Camcorder vs Webcam - Differences and which Should you Buy?
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A webcam is a small camera designed to stream its feed directly to a computer. A camcorder is a handheld, portable video camera that can store its data on a memory card like an SD card.
Both are easy to use, but neither can match the quality of more expensive DSLRs. Which one you buy will mostly depend on how mobile you’re going to be. Here’s a breakdown.
This will be a comparison of the Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder, the Logitech C920 webcam, and the Logitech Brio webcam (Amazon links). The main factors to consider when choosing between a camcorder and webcam are:
- Image quality
- Settings
- Price
- Convenience
Left to right: Canon VIXIA HF R800, Logitech C920, Logitech Brio.
Image quality
In these shots, I'm comparing the Canon VIXIA HF R800 camcorder to the Logitech C920 webcam and the Logitech Brio webcam. The VIXIA records 1080p, 60 frames per second, the C920 does 1080p 30 FPS, and the Brio does 1080 60 FPS plus 4K 30 FPS.
Daytime
The noisy image (all that static) and softness of the camcorder is super distracting compared to the webcams. When recording inside, if daylight is your only light, the Logitech Brio is definitely the best choice.
Most camcorders are really made to be used outdoors in a lot of light, and that’s where the VIXIA does its best. I'll talk more about outdoors in the convenience section of this comparison.
Night
At night, you'll definitely need a good lighting kit to get a good image out of either a camcorder or a webcam. I have reviews of the lights I use for the shots below on this site (Elgato Ring Light Review) (LMS103 Lighting Kit Review). But even with basically an artificial sun in my room, I couldn't get the Canon VIXIA to match the C920's quality and definitely not the Brio.
Settings
Settings are a very overlooked factor of image quality. I have a guide that demonstrates how optimal settings can radically improve your webcam’s quality. Camcorders are notorious for having very limited manual settings. This one is no different. None of these let you get really advanced like changing aperture size, shutter speed, or outright swapping lenses. But the settings you can change in your streaming software like OBS on the C920 and Brio can buff up your image way more than the settings on the VIXIA.
On the camcorder, you can change the exposure, but you can’t manually control the white balance. Both webcams in this comparison let you separately and fully control exposure, white balance, and gain along with other granular settings. These adjustments make a huge difference compared to the set of images above. This is especially important for the Brio, as it’s colors can be quite off when left on full auto.
Price
Due to a shortage on webcams and inflated prices online, this is a slippery subject, so I’ll focus on how much I paid for each of these devices. I bought my Canon VIXIA HF R800 for $220, my C920 for $50 and my Logitech Brio for $150. At those prices, it’s going to be near impossible to get a camcorder that looks better than the VIXIA while also being cheaper. Even at inflated webcam prices, the C920 still looks just as sharp, and often sharper than the camcorder for way less money. The Brio shuts out both of these.
Convenience
This is where the camcorder wins - mostly. Webcams are small and compact, but you still have to connect them to a USB port on a computer for them to work. Camcorders can be placed in a bag, pocket, and whip it out to take shots or carry around while you vlog and you can save all your footage to an SD card. You can attach wide angle lenses and external microphones to them too.
From Canon VIXIA HF R800.
Camcorders also generally have threads at the bottom to attach to a tripod. Webcams can go on tripods too though sometimes the thread is really hard to access. You actually have to pull apart the Brio (YouTube example) to access the tripod mount. Webcams can just go on top of your monitor anyway.
Both camcorders and webcams can be used to stream to Twitch, Zoom, YouTube or whatever you want. Webcams are much easier to stream with, because they’re plug and play. You won’t need a bulky tripod with multiple wires coming out of the camera just to join a Zoom call like with a camcorder. With a camcorder you'll also need to buy a capture card, and you need to make sure it has clean HDMI out which will cost more money. The Canon VIXIA HF R800 (standalone review) does have clean HDMI out. I'll link my guide on how to set that up once it’s finished.
Differences Summary and Verdict
In summary, webcams generally produce a superior image to camcorders in the same price range, but webcams require being plugged into a computer to use. Camcorders are more versatile due to their portability and ports such as an external mic input and SD card slot.
For personal use inside, I highly recommend webcams over camcorders. They can provide a better image for much cheaper, and they plug right into a PC without the need of an HDMI or capture card. I’ve compared some of the best webcams on the market here.
If you are outside a lot, like on a trip or a sporting event, then a webcam won’t do you any good. In that scenario, you still might be better served saving up for a DSLR like a Canon M50 (Think Media video review). The image quality on inexpensive camcorders is generally subpar and worse than many smartphones these days. If you’re willing to shell out for a premium camcorder, it’s probably better to just get a DSLR for the quality boost.
Canon VIXIA HFR800 camcorder: https://amzn.to/3qYHvxz
Logitech C920 Webcam: https://amzn.to/2HmeWHn
Logitech Brio Webcam: https://amzn.to/330gYo0
