Webcam Test - Free Online Camera Tester
Test your camera instantly. See your video, adjust quality, apply filters, and record clips.
Click the button above to start your webcam test
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Test your webcam with our fast and easy online test tool. It offers a real-time preview of your camera, multiple quality settings, special effects, and automatic recording using your camera online, all without any additional software installation. So you can use it as a web conferencing camera test, or test your built-in webcam on a new computer.
To test, just press the 'Start Camera & Record' button above. A live preview of your webcam will appear so you can see if your video is working, test your lighting, and if your camera is positioned properly. Nothing is uploaded, stored or accessed. Your video test is done locally on your computer.
How to Use Our Webcam Test Tool
To test your webcam, follow these simple steps:
- Allow Access: A dialog will pop up asking if the browser can access the webcam. Press Allow to allow the browser to access the webcam. Note that this is the case for any webcam test website. The dialog appears as a security measure to prevent random websites from accessing the webcam.
- Select the correct camera: If you have multiple cameras (for example, a built-in laptop camera and a separate USB camera), you can select which camera to use from the dropdown menu. Our webcam test tool will automatically detect and list all cameras.
- Select the quality: Choose the desired resolution (quality) from the quality dropdown. You can test the camera at low quality (240p), medium quality (480p), high quality (720p), fullHD quality (1080p) etc. Higher quality provides a clearer picture but requires more bandwidth and CPU.
- Start the test: Press Start Camera & Record and you will immediately see the live feed from your camera. You can immediately start recording and then view the quality.
- Use visual filters: We have more than 9 visual filters (black&white, sepia, blur, high contrast, etc) to see how they affect your camera's output.
- Take a snapshot: You can take a snapshot during a test to check your picture quality or to see how the camera handles specific lighting conditions.
- Stop & Save: When done, press Stop & Save Recording to stop the recording. The video will be saved in the browser so you can play it again and download it.
Advanced Webcam Features
Our webcam tester includes professional-grade features designed for various use cases - from casual video calls to content creation.
Mirror Mode for Perfect Selfies
Mirror and flip is a must-have feature for makeup tutorials, bloggers and for those who want to see what they look like from a mirror. When you click the Mirror button (while your camera is turned on), it will flip your webcam video horizontally so you can better check your face, do your make-up or simply get accustomed to the mirror view. Especially, if you are recording a YouTube video, a TikTok video or an Instagram story where you need to show text, use some directions etc.
Digital Zoom (1x to 3x)
See how sharp your webcam is when zoomed in at different levels. Ideal for product demos, tutorials, or just getting really up close and personal. Zoom slider & 1x, 2x, 3x quick buttons to test the sharpness of your webcam when zoomed in. Useful to see if you need to move closer to your camera, or if you can zoom in without degrading the image quality too much. Handy for live streamers who want to zoom in on their painting, crafting, or tech repair work.
Brightness & Contrast Controls
Adjust the brightness (50-150%) and contrast (50-150%) and see what your webcam looks like in different lighting conditions. You can use these sliders to test if your camera auto exposure works properly and to mimic different recording settings. If it is too dark or too bright in your room you can adjust the sliders to a comfortable setting for your next video meeting. Streamers and YouTubers often use these sliders to get the best out of their camera and to maintain the same lighting conditions for their videos.
Grid Overlay for Professional Framing
Our built-in grid overlay utilizes the Rule of Thirds composition technique, allowing you to perfectly frame your face in your recording. Simply place your eyes on the top horizontal line and align your face with the vertical guides. This professional photography principle ensures more attractive and interesting video recordings for YouTube, business meetings, or Twitch streams. The grid overlay assists with consistent framing in repeated recordings.
Video Filters & Effects
Apply the following filters to your webcam to see how they look like: Normal, Grayscale, Sepia, Invert, Blur, Brightness, Contrast, Hue Rotate and Saturate. The filters show you how well your camera can represent colors and how it will look when you use video effect filters. If you are a streamer or youtuber you can use filters to see how your stream would look like with different effects applied. The filters can also be used to see if your camera outputs the correct colors. Compare the results of the Grayscale and Sepia filters.
Real-Time Video Metrics & Histogram:
view technical details about your video such as resolution, frame rate, and bitrate. The RGB histogram allows you to view the distribution of colors in your video. This is useful for detecting over/under exposure, color casts, and bad lighting. This feature is ideal for professionals such as videographers, youtubers, and vloggers who want to ensure their video is as good as possible. If your histogram has a cliff on either side, you will need to correct your lighting or camera settings.
Advanced Camera Controls
Some webcams have features like exposure, focus mode, white balance, ISO, and sharpness that can be controlled by the user. Our web application will allow you to check what your webcam can do. You can change between auto and manual focus mode, change the white balance to match the temperature of your light, or set the exposure compensation to your likings. This is very useful for streamers, YouTubers, and professionals that need to control their camera settings.
