Webcams were a bit of a stagnant space before the pandemic shifted much of the world to a work-from-home setup. In 2020 the Logitech C920 was still the best webcam in the middle of the budget range, despite being nearly ten years old. Due to the pandemic, many companies have since launched new webcams to try to meet the rising demand of the world, but while we’ve seen contenders from the likes of Dell and Elgato premium giants like the Logitech Brio 4K from their thrones, we have yet to see a definitive improvement on the Logitech C920. So far, with the release of the Microsoft Modern Webcam.
The name alone feels like it hits the mark at Logitech, even if it uses the same naming scheme as Microsoft’s recent keyboards and mice. At $70 and with HDR and a 78-degree field of view, this 1080p @ 30 fps camera does everything the C920 does, but thanks to recent innovations, it does it better and cheaper.
Well lit room
Microsoft modern webcam
Logitech C920
The Microsoft Modern Webcam produced bright, rich colors and detailed texture when I tested it in my home office in the afternoon under what I would consider ideal lighting conditions (with my lamp on next to me and light shining through the window to my left). This is in contrast to the image of the Logitech C920, which is slightly blurry and has an unnaturally cool tone. You’ll also notice that background elements are more detailed and colorful in photos taken with the Microsoft webcam, but without distracting my face.
Low light room
Microsoft modern webcam
Logitech C920
When I closed my blinds and turned off all light sources in my home office except my monitor, the Microsoft Modern Webcam was noticeably darker and dimmer than in ideal light. This was to be expected and we saw the same effect with the Logitech C920.
Where Microsoft’s camera differed was the priorities. The colors remained rich and natural on the Microsoft Modern webcam, but the overall shot was dark overall. The bottom left corner in particular is hard to make out, although my face is clearly visible. Meanwhile, the Logitech C920 kept its generally cool colors, but this had the side effect of making the image appear brighter as a whole. While this meant my face looked blurry and a bit paler than in real life, areas that were in shadow on Microsoft’s webcam were easier to see here.
Overexposed room
Microsoft modern webcam
Logitech C920
When I drenched the Microsoft Modern Webcam with light by pointing it at my window, it produced a much brighter, much more visible image than the Logitech C920. Although my window is slightly obscured by glare, which is not uncommon even in higher price ranges, my face and background are all fully visible and only a little brighter than in real life. Meanwhile, the shot I shot with the Logitech C920 is in the shadows and on the verge of unusable. This is not uncommon even with premium webcams, making the reliability of the Microsoft Modern Webcam even more impressive under these conditions. Under these circumstances, you could easily make a video call.
Videos on the Microsoft Modern Webcam
Speaking of video calls, they are of course the intended use case for this camera. My experience with video recording was much the same as my experience with photos, and I’ve included a sample video below to show it off. I also recorded the audio for the sample video using Microsoft Modern Webcam’s built-in microphone. Echo was present, as with most webcam microphones, but I also found my voice crisp and clear.
Build quality of the modern Microsoft webcam
The Microsoft Modern Webcam is a small all-in-one package with no detachable cables or accessories. This makes it ideal for traveling and for use with smaller devices like laptops, but it also leaves it feeling cheap and flimsy in places.
This camera feels a bit premium at first glance, thanks to the sliding camera cover and reflective plastic on the front. But as soon as you notice that the cover is made of foam and that the monitor mount has no legs, that premium feeling starts to wear off.
The monitor mount is perhaps my biggest point of contention with this camera, as I couldn’t mount it securely to my main monitor. Instead, he may want to lean forward a little every now and then because that monitor (the non-Quantum Dot version of this) MSI Optix display) has a light bump on the back. While the camera was still usable this way, I felt a little nervous and often made minor adjustments to the mount. However, when I tried to attach it to my secondary monitor, which has a flat back, I was able to make it fit securely. On the plus side, the mount has a tripod screw on the bottom if you’d rather not bother getting it to fit your screen.
The webcam’s USB-A cable plugs into the device, which is not uncommon for this price range. But that means it’s better not to break it, because it can’t be replaced. It measures 61 inches when pulled fully taut, which is shorter than the Logitech C920’s (also attached) 72 inch cable, but long enough to reach just about every port on my desktop.
Microsoft’s webcam isn’t too flexible either, as its only pivot point is a tilt point that allows it to move vertically up or down 45 degrees. You will not rotate or swivel this unit. The Logitech C920 is in the same boat, but we’ve seen budget webcams from Ausdom with more configurability, and it would be nice to see big companies catch up.
As with most webcams, an LED lights up when you record with the Microsoft Modern Webcam. In a stylish touch, it surrounds the actual camera lens here.
Special Features on the Microsoft Modern Webcam
This webcam is built mostly plug-and-play, but you can do a light install with the downloadable Microsoft Accessory Center app.
The big draw here is the ability to enable HDR capture, a rare feature for a camera at this price. But you also have sliders to control settings like brightness and contrast, plus a switch for a “retouch” mode that tries to brighten up your shots live for you. I always found the results a little faded for me, but it’s there if you want it. You can also choose to disable automatic white balance or automatic flicker reduction and choose from a list of pre-made settings (although the only flicker reduction settings are 50Hz and 60Hz). Exposure gets a similar treatment, with the option to disable auto exposure and move a manual slider instead.
There is also a switch to disable the microphone at the software level. Oddly enough, the microphone is disabled by default, as it won’t pass Microsoft Teams certification. Surprisingly fair, since Microsoft makes this device. Despite that caveat, I found the audio I recorded with the built-in microphone crisp and clear, albeit prone to echo. It won’t beat a dedicated mic or headset, but it’s just as good as any laptop mic.
Although this camera is from Microsoft, it does not have an IR sensor and therefore does not work with Windows Hello. That’s not expected for a third-party webcam in this price range, but it’s another amusing omission considering how big that feature is for Microsoft.
Bottom Line
Time has caught up with the Logitech C920 and the Microsoft Modern Webcam easily knocks it off its golden throne. The Microsoft Modern Webcam has made a few sacrifices to reach this price point, but it excels at fidelity in a number of lighting conditions. Sure, the software is light and the build comes across as cheap and a little stiff and not configurable, but those same complaints can be made against the Logitech C920. But unlike the Logitech C920, this camera costs $70, is readily available, and doesn’t make every shot a bit blurry. It was also made this decade.
It also has HDR recording, plus it can at least tilt up and down and has a privacy shutter. The monitor mount is a bit clunky and it’s doubtful the default shooting settings can handle extreme darkness as well as the C920, but everywhere else this is the clear winner.