The Logitech StreamCam could not have launched at a better time. Logitech’s premium webcam had an immediate impact on the quality of my weekly Twitch streams when it arrived back in early 2020, even over my dependable but aging Logitech C922. But the StreamCam became even more invaluable once working from home became the new normal just a few weeks after I first got my hands on one.
Since that time, I’ve tested pretty much every major webcam — including some very impressive premium rivals from Razer and Elgato — and none of them have been able to dethrone the StreamCam as my go-to for high-quality video. Here’s why Logitech’s camera is our pick for the best webcam for content creators, and still my favorite webcam to use when I’m hopping on meetings, recording live podcasts and losing in video games on Twitch.
Excellent video quality that’s extra smooth
The main reason the Logitech StreamCam remains affixed to the top of my monitor is the fact that I simply love the way it makes me look. Logitech’s camera delivers just the right mix of color, brightness, detail and fluidity, with a sharp 1080p resolution and silky 60 frame-per-second (fps) video capture that allow me to appear lively and natural-looking on streams and meetings alike.
When sitting in front of natural light, my skin tone looks warm and accurate, and everything from the strands of my beard to the posters and guitars on my wall come through in crisp detail. And it’s all brought together by that 60 fps frame rate — that’s twice the frames per second as what you’ll get from most mainstream cameras like the Logitech C920S and Microsoft Modern Webcam, resulting in videos that look especially smooth and true to life.
Logitech’s webcam has some very strong competition in the $199 Razer Kiyo Pro and the $199 Elgato FaceCam, both of which have just enough quirks to keep me from making the switch. The Kiyo Pro has a wider field of view and works better in low light (part of why it’s our overall high-end webcam pick), but it also produces oversaturated colors in a way that looks less natural than the StreamCam.
The Elgato FaceCam also has great image quality and the same smooth 60 fps video, but it can look dark and grainy by comparison — and struggles in low light. While the StreamCam is somewhere between the Razer and Elgato when it comes to low-light performance, it looks fantastic in my typical use case of streaming in front of natural light (and sometimes augmented by a ring light).
A cool design and even better features
On top of capturing great video, the StreamCam just looks nicer than most webcams. Instead of being a generic hunk of black plastic like most PC cameras, the StreamCam has an attractive mesh-woven design that comes in both charcoal and white. I’ve tested both variations and found them both to be a nice-looking complement to my work setup rather than just a utility that blends into the background. It’s certainly bulkier than, say, a Logitech C920, but its inviting lifestyle-oriented design stands out in a good way.
The StreamCam’s bold design isn’t just for show either — Logitech’s premium webcam is the only of its kind that can shoot both horizontal and vertical video. Switching between modes is as simple as popping the camera out of its mount, rotating it and clicking it back in place, which will cause the StreamCam to automatically change its shooting mode. I admittedly haven’t used the StreamCam in vertical mode much, but it seems perfect for TikTok and Instagram creators who want to capture phone-friendly video while using the more robust editing tools of their computer.
Logitech’s camera has a few other neat tricks that you can take advantage of in the Logitech Capture app for PCs and Macs, which provides a handy set of tools for fine-tuning how you look on camera. These include the ability to adjust things like brightness and saturation, change the resolution and frame rate, crop your video feed and activate an auto-framing mode that will keep you centered even if you move around.
Aspiring YouTubers should note that you can also capture video directly from the app, complete with custom text overlays, backgrounds and filters. I personally don’t touch Capture much simply because I’m happy with how the StreamCam works out of the box, but I appreciate the amount of options there are for personalizing your shots a bit.
Bottom line
After nearly two years, hundreds of hours of Twitch streams and meetings, and serious time spent testing a dozen other top webcams, the Logitech StreamCam continues to stand tall in my setup — and remains our recommended best webcam pick for content creators. The StreamCam’s video quality is some of the smoothest and most true to life you can find for this price, and its ability to shoot vertically is a neat bonus for serious TikTokkers.
The StreamCam also undercuts its closest competitors in the $199 Razer Kiyo Pro and $199 Elgato FaceCam, though those webcams have their perks. Those who want something especially great for low light should consider the Kiyo Pro, and Elgato’s camera offers the most software options of the bunch for customizing how you look on-screen. And if you want to look as professional as possible during calls or just want to capture YouTube videos in 4K, the $199 Logitech Brio is worth a look for its ultra HD shooting capabilities.
But for me, the StreamCam hits the sweet spot of having great picture quality, natural-looking motion and a cool design, all for a relatively reasonable price. It’s a no-brainer for aspiring Twitch and YouTube stars, and makes for an excellent everyday work webcam for everyone else.
