Are we over-criticizing the 720p webcam?

[lysingur]

I cannot exactly prevent anybody from pressing this button, can I?
View attachment 1691117

So now who insists on having the last word?

You're a funny bloke. You don't own a MacBook but somehow feel the need to butt in in this discussion, even exchanges that don't really concern you. And right after you butted in, you ask people to ignore you. Right now we're under quarantine, otherwise, I'd fly over to Massachusetts and give you a hug.

 

[AutomaticApple]

So now who insists on having the last word?

You're a funny bloke. You don't own a MacBook but somehow feel the need to butt in in this discussion, even exchanges that don't really concern you. And right after you butted in, you ask people to ignore you. Right now we're under quarantine, otherwise I'd fly over to Massachusettes and give you a hug.

There are no rules preventing me from joining in on the discussion and chiming in, are there?

Also...

Anyways, can we get back on topic please?

 

[MBAir2010]

I visited this thread to state that I hardly ever used my macbook air since late 2010 camera and happy apple kept the same design on the new M1 to keep the price level. Maybe i might regret that statement in the future. Seems to me apple invested in better resolution for the macbook pros to honor the suffix of “pro”.

 

[deevey]

I visited this thread to state that I hardly ever used my macbook air since late 2010 camera and happy apple kept the same design on the new M1 to keep the price level. Maybe i might regret that statement in the future. Seems to me apple invested in better resolution for the macbook pros to honor the suffix of “pro”.

Huh ? The M1 air is definitely not the same design as the 2010 model, it's the same design as the 2018 model.

The pro also has the same camera as the air.

 

[MBAir2010]

Huh ? The M1 air is definitely not the same design as the 2010 model, it's the same design as the 2018 model.

The pro also has the same camera as the air.

Wow i thought the M1 MBPro had a 1080.
My point was apple being nice by keeping the cost the same as older models by staying with the camera.
oh well, happy Apple’ng everyone!

 

[deevey]

Well, it absolutely trashes the similar spec, and more pricey XPS9310 in both the audio and video dept.

 

[macsound1]

In my office, the design departments have Macs, everyone else has PCs.
In my weekly zoom and teams meetings, some attendees have such horrible audio from their Dell laptops that we have to ask them to constantly repeat what they're saying.
Anyone with a Mac, either 2019 iMac or 2019 4port MBP have crystal clear audio.

While video is nice for these meetings, ultimately you're making a phone call while watching people pick their nose in Zoom's 360p forced video.
Hook up a Blackmagic 6K, your zoom call is still 360p.

 

[AutomaticApple]

In my office, the design departments have Macs, everyone else has PCs.
In my weekly zoom and teams meetings, some attendees have such horrible audio from their Dell laptops that we have to ask them to constantly repeat what they're saying.
Anyone with a Mac, either 2019 iMac or 2019 4port MBP have crystal clear audio.

While video is nice for these meetings, ultimately you're making a phone call while watching people pick their nose in Zoom's 360p forced video.
Hook up a Blackmagic 6K, your zoom call is still 360p.

Isn't Zoom 720p or 480p?

 

[bsmr]

Isn't Zoom 720p or 480p?

It has been... But due to the great rush on their platforms, almost all providers have corrected the resolution downwards.

 

[AutomaticApple]

It has been... But due to the great rush on their platforms, almost all providers have corrected the resolution downwards.

Oh, okay.

 

[macsound1]

Was just in a family zoom meeting last night with 38 people, cross between iPad, iPhone, Mac & PC. None of the quality issues had anything to do with resolution.

Biggest issue was video noise. The amount of light that people like in the evening is far less than what a camera wants. On the other side, people sitting in a dark room in front of a very large monitor or iMac, their face is very blue and the background image is very warm. Often the camera would try to compensate for one color temperature or the other, making the people look jaundice or frozen.

TL;DR
Random collection of folks, resolution had nothing to do with the poor video that nearly everyone had.

 

[NT1440]

Well, it absolutely trashes the similar spec, and more pricey XPS9310 in both the audio and video dept.

