognized at all. And when they *did* work... the image quality was somehow *worse* that the c920 I'd bought them to replace. Looked like absolute fried ass. So yeah. Sometimes it's because something is known to work (reasonably well), and not just an optimized text string meant to lure people in.

Should be able to get that for under 1K. Modern-ish i5 or Ryzen 5. 16GB or more of RAM. nVidia 20-series or newer GPU, or AMD 9000-series (the earlier AMD cards had trash-tier hardware encoding no matter what settings you'd use, but the 9K series finally fixed it). $500-700 if you build it yourself, depending on parts. You can probably grab a 1080p60 monitor from Goodwill for around $10-30. Just look up the specs on your phone before you buy. Keyboard and mouse, RedDragon puts out decent cheap gear that should serve. Logitech c920. Used or new, shouldn't break the bank. Mic, Fifine is the general go-to for the low end. They're cheap, and generally don't make you want to stuff a screwdriver in your ear when you hear one. 2-3 bowl-reflector work lights from your local big-box store. Some high-CRI LED bulbs (97+ if you can). A pack of diffuser socks from Amazon. Maybe some stiff coat hanger wire if you want to make sure it won't touch the bulbs. You could probably splash out for a $15-20 'non-woven' (read: fiberglass fabric) greenscreen if you want that, and either nail it to the wall, or use a grommet tool, grommets, and some Command hooks to stick it there if you're in an apartment. Or build a frame for it out of PVC pipe from the big-box home improvement store. Cheap and cheerful. Really though, most of the recommendations from 2015 still apply, much less 2024. Except almost no one actually needs a 2PC setup these days, thanks to NVENC.

The c920 is the gold-standard starter camera. It should work well, and is far more cost-effective than the next step up (something like the Elgato Facecam Mk2 or Pro). Whether it's grainy will come down to how much light you give it; every camera works better with more light, and webcams have TINY sensors so need as much as you can give them for best results. I'd also grab a gray-card for calibrating your white balance... they're about five bucks, but solve so many issues instantly. DO turn off all the 'auto-adjustment' stuff and dial it in manually for best results. And yes, it's 1080p30, but you're on a budget and 1080p60 cameras that aren't scameras are in the $200-250 range, not the $50-70 range. Much less anything 4K (the Logitech BRIO is a horrible, awful, no-good POS; I own two of them, and feel I was cheated out of my money). On the mic side, I'd actually recommend spending a bit more if the money is there for a Shure SM58 (or 57) and an XLR to USB interface like the Behringer U-Phoria or Scarlett Solo. More expensive than a one-and-done USB mic, but with the potential for upgrading down the line that a USB AIO does not have. I also forgot headphones. If you have a pair, great. If not, I use a set of KZ-ATE IEMs. $14 on Amazon. Get a headphone extension cable, as the one they come with is very short. Absolutely amazing earbuds, best I've ever owned, and I'm including a $300 set of stage reference IEMs. If you want bigger cams, prepare to splash out. The ATH-m50 are a great pair of circumaurals, as are the BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro (make sure to get either the 32ohm or 80ohm version if you plan to plug into your PC directly, higher ohm ratings are mostly for studio use with possible line voltage safety issues, and not needed in a home environment).

At the $300 range I'd be looking at used DSLR cameras and an HDMI capture device. Most of them are going to be vastly superior to even the best webcams. At the lower end, the Logitech C920/C922 cameras are pretty good for the price.

Elgato Wave 3 (comes with some of the best free software for audio mixing which is very important. I wish it is the mic I would have got.) and the Logitech C920 (or C922) the are the best bang for your buck for MOST people. I got the HyperX quad cast and it is a great mic but it has a lot of problems that I would rather have the Wave 3 to be able to fix them easily. I'm not sure if they are in your budget but they should be.

Can confirm the Logitech C920/C920e

Ive used this one for years and its currently onsale on amazon.ca  https://a.co/d/i4yOgd6 But if youre looking for variety I wrote a blog post recently on several webcams: https://thegamingglitch.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/top-5-webcams-for-streamers-under-100-2025-edition/