Background Blur Effect
Try web-based background blur without any applications or green screen. Our background blur effect uses the latest web technologies to remove the background and separate it from you, useful when you have to make video conferencing calls from home with a background that you don't want others to see. You can adjust the level of blur applied to your background. This tool allows you to see how well background blur effect is working with your webcam and camera application. This is particularly useful for web developers, digital marketers, and for everyone who makes video content.
Motion Detection for Security Testing
If you want to check how much your webcam reacts to motion, use our real-time motion detection. With Advanced mode you can see live motion percentage indicator reflecting motion in your video. Use this for security camera motion testing, surveillance system configuration or motion activated recording camera testing. Motion detector analyzes video stream frame by frame to find out the amount of motion. This allows to check how good the camera is, and what sensitivity you need. Useful for home security, pet monitor and baby monitor testing.
Face Detection & Tracking
Detect your webcam's capability to detect faces. In advanced mode we draw bounding boxes around faces and count them. Our face detection tool uses FaceDetector API, when available in your browser, to detect multiple faces in a frame. Use this tool to test the functionality of your camera for auto-framing in video conferencing, or to see how it handles more than one face. Video content creators can see if their camera properly detects faces for auto-focus purposes, and professionals can check their multi-person meeting room works as expected.
Side-by-side mode: Compare two cameras
Side-by-side mode allows you to compare 2 webcams side-by-side. It is useful for testing multiple webcams at the same time. If you have a built-in web camera and an external USB web camera you can view them side-by-side at the same time. It is also very useful for choosing a web camera to buy. You can compare camera image quality, color accuracy, low-light performance, and field of view in real time. It is a great tool for streamers and YouTubers.
Webcam Video Quality Settings Explained
Resolution determines the sharpness of the video your webcam produces. Here's how the settings perform on our webcam resolution test:
240p (426x240):
This is the lowest quality setting, for when you just want to test if your stream works, and your internet connection is terrible. Your video will be blurry, but it's great for seeing if your camera is streaming, at the very least.
360p (640x360)
— Low quality, small bandwidth usage. You could do a low res video call if you don't care about quality too much. You could still make out the faces, but nothing else.
480p (854x480)
- Standard definition. This is the middle ground between quality and bandwidth. Most video chat and streaming applications can use this. This is typically the resolution of most old webcams.
720p HD (1280x720):
This resolution delivers high-definition video conferencing quality, which is great for professional use. It offers sharp images and decent color quality. This is the most popular resolution used in video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Teams, and Meet.
1080p Full HD (1920x1080)
This is the highest resolution you'll find in a webcam, and is ideal for people who want to make high-quality content, stream, or need the best possible video quality. It requires more bandwidth and processing, but you'll get a sharp and professional image.
1440p QHD (2560x1440)
Quad HD resolution with excellent detail and clarity. Great for pro content creators, streamers who require a high level of image quality, and those with 4K monitors who desire a native resolution. High quality webcams and a significant amount of bandwidth are needed.
4K Ultra HD (3840x2160)
Ultra High Definition with four times the pixels of 1080p. Professional-grade quality for content creators, filmmakers, and high-end streaming. Requires premium webcams, powerful computer hardware, and high-speed internet. Perfect for future-proofing recordings and maximizing detail for digital zoom and cropping.
8K Ultra HD (7680x4320)
The maximum possible resolution. It has 16 times more pixels than 1080p. This is typically used for very high-end professional webcams, or for people that use DSLR/mirrorless as webcams. You'll need an extremely high end webcam or DSLR/mirrorless for this, an extremely powerful computer, and an extremely fast connection. This should only be used when you need cinema-level quality, or when you have an extremely large monitor, or if you want to digitally zoom in a lot.
If you're doing a webcam test, test with 720p first to ensure your camera works with high-definition, then test with any other resolution you need.
Frame Rate and Smooth Video Performance.
Frame rate is the frequency (rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The frame rate is expressed in frames per second (FPS). The higher the frame rate the smoother the video looks, especially in motion. Our online webcam test tool checks the real FPS of your webcam, to show if your webcam has any issues.
15 FPS.
Okay for video conferencing. The motion looks kinda jerky. Could be low-end camera, poor lighting, or a CPU bottleneck.
24-30 FPS
- This is the typical frame rate for webcams and most video conferencing applications. The motion is smooth and real. This is also the ideal frame rate for a professional video conference.
60 FPS:
A high frame rate that allows for even more motion smoothness. Ideal for streamers and YouTubers where motion smoothness is key. Note that not all webcams support 60 FPS, and it will consume more bandwidth.
