A streaming camera has to show you clearly and steadily for as long as you are live. This guide covers the camera side: webcam or camera, what the makers list, how OBS sees the device and what a camera needs before it can work with a capture device. It uses maker and OBS documentation read in November 2026. Capture card specifications, such as passthrough and capture modes for consoles, are in the capture card guide. For the full gear picture, see our streaming setup guide.

Webcam or camera

A webcam sends video to the PC over USB. On Windows, Microsoft says a device that follows the USB Video Class standard works with the driver built into the system, with no driver from the maker. A dedicated camera such as a mirrorless model has two usual routes: a maker’s webcam utility, or a clean HDMI output into a capture device.

Sony’s Imaging Edge Webcam is one example of a utility. Sony says it lets you connect a Sony camera to a PC and use it as a webcam for livestreaming or web conferencing, and it lists releases for Windows and Mac. We read only Sony’s page, so check the maker’s current list for your camera.

For the HDMI route you need a capture device, which is not a webcam. Elgato describes its Cam Link 4K as working with most modern cameras, and says all it takes is a clean HDMI output and unlimited runtime. It makes the camera appear to the computer as a USB webcam. That means the camera must send video over HDMI without menus or on-screen information, and must be able to run without a time limit.

Three webcams as examples

Logitech C920s PRO

• Picture, as listed: 1080p at 30 fps
• Field of view: 78 degrees
• Focus: autofocus
• Connection: not stated in the text we read

Logitech StreamCam

• Picture, as listed: 1080p at 60 fps
• Field of view: 78 degrees
• Focus: smart auto-focus
• Connection: USB-C

Elgato Facecam MK.2

• Picture, as listed: uncompressed 1080p60, 1080p30, 720p120 and lower modes, over USB 3.0
• Field of view: 84 degrees
• Focus: fixed focus, 30 to 120 cm
• Connection: USB Type C; MJPEG only over USB 2.0

Sources: Logitech’s pages for the C920s PRO and the StreamCam, and Elgato’s help-center article “Elgato Facecam MK.2 - Technical Specifications”. These are manufacturer statements, not our measurements, and Gimaxo ran no test of them. The Facecam is named exactly as in Elgato’s own specification article, which also lists the UVC standard version 1.5, a Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor and Windows 10 (64-bit) or newer and macOS 12 or newer. Elgato’s page for the earlier Facecam Pro says it has been discontinued, so check availability before you buy a model you saw in an older review.

A capture device for a camera: Elgato Cam Link 4K

The Cam Link 4K is not a webcam. It is a capture device that connects a camera’s HDMI output to a computer over USB 3.0. Elgato lists an unencrypted HDMI input and these supported resolutions: 4K60 (MJPG only), 4K30, 1080p60, 1080p30, 720p60, 720p30, 576p50 and 480p60. Elgato says 4K at up to 60 fps needs a compatible camera and the latest Cam Link 4K model. The camera sets the field of view and the focus behaviour, so those depend on the camera and lens you attach.

Illustration of generic equipment, not a photo of a specific model and not a Gimaxo test.

Resolution is not the whole picture

The resolution and frame rate you broadcast are limited by your stream settings, so a camera that records more than you send is scaled down. Platforms publish their recommended encoder settings on their help pages, and the figures change, so read the current page for your platform before you decide. A camera’s frame rate matters when your content shows fast movement. The two Logitech models above differ here: 30 fps for the C920s PRO and 60 fps for the StreamCam, as the maker lists them.

Light, focus and exposure

We found no maker source we could cite for exactly how a camera trades noise against blur in low light, so this part is our reasoning from general practice. A dim room forces a camera to compensate in some way, and a window behind you can fool automatic exposure. Putting a soft light in front of you is a cheap fix and works with any camera. Our room lighting guide covers placement.

Autofocus and exposure are things to test with your own preview. Move, lean in and hold up an object, and see whether focus keeps pulling back and forth. Elgato’s Facecam page describes a fixed-focus design tuned to a range of 30 to 120 cm, so you can lean back without losing clarity. That is a deliberate trade, and it shows why you should read the focus type before buying.

In OBS on Windows, the Video Capture Device source has a Configure Video option that opens the device’s driver configuration utility. OBS gives the example of a Logitech webcam opening its configuration software for options such as facial tracking. The same source lets you pick the resolution and frame rate, and it shows nothing if the device does not support the combination you choose. OBS says all major webcams and capture cards support DirectShow on Windows.

Illustration of a streaming desk, not a photo of a specific setup and not a Gimaxo test.

Connection and compatibility

Check the practical details before buying. These are the questions:

• Which USB port type does the maker recommend for the picture you want? Elgato lists uncompressed video for the Facecam MK.2 over USB 3.0 only, and MJPEG over USB 2.0.
• Does a feature you want need the maker’s software on your operating system? Elgato’s Facecam page lists Windows and Mac as supported systems, and the maker’s software is where its extra controls live.
• Is the cable long enough for your desk? This is a plain check, not a maker claim.

If you use a camera and a capture device

Check these before you commit to the HDMI route:

• Clean output: the camera must send video over HDMI without on-screen menus. Elgato lists a clean HDMI output as the requirement.
• Runtime: Elgato lists unlimited runtime as a requirement. Read your camera’s manual for any limit on how long it can run or output video.
• Power: check how the camera is powered for a long stream. The manual is the source, and we state nothing about battery life.
• Formats: compare the camera’s output with what the capture device accepts, using the list above for the Cam Link 4K.

The cost adds up beyond the camera body: a lens if the body has none, the capture device, a cable, a power solution and a stand. We found no maker source for how hot a camera runs during long sessions, so check the manual of the exact model.

The guide’s own advice

• Fix the light first. It improves any camera, and it is the cheapest change. This is our reasoning, as stated above.
• Read the focus type before you buy. Elgato’s fixed-focus range shows that two cameras can handle movement in different ways.
• Check availability and generation. Elgato’s Facecam Pro page says the model is discontinued, and its other pages name MK.2 as a generation.
• Test in your real lighting and with your real movements. A maker’s list does not replace your preview.

What we could not verify

We found no official source for the following, so this page does not state them: which camera is best, how much better a mirrorless camera looks than a webcam in your room, how hot a given camera runs, battery life, prices today, the webcam utilities of Canon, Panasonic and Fujifilm (we could read only Sony’s page). Gimaxo ran no camera test.

Sources

Named here as plain text. Pages read in November 2026.

• Microsoft Learn, “USB Video Class driver overview”
• Sony, Imaging Edge Webcam support page
• Logitech, C920s PRO Full HD Webcam and StreamCam product pages
• Elgato Help Center, “Elgato Facecam MK.2 - Technical Specifications”; Elgato, Facecam MK.2 (page titled Facecam), Facecam Pro and Cam Link 4K product pages
• OBS Project, Knowledge Base: Video Capture Sources, How do I add my webcam?