May
21, 2021
5 min read
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While the CDC has confirmed it’s safe for fully vaccinated Americans to remove their masks inside and out in most public places, the days of working from home aren’t quite behind us. Many companies have still yet to provide concrete dates that employees will be able to return to the office, and some are even saying on-site work will be kept to a minimum or are going fully remote altogether. If that’s the case for you, it might finally be time to shell out for the best webcam for Mac you’ve been holding out on.
Mac users in particular are constrained when it comes to webcam quality. Although Mac desktops and MacBook laptops alike are becoming more powerful thanks to the advent of the M1 processor, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are still clutching onto 720p FaceTime cameras, more acceptable for an early 2000s netbook than a modern computer. On the bright side, the iMac is catching up with the times, now equipped with a 1080p full HD camera in both its 24- and 27-inch variants.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to slap the best Mac webcam onto your daily driver, lest you risk the threat of your coworkers mocking your “potato quality” video on Zoom calls. Despite the resolution improvements found in recent models, Mac camera sensors and built-in lighting features remain inferior to dedicated webcams from specialty brands like Logitech and Razer. To help you make the most of your calls with coworkers and clients from afar, we’ve rounded up the best webcams for Macs across Apple’s entire lineup to help you find the right one for your needs.
Best Mac Webcam Overall: Logitech C920 Pro ($79)
Best Webcam for MacBook Air: Logitech StreamCam ($180 in white, $170 in “graphite” black)
Best Webcam for MacBook Pro: Razer Kiyo ($84) or Kiyo Pro ($200)
Best Webcam for iMac: Logitech C930e ($89)
Best Webcam for Mac Pro: Logitech Brio ($170)
Best Webcam for Mac Mini: Logitech C310 ($40)
Best Mac Webcam Overall: Logitech C920 Pro ($79)
Image credit:
Logitech
The midrange Logitech C920 Pro strikes a happy medium between performance, functionality, and value. With a 5-foot cable and integrated tripod support, it doesn’t necessarily have to be clipped to the top of your display, but it can be attached to most laptops and monitors by way of a universal clip. Video calling is available in 720p and 1080p modes, each of which capture up to 30 frames per second. Its 3-megapixel optical sensor rounds out the C920 Pro as the best Mac webcam overall, regardless of model.
Best Webcam for MacBook Air: Logitech StreamCam ($170+)
Image credit:
Logitech
For MacBook Air users in particular, the Logitech StreamCam — sold in white and “graphite” black colorways — might be a more compelling option due in part to its eye-pleasing design, employing a purely cosmetic fabric around the camera itself. The video quality is also a bit higher than that of the C920 Pro, boasting the same 1080p resolution but at a smoother 60 frames per second. You can also flip it sideways, even while it’s snapped above your screen, for a vertical portrait-style orientation. And of course, the StreamCam can sit on a tripod as well.
Best Webcam for MacBook Pro: Razer Kiyo ($84) or Kiyo Pro ($200)
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Razer
Razer probably isn’t a company you associate with Macs, if you’ve heard of it at all. Outside of gaming, it doesn’t quite stack up to the brand recognition of its competitors. However, if its recent ventures into more general-purpose tech products such as the Kiyo and Kiyo Pro webcams are anything to go by, we see a bright future ahead for Razer. Whereas the Kiyo has 1080p/30 frame-per-second video capabilities as well as a built-in ring light, the Kiyo Pro puts quantified hardware specs first, including 1080p/60 frame-per-second video with a high-dynamic-range color palette that will make calls and streams pop, unlike your MacBook Pro’s less-than-stellar onboard cam.
Best Webcam for iMac: Logitech C930e ($89)
Image credit:
Logitech
Logitech’s C930e may be an older webcam model, having first released back in 2013, but it holds up to this day as one of the best Mac webcams you can buy. When you’ve already invested in a top-of-the-line, all-in-one computer such as the latest iMac, it goes without saying you shouldn’t skimp on the webcam either. Though you’ll find it has a 1080p camera already, the Logitech C930e is detachable and tripod-ready, making it a portable solution you can use with your other Apple devices too. A 21-megapixel sensor, complete with wide-angle pan, tilt, and digital zoom tops it off as a competitive Mac webcam option.
Best Webcam for Mac Pro: Logitech Brio ($170)
Image credit:
Logitech
Having purchased the cheese grater-esque Mac Pro, you’ve already settled for nothing less than the best, so why not get a webcam to match? Though the Logitech Brio is one of the more expensive desktop cameras on the market, it also comes with all the bells and whistles to keep your calls going — in full-fledged 4K Ultra HD — for years to come. In some ways, the Logitech Brio combines the most exciting features of every webcam on this list for the ultimate videoconferencing experience. Along with the 4K, 1-megapixel optical image sensor, the Brio has high-dynamic-range capture, autofocus, a built-in ring light, 5x zoom, and your choice of USB Type-A or Type-C connections.
Best Webcam for Mac Mini: Logitech C310 ($40)
Image credit:
Logitech
Considering its entry price, it makes sense for Mac Mini users to want a webcam that doesn’t cost as much while still offering serviceable specs to get you through the spate of meetings scheduled during your workdays. The Logitech C310 is that camera. Sure it doesn’t have the highest resolution video calling, capping out at 720p, but it does have a noise-reducing mic and automatic light correction as well as the ability to take 5-megapixel snapshots. If all you need is the bare minimum, look no further than the reliable C310.