If the test result from your webcam is a low frame rate, you might consider using a lower resolution, or increase the lighting. Light can be an issue with webcams as they may reduce the framerate in order to be able to increase exposure time.
Tips for Better-Looking Webcam Video
Lighting is the most significant variable when it comes to the quality of webcam video. A low-quality webcam with great lighting will look better than a high-quality webcam with poor lighting.
Light in Front of You
The light source should be in front of you, not behind you. Backlighting (such as positioning yourself in front of a window) will make your face dark and shadowy.
Soften the Light
Avoid straight-on lighting which causes strong shadows and hot-spots. Multiple light sources, or light coming in from large windows, is always soft and makes for more professional looking images.
Avoiding Flickering Light Bulbs
Some LED bulbs and fluorescent lights will flicker at a frequency that your camera can see, and you will get flickering in your video. Try using bulbs that are incandescent or LED light bulbs that are high quality for video.
Color temperature is another factor to consider.
Ensure all light sources have the same color temperature. Warm and cool light mixed together looks unhealthy. Webcams generally look better under daylight-balanced light (5000-6500K).
Test our webcam test tool with multiple light sources to determine if your webcam image improves. You can test different light settings because of the live view to see what works best for you.
Types of Webcams and What to Expect
Built-in Laptop Webcams
Laptops almost always have a webcam built into the top of the screen. For the most part, these are 720p cameras, and they work fine for the occasional video chat. However, the quality can vary widely depending on the laptop you own. Generally, nicer laptops will have better webcams.
USB Webcams
There are also external webcams that connect via USB. If you're looking for something better than the integrated camera, a basic model will give you 1080p at 30 FPS, but the top end models will go all the way up to 4K, 60 FPS, with auto focus, low light compensation, etc.
Streaming Cameras:
Cameras made for streamers, these focus on image quality with bigger sensors, improved low light sensitivity and improved color science. HDR and FOV adjustments are common.
Option 1: DSLR/Mirrorless as a Webcam
A lot of new cameras can be used as a webcam over USB, or with a capture card. This will give you the highest quality picture, but will also require the most amount of gear and configuration.
If you are unsure if your camera is working with our tool, our comprehensive webcam test is compatible with all kinds of cameras. Feel free to use it to compare different webcams, or simply check that your new webcam is working after you have connected it.
Need Help Fixing Your Webcam?
If you've run a test and discovered an issue, follow these steps to identify and fix the most common problems:
Webcam Shows Black Screen
- Check if you have a physical covering (such as a privacy slider, bandaid, or a piece of tape) over the camera lens
- Check if another app (Skype, Zoom, Teams, etc.) is currently using the camera in the background. Close those apps and try this webcam test again.
- If you're still encountering issues, try restarting your browser and trying the webcam test again.
- If you're using an external USB webcam, try plugging it into a different USB port.
- Update or reinstall your camera drivers.
Webcam Video is Blurry
- Clean the webcam lens with a microfibre cloth.
- If your webcam has a focus ring, try manually adjusting the focus.
- Make sure there is enough light to help your camera auto-focus.
- Move a bit closer or further away from the webcam and see if it improves.
Webcam Colors Look Wrong
- Are you under different lighting conditions? Natural and artificial lighting can have different color tones.
- Try adjusting the white balance in your webcam settings, if available.
- Are you wearing something or have something around you with a dominant color that may cause color casting? Try removing it.
Video is Choppy or Laggy
- Reduce the video quality in the settings of this webcam test tool.
- Try closing all other applications that are consuming CPU or GPU resources.
- Improve your lighting conditions to reduce the strain on your camera.
- If you are using an external USB webcam, connect it directly to your computer instead of a USB hub.
Testing Webcam for Specific Platforms
Zoom Video Conferencing
Use this webcam test to ensure that your camera is working well before you start an important Zoom meeting. Make sure the video quality is good enough at 720p (which is the default quality for most Zoom meetings). Ensure that your lighting is sufficient and your position in the webcam view is good before joining a Zoom call.
Microsoft Teams:
1080p HD video is available in meetings. Test camera at different resolutions to confirm that your camera can support Teams video resolution. Test background for professional quality for Together Mode and virtual background.
Google Meet:
Meet automatically adjusts video quality based on network conditions. Test at 720p minimum to ensure that your camera meets Google Meet's minimum requirements for high quality video transmission.
Streaming (Twitch/YouTube)
Test at the maximum resolution your webcam can handle (1080p60 preferably). Make sure that the frame rate is stable, and see how well your camera copes with fast movements and multiple lighting conditions.
Discord:
If you use Discord to conduct video calls, it is necessary to have a webcam capable of running 720p. You want to make sure that the camera you have is suitable for your computer and for the gaming sessions and community calls. This also ensures that your camera is not hogging too much bandwidth and hindering your gaming.