Shhhh, that’s not the point of this “please break the laws of physics” thread.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Was just in a family zoom meeting last night with 38 people, cross between iPad, iPhone, Mac & PC. None of the quality issues had anything to do with resolution.

Biggest issue was video noise. The amount of light that people like in the evening is far less than what a camera wants. On the other side, people sitting in a dark room in front of a very large monitor or iMac, their face is very blue and the background image is very warm. Often the camera would try to compensate for one color temperature or the other, making the people look jaundice or frozen.

TL;DR
Random collection of folks, resolution had nothing to do with the poor video that nearly everyone had.

That is what I have been trying to say this whole time.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Shhhh, that’s not the point of this “please break the laws of physics” thread.

Yes, forget Isaac Newton!

 

[deevey]

Shhhh, that’s not the point of this “please break the laws of physics” thread.

Oops forgot this thread was only for imaginary things

 

[AutomaticApple]

Oops forgot this thread was only for imaginary things

Like physics?

 

[turbineseaplane]

To answer the original question of the post:

"no"

 

[OSB]

Well anyway got a logitech c920. While 1080p I wouldn’t say it is any better than the 720p webcam I had in my iMac, from 2013.

I don’t think the “potato-cam” nonsense is at all warranted. But I bought a c922 while my M1 mini order was pending, because the new monitor to which I was pairing it didn’t have a built-in cam. The C922 arrived before either the mini or the new monitor, so I hooked it up to the outgoing iMac (late 2015 27”), and the difference was significant.

I don’t overmuch care about the image quality going out to a WebEx / Zoom, but the c922 is a clearly superior camera.

 

[deevey]

Like physics?

Haha you know what I meant

 

[AutomaticApple]

To answer the original question of the post:

"no"

No? Why?

I don’t think the “potato-cam” nonsense is at all warranted. But I bought a c922 while my M1 mini order was pending, because the new monitor to which I was pairing it didn’t have a built-in cam. The C922 arrived before either the mini or the new monitor, so I hooked it up to the outgoing iMac (late 2015 27”), and the difference was significant.

I don’t overmuch care about the image quality going out to a WebEx / Zoom, but the c922 is a clearly superior camera.

That is understandable. The C922 is a much bigger camera.

Haha you know what I meant

Yes, of course.

 

[OSB]

That is understandable. The C922 is a much bigger camera.

Yup. Can’t out-smart the physics of light and sensor area.

I was responding to a poster a page or so back who said they couldn’t tell the difference between a 7yr old iMac‘s camera and the c920.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Yup. Can’t out-smart the physics of light and sensor area.

I was responding to a poster a page or so back who said they couldn’t tell the difference between a 7yr old iMac‘s camera and the c920.

Ah, okay. 😆

 

[macsound1]

Yup. Can’t out-smart the physics of light and sensor area.

I was responding to a poster a page or so back who said they couldn’t tell the difference between a 7yr old iMac‘s camera and the c920.

I think the argument isn't if the camera has a better image for you, like in photobooth, it's: does the camera produce a better image for the person on the other end of a multi-participant video call?

We've discussed that most people's argument for wanting a 1080p camera in their mac isn't because they're making youtube videos for it...

So with the c920 - does the massive video compression applied by services like Zoom and Teams allow you look any better (not just different) than using the built in Mac's camera?

 

[OSB]

So with the c920 - does the massive video compression applied by services like Zoom and Teams allow you look any better (not just different) than using the built in Mac's camera?

Yes. It demonstrably does, in FT, Webex, and Zoom.
I have been told outright, and without soliciting feedback, that my video "looks better," and broadly speaking my interactions aren't with a technical audience.

The extent to which the user or viewer care, will vary by user and viewer.

 

[MarkAtl]

Yes. It demonstrably does, in FT, Webex, and Zoom.
I have been told outright, and without soliciting feedback, that my video "looks better," and broadly speaking my interactions aren't with a technical audience.

The extent to which the user or viewer care, will vary by user and viewer.

Light, optics, better sensor...

I switched from a C920 to the Avaya HC020 and I noticed an improvement in low light performance plus I can digitally pan and zoom with a remote which is helpful. This is because it captures in 4K and then crops for 1080.