Your laptop’s built-in webcam might look half-decent. It only took Apple about a hundred years to begin putting 1080p cameras into their MacBooks, but since the dawn of Covid times, laptop cameras have gone from almost universal junk to fine.
Just fine. Rare is the laptop webcam that blows me away. And sometimes, given how much we work from home, I want my video over Zoom or Google Meet to look damn good.
Out of complete disclosure, I haven’t used the Link 2. It launched in September 2024 and, well, I just haven’t gotten around to it. But I used the ever-loving hell out of its predecessor, the Link, and it was by far the best webcam I’d ever used.
And I should know. I’ve been reviewing them professionally for the past five years.
A follow-up to the World’s best webcam
Normally selling for $200, the Link 2 happens to be $50 off for Prime Day, which kicked off today and runs through Friday, July 11. That’s all well and good. Who doesn’t like saving $50?
If you happen to be reading this in the days and weeks after Prime Day has come to a close, stick with me here. Insta360’s webcams are worth their full price. I know, $200 is a steep price to pay for a computer peripheral, especially when any laptop that isn’t an exhibit in a computer history museum has a built-in webcam already.
But the image quality of the original Link was what won me over. In glorious 4K resolution, I’d never seen such a good picture from a webcam. It was sharp, colors were rich, and the white balance was perfect (something many webcams can’t manage).
They’re cramming “AI” into everything these days, and yes, I grow weary of it, too. On the Link, at least, I welcomed it. I’d use hand gestures to tell it when to start or stop tracking me.
When enabled, I could move around the room, and the motorized webcam would follow me. It was neat when I was up and out of my chair, presenting something in the room. Other hand gestures could get it to zoom in or out.
It’s a premium purchase, for sure. You can buy good webcams for less. But a great one costs money, and compared to the other webcams I’ve tested that run a comparable $200 or more, the Insta360 had them beat.
The post Want to Look Really Good on Zoom? The Link 2 Is Your Secret Weapon. appeared first on VICE.
