video conference room design guide
The best conference room webcam in 2021: conferencing cameras for groups
Included in this guide:
The best conference room webcams are different to the usualbest webcams for home working. Rather than being used for a single person, these handy devices enable an entire room to participate. Using wide angle, even 360º, lenses with smart cameras and microphones, the best conference room webcams can connect an entire table of people.
With more teams working across offices and homes, there is more need than ever for conference rooms to be equipped with the tech to share meetings with those working remotely.
You might be wondering what the difference is between ordinary and conference room webcams. Well, while ordinary webcams have a fixed camera (usually atop the monitor), conference room webcams need features to home in on subjects and select sounds without requiring participants to use mics and headphones.
Look for automatic face detection and conference-grade microphones and speakers with noise cancelation. This means that the audio will be clean and clear and even those sat furthest away from the camera won't be lost in the meeting melee.
When looking for the best conference room webcam for your needs, you'll also need to consider resolution as well as panning capabilities. Jumping from 720p to 1080p to 4K means that the detail will roughly double each time, if you have the network bandwidth to handle it.
It's also worth noting that some cameras will use digital zoom and perspective correction to hone the footage. Meanwhile, high-endPTZ cameras will track subjects using optical technology, which tends to have superior sharpness over other models. The downside can be the sound of the internal mechanics and a need to oversee the camera's choice of direction.
When working on your conference room webcam setup, you'll also need to consider the sound and noise cancellation capabilities. Some larger rooms will call for multiple speakers in order to get the best experience.
Best conference room webcams
1. Meeting Owl Pro
Best conference web cam for tracking team-member's faces for automatic 360˚ meetings
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 8-mic + Triple speaker
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital
Field of View: 360˚
Size: 273 x 111 x 111mm
Weight: 2.65lb/1.2kg
Reasons to buy
+Great product design +Smart zoom +Whiteboard Owl accessory
Reasons to avoid
-Phone app irritating for first time user
The Meeting Owl was a successful product, picking up several awards for its cute (but not too cute) design, capped with a 360˚ camera and equipped with the software to identify team members who are talking and give them centre stage. Along the top (unless disabled in the options) is a thin strip showing a perspective-corrected strip of the whole-room view; in both cases the images are considerably more flattering than from a shorter camera thanks to the device's 273mm body height (nearly 11 inches), and the sound is capably handled by the 8 mics which also help locate the subject (and boast a good pick-up range of 5.5m / 18ft). The 'Pro' is the newer version, with a more powerful processor, better resolution and louder speakers without too significant a price bump. Camera lock is controlled via a phone app, which is a slightly convoluted solution compared to a remote, but well featured and the device is always popular.
If you want to share the discussion points, the optional Whiteboard Owl accessory adds distortion-corrected view of the whiteboard. The view isn't even blocked as the board is written on; the software applies partial transparency, and even offers a step-by-step playback. On the downside the device requires an annual software subscription, but it extends the functionality of the Meeting Owl Pro (and only the Pro).
2. Logitech Rally
A conference camera big enough for a classroom
Specifications
Resolution: 4K
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 2-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital (4x)
Field of View: ± 90° pan / +50˚ / -90˚ tilt
Size: 7.19 x 5.98 x 5.98in / 182.5 x 152 x 152mm
Weight: 1.69lb/766g
Reasons to buy
+4K Sensor +Easy Setup +Parks in 'lens-down' privacy mode
Reasons to avoid
-Are two hubs & a computer necessary?
The Rally camera is a Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) camera which uses Logitech's RightSense technology to automatically frame every participant. It also boasts good-quality low-light and tone control technology which prioritizes faces, no bad thing when you're under office lighting. The camera is sold on its own, or as part of the Logitech Rally Plus system, which includes a display hub with a pair of stereo speakers and a smaller table hub to which you can connect microphones . To make setup easy, the cables and devices come stickered (though you can use a much longer Cat6A cable to connect the hubs if you choose). A nice touch is that the mic pods can be daisy chained, making fitting to different sized rooms easy, and while the remote only has two presets it is good to see a little more urgency in camera movement when one is chosen compared to gentle panning from the directional pad. See also Best Logitech webcams.
