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Are we over-criticizing the 720p webcam?
- Thread starter ian87w
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The webcam needs to be low res and use an AI filter to hide my greying hairs and make me look perpetually 25 years old 👍
Personally I mostly found it amusing that Apple hyped up the image processing in the M1 and specifically mentioned this in relation to the webcam but then in the small print it's like... 720p. Just as it has been for about a decade.
Of course the actual camera unit is superior to the 720p cameras used on older machines. Less graininess and a wider angle for example.
Just kind of funny to choose the camera as something to hype up during the release when it's 720p in 2020/almost 2021.
I'm not mad about it though. You are correct OP, most people are only using the webcam for video conferencing which is so compressed you wouldn't notice the difference between 720p and 1080p anyway. Like most people here I've been doing a lot of video conferencing since Covid and I honestly don't think I could tell if someone's webcam was 720p or 1080p during a video chat with how much compression is applied to the image, especially when it's multi-party video conferences.
Oh this thread reminds me, I need to buy one of those privacy slider things for the webcam on my MBA. Hopefully I can find one thin enough that it won't stop it from closing. Feels wrong to put duct tape on a brand new shiny laptop.
Of course the actual camera unit is superior to the 720p cameras used on older machines. Less graininess and a wider angle for example.
Just kind of funny to choose the camera as something to hype up during the release when it's 720p in 2020/almost 2021.
I'm not mad about it though. You are correct OP, most people are only using the webcam for video conferencing which is so compressed you wouldn't notice the difference between 720p and 1080p anyway. Like most people here I've been doing a lot of video conferencing since Covid and I honestly don't think I could tell if someone's webcam was 720p or 1080p during a video chat with how much compression is applied to the image, especially when it's multi-party video conferences.
Oh this thread reminds me, I need to buy one of those privacy slider things for the webcam on my MBA. Hopefully I can find one thin enough that it won't stop it from closing. Feels wrong to put duct tape on a brand new shiny laptop.
It’s a feature. Cams are 18 inches to the face? Most of us don’t want high def.
We don’t even like people who take pictures of their kids at the School Xmas show with an iPad. Do we want them doing it with a laptop?
We don’t even like people who take pictures of their kids at the School Xmas show with an iPad. Do we want them doing it with a laptop?
COVID-19 highlighted how bad 720p webcam are.
If you have a full frame DSLR or other dedicated camera you are in luck as you can now use it now as a webcam.
If you have a full frame DSLR or other dedicated camera you are in luck as you can now use it now as a webcam.
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Yeah, even if you had a 1080p webcam, most video conferencing software caps it at 720p30 or 720p60 due to bandwidth.
Google Duo is one example.
Definitely, but if we went back to the threads when the Macbooks were announced, plenty of people quickly judged the Webcam to be poor (including myself). But apparently it's pretty good, at least from this video.
Did you watch the video comparison?
Can you actually notice 720p vs 1080p on a video conference? What software are you using? I use Teams daily, Zoom on occasion, and have also run a personal Jitsi instance. On all of these the image is compressed so much for bandwidth you really cannot tell the difference.
The front facing cameras on my iPhone and iPad Pro are 1080p but in a video chat you just cannot tell.
It seems to be ok if you ask me, band width barely allows for 720 for a lot of people. Plus the last thing I want is a high def view of most of the people I end up conference calling with, and I’m sure they feel the same about me.
If you're used to watching TV and movies in 1080p and 4K you do notice the difference.
I use Zoom, Google Meeting and FaceTime. Sometimes viber.
If you have a point & shoot, mirrorless or dslr give it a try to do a video conference. The camera captures more light and the lens has improved optics.
It's largely cosmetic
I think the "more light" is the more important part, not the resolution. And seem alike that's what the M1 improved upon thanks to practically the iPhone 's ISP, now inside a Mac. Most often, people set lights to shine on their laptops so they can see it, not shining light onto their own face.
It isn't just that.
I use a 5Ds R or 7D Mark II through FaceTime and it's night or day regardless if i'm facing the morning sun on a cloudless day or have large soft studio lights
I always get asked how come my video looks so sharp, vibrant and awesome.
You are comparing a $1500 camera that is more expensive than even the Macbook Air itself.
Do you think recommending one to go buy a $1500 DSLR just so they can look better on a zoom call makes sense?
You are comparing a $1500 camera that is more expensive than even the Macbook Air itself.
Do you think recommending one to go buy a $1500 DSLR just so they can look better on a zoom call makes sense?
It's that cheap now? I received both cameras a week before its local release over 5 years ago.
What I'm saying is if you have these cameras now then use them with your video conferencing so it becomes useful again.
Now if you want to buy them then that's something all together different.
TBH Canon, Nikon, Sony, et al should have offered software to use these large image sensor cameras as webcams over a decade go. It would have increased sales.
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I rather have a good 720p webcam than a crappy 1080p webcam.
The comparison you linked makes it clear that numbers like 720p / 1080p aren't everything, thank you for the link. Really interesting comparison, watching whole video atm!
The comparison you linked makes it clear that numbers like 720p / 1080p aren't everything, thank you for the link. Really interesting comparison, watching whole video atm!
If Apple had upgraded to a 1080p camera people would be complaining that it should be 4k. They tweaked the camera performance to hit a sweet spot for everyday video conferencing and kept the price down. I'm sure the upscale models to be announced in the future will have higher resolution cameras. Not everybody makes regular use of built in cameras on laptops even now. And nothing prevents anyone who wants to use a better camera from investing in one and using it with their M1 laptop.
Resolution isnt a be all end all. Image quality also dependent of image sensor quality and size and the optics/lens used.
Can't argue that a 5D or other full-frame camera will outperform the 720p webcam in an M1.It's that cheap now? I received both cameras a week before its local release over 5 years ago.
What I'm saying is if you have these cameras now then use them with your video conferencing so it becomes useful again.
Now if you want to buy them then that's something all together different.
TBH Canon, Nikon, Sony, et al should have offered software to use these large image sensor cameras as webcams over a decade go. It would have increased sales.
That said, improving the lighting on your face when you're videoconferencing can make a huge difference. I'm a photographer as well, and I use some affordable LED lights or sometimes a ring light and it's night and day in terms of how I look on screen.
I agree better light will always beat more ISO or more MP or larger pixels.
But there's a reason why webcam parts are like $15-39 while a full frame body goes for $1,500-3,900.
If you have ample lighting, the 720p webcam feels better, but if you don’t it shows how bad the camera is.
This is the only thing I hate about M1 - for all the goodness Apple gave us with M1, they couldn’t for one put a nicer webcam for us, especially during the pandemic! Sigh!
This is the only thing I hate about M1 - for all the goodness Apple gave us with M1, they couldn’t for one put a nicer webcam for us, especially during the pandemic! Sigh!
Yeah, people are too harsh on the 720p spec.
It is by far the nicest webcam (M1MBA) on any of my Zoom meetings. In standard office lighting it's great.
Honestly, it's a ton of fuss about nothing.
It is by far the nicest webcam (M1MBA) on any of my Zoom meetings. In standard office lighting it's great.
Honestly, it's a ton of fuss about nothing.