Computer Station Nation is reader-supported.
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
Computer vision is a library for programming functions that are made to implement computer vision for different applications. It is an open-source library and it can be used for personal use as well.
There are many different uses and applications of computer vision in today’s world as computer vision is an extremely quickly growing field.
Although many webcams are compatible with computer vision, in order to provide you with the best programming and application experience, we’ve created a list of the top 3 best webcams for computer vision. These webcams have been selected on the basis of the features, pros, and cons that they come with.
Our Top 3 Picks of Best Webcams For Computer Vision
Contents
Logitech C270
Wide Angle View Webcam For Computer Vision
When it comes to budget high-quality 720p HD camera quality, the C270 by Logitech is the best option. With its wide-angle shots and automatic light correction, your computer vision projects are going to work smoothly and sharply.
It delivers 720p resolution video quality at 30 frames per second for smooth recording and application. It offers a 60-degree diagonal wide-angle view for better capturing.
It comes with Auto Light correction for sharper and better quality imagery. It even features a built-in mic if you ever think of recording audio along with a video with your computer vision functions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Reasonably cheap.
- Wide-angle view.
- Sharp and Clear Images.
Cons
- 720P is slightly below high-quality now.
- The design is old and unattractive.
Genius 120-Degree Ultra Wide F100
Webcam For Computer Vision
If you’re talking about ultra-wide viewing angles and crystal clear 1080p recording features, Genius’s F100 is definitely up your alley. It is one of the better budget webcams and is very commonly used with computer vision.
When it comes to features, the F100 is packed. In order to give you an idea, here are some of the features it comes with. It comes with a 12MP optical sensor, records 1080P HD videos at 30 frames per second for smooth and crystal clear video quality, had a 120-degree wide-angle lens and a built-in microphone as well.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Moderately priced.
- Ultra-wide viewing angles.
- 1080p HD recording.
Cons
- Doesn’t feature lighting correction.
- The microphone is not of high quality.
Microsoft Lifecam HD-3000
Webcam For Computer Vision
One of the most widely used webcams for accessing computer vision. Microsoft’s Lifecam HD-3000 is an older option but it definitely holds up pretty well and you can use it for designing applications without any hesitations. The Microsoft Lifecam has wide-angled views are available on the HD-3000, records HD videos at 720P resolution with 30 frames per second for smooth high-quality recordings and uses TrueColor technology.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- It is fairly cheaper than other HD recording options.
- Can be mounted anywhere the user wants.
- Lifecam has wide-angled views
Cons
- Quality is not the greatest.
- Wide angles are not that wide.
What is computer vision used for?
There are many different applications of computer vision in the field of security, design, identification, and many more industries. Let’s take a look at some of the fields computer vision is being applied to.
Street Vehicular Identification – Street cameras that identify signal-breaking vehicles and their number plates.
Personnel Security – In order to keep company security in check, personnel are identified using different computer vision algorithms to avoid unauthorized access.
Webcam Application Development– For personal and content creation uses, webcam applications with different customization options are being created.
Image Scanning – In order to check different images and scan them properly, OpenCV functions are being used.
Character and Model Design – For motion capture and accurate character design in movies and games.
Medical Purposes – For verifying medical reports and scanning x-ray and other kinds of files for accurate result generation, computer vision and OpenCV is being used.
Why use a webcam with computer vision?
Well, there are multiple uses of attaching a webcam with computer vision. You can create a camera accessing and recording function with computer vision, you can create a file saving function with computer vision.
You can even play recorded videos and manipulate frames as well as resolutions and sizes of videos for content creation and personal use purposes like video calls and meetings.
All of these purposes require a good quality camera though because, without a good quality camera, you won’t get the best quality recording. That’s why we’re here. To help you choose the best webcam for OpenCV.
Does every webcam work with computer vision?
In the past, there were compatibility problems with computer vision. It could only support a handful of webcams and would simply not work with other types of cameras. This made working with OpenCV very difficult.
However, with recent updates and better quality software productions, computer vision can use Gstreamer, FFMPEG, and other video capturing backends which make it compatible with almost all kinds of webcams.
That doesn’t mean that you should use any ordinary webcam for recording applications with computer vision. Make sure you use the best available webcam because the better the quality of the camera, the better the identification and other applications of computer vision.
Conclusion
There is no one answer to what is the best camera for computer vision because there are so many use cases and a simple webcam is more than adequate. It’s more important to understand what the camera does, for example, so you require a custom lens?
In general, you want to get as wide of a lens amateur as you can to get as much light on the sensor as possible to get minimized noise, but this is a cost-benefit analysis.
In our opinion, the best webcam choice for you would be Logitech. It is because not only does it provide amazing viewing angles and high-quality recording which is optimal for computer vision but it also comes at a low price which makes it the best webcam for computer vision on our list.
In the end, make sure you choose the best available webcam for you because the better the quality of the camera, the better the identification and other applications of computer vision. Check out other similar products on Amazon.com