3. Jabra Panacast
Compact Panoramic WebCam for 180˚ Coverage
Specifications
Resolution: 4K
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 2-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital (4x)
Field of View: 180˚ / 54˚(vertical)
Size: 102 x 67 x 20 mm
Weight: 3.5oz / 99g
Reasons to buy
+Portable +Great solution for laptops +Mac & Windows software to tweak features
Reasons to avoid
-Hub, mic and stands are extra
This camera is ideal for meeting rooms where the table touches the same wall as a display. It can be positioned beneath the screen and get a full 180˚ screens-eye view of the whole room so no participants are excluded. Connection is via an optional hub or directly to your computer via USB (the later affording decent portability with a laptop). The system seems to do a good job of blending video from each of the lenses, though you can also opt for 'intelligent' mode which zooms into areas of video with movement in (sit too still too long in a meeting and you might get cropped!). Although the device states it's 4K, it's worth noting that the reality is that each lens has a 13-megapixel sensor but the camera will zoom past pixel parity so you may see resolution softening on close ups. If you're not sure you want to share your whole room, Jabra have you covered too; you can choose various fields of view down to 90˚ via the Jabra Direct software.
4. Logitech ConferenceCam Connect
A portable conference web camera that doesn't need wires
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 2-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Digital (4x)
Field of View: 90˚
Size: 304 x 75 x 75mm
Weight: 1.69lb/766g
Reasons to buy
+Makes every huddle room flexible +Brilliant design with built-in remote +AF lens
Reasons to avoid
-Face-tracking would be useful
With a built-in rechargeable battery and Bluetooth connectivity, the Logitech Connect makes sense in a lot of environments where fixing a camera might not; many offices have more meeting rooms than they have conferencing cameras, or you could take one to conduct a site meeting and share it live with the main office. You can plug into a laptop via USB, or your phone with Bluetooth and all but the most intensive meetings should cope with the 3 hours of video or 15 hours audio the battery will provide (though don't worry, Logitech still provides plugs). The remote control, when not serving as a magnetically attached lens cover, provides pan, tilt and zoom, though there are no auto-tracking features. This is an elegant device, with features like NFC and can make friends with Chromebooks as well as Macs and PCs, and will not disappoint in rooms up to six people. (If you appreciate Logitech's tech but would like to save on wireless functionality, check the Logitech BCC950 below).
• See also Best Logitech webcams
5. Kandao Meeting Pro
Best conference webcam with built-in Android system to host meeting apps
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 8-mic + Speaker
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital
Field of View: 360˚
Size: 285 x 75 x 75mm
Weight: 1.65lb/750g
Reasons to buy
+Connects to a monitor as unified system +Record to Micro SD +Wi-Fi +CES Innovation Award for portable design
Reasons to avoid
-Lens cover easy to lose
This meeting camera shows how useful a built-in operating system can be in simplifying the meeting process. While the device itself is built to sit table-centre in a medium-sized meeting room (up to 18ft/5.5m sound pick up), what's really handy is that it can connect, via HDMI, directly to a wall-mounted display. Using the remote, you can use the display's menu screen to choose your preferred conferencing app (if it works on Android, it works here). You can even keep the apps up-to-date via the 802.11ac wi-fi or Ethernet and even attach peripherals via USB. The Meeting Pro will act as speaker and microphone, and sports echo and noise cancellation to keep your call clear. It's possible your colleagues might find the knowledge that there is 64Gb on-board recording space a little unsettling, but the 'stop' button is easy to find. The machine's 8 microphones help it do a good job of identifying the active speaker for the 1080P video output. The camera crunches through 8K worth of input from both cameras which helps people look their best (less distortion correction than some).
6. NexiGo Meeting 360
A conference camera with a neat built-in privacy option
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P (8K input)
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 8-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital (4x)
Field of View: 360˚ (vertical)
Size: 285 x 126 x 126mm
Weight: 4.82lb/2.17kg
Reasons to buy
+Automatically frames speaking person +Push camera into body for guaranteed privacy +Eight microphones to position sound
Reasons to avoid
-Relatively hefty compared to Meeting Owl
The NexiGo Meeting camera creates a 360˚ view of the table it is placed in the centre of using two 195-degree field of view lenses pointing in opposite directions. In that respect it is similar to the Kandao, also in this list. It can also assemble five different arrangements of video which it lists as Discussion mode, Presentation 1 & @ Modes, Global Mode and Patrol Mode. These help you provide the AI with direction without being a slave to camera operation, while the microphone pick up of up to 18ft (5.5m) means the device works on a reasonably large conference table. Having physical volume buttons built in is handy too, since there is no need to track down a remote for problems with volume. Fitters will even be pleased to find a ¼ thread tripod mount on the base, and the device is recognized by all the leading apps: Zoom, Skype, Slack, GoToMeeting, MS Teams and more.
A smart microphone array and 360˚ camera for lower budgets
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 4-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital (4x)
Field of View: 360˚ horizontally / 60˚ (vertical)
Size: 304 x 75 x 75mm
Weight: 2.6lb/1180g
Reasons to buy
+Automatically frames speaking person +Light elegantly integrated into base +Lower price good for families during pandemic
Reasons to avoid
-AI could be better
Like the Meeting Owl, this Coolpo sports a 360˚ panoramic camera on top of a tall body which, thanks to built in speakers and four intelligent mics can automatically track the active participant in the meeting, outputting one or more active views and a thin strip of the whole room. The camera is a single lens, looking up, with a 200˚ field of view; it sees slightly below the eye line of the participants, the software does the cropping. If you can place it in the middle of the room, it's well suited to a huddle-sized meeting table of about 7 people (assuming you have a screen on one wall) with about 15ft / 4.5m sound range. It has broad compatibility in terms of platforms (including WebEx, Cisco, Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype, MS Teams) and – though it looks like a waiter might use it to offer you pepper at any moment – it's still pretty handsome. If there is a flaw, the subject tracking seems to take a better-safe-than-sorry approach, framing the round face of even a clock rather than dropping back to two cameras.
See Coolpo AI Huddle Pana review
8. Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam
Best conference camera for small huddle spaces
Specifications
Resolution: 1080P
Frame Rate: 30fps
Audio: 4-mic
Pan/Tilt/Zoom: Auto, Digital (1.2x)
Field of View: 78˚ (vertical)
Size: 344 x 147 x 154mm
Weight: 568g
Reasons to buy
+Remote control with PTZ +Full duplex speakerphone with up to 8-foot (2.5m) range +Height extension rod for best angle
Reasons to avoid
-Maximum of four in conference
Not every conference takes place in a generously sized conference room. Many important meetings take place in a 'huddle,' hipster speak for a small meeting in a physically small space, and it is just as necessary for some of these to take place on conference camera. Logitech's BCC950 tackles that by including a good quality webcam and speakerphone base with the option to position the electronic eye that bit higher if it seems more appropriate by inserting the included extension pole. This means its more likely your remote collaborators are looking you in the eye and getting to hear the discussion, which also benefits from Logitech's proprietary noise cancelling system. Connectivity is via USB, and works with most platforms.
Conference room webcams: what to look for
Feature Tips
Camera Resolution v Video Resolution
When you're choosing a conferencing camera, many seem to capture relatively high resolutions. This is because they have several cameras, or unusual lenses with large image sensors, but the image is cropped to fit a standard video shape so its best to think of the output resolution (what people will actually see).
More microphones good
A number of devices here place a camera in the centre and use AI to choose the speaking subject. While tracking movement can play a part, comparing sound from multiple microphones to get a direction really helps the positioning system decide where the speaker is.
Field of view
Depending on the kind of meeting your planning, you need to decide how wide a field of view you want your camera to have. Something like the Panacast with a 180 degree perspective are similar to placing a laptop at the end of a table, which many traditional conference style meetings do, while a 360-degree device (like the Meeting Owl or Coolpo AI) are designed for huddle-style meetings; they can sit right in the middle and let the remote guest feel like a part of the action.
Weight doesn't matter
More to the point, this isn't one of those instances where you could be looking for the lightest device you can find. If you're going to be resting something in the middle of a conferencing table, a bit of heft can be pretty helpful, especially as a counterbalance to a lens which is usually at the top. If you've got colleagues who smash the table in anger or celebration, then a few extra grams/ounces will definitely help!
Size matters
On the other hand, it's well worth considering where the device's camera will be compared to the participant's eyeline. The lower the camera, the less flattering it can be (though you can always rest the device on a few books).
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With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones. Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones. He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones , The Smart Smart Home Handbook , 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook .
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video conference room design guide
Source: https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-conference-webcam
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