The Hue HD camera is an older product, but you can still find it in some stores, or second hand, if you look around. It's no longer part of our round-up of the best webcams, but you may find a use for it, especially if you like a bit of flexibility with your web calls. The Hue HD's flexible neck is its main selling point, meaning it can serve as a webcam for almost all office set-ups, and find use as a document camera (which would allow you to present physical documents over a virtual chat). The sticking point is that the 720p camera is now relatively low-resolution, and it doesn't come with many extra features.
Most of the webcams in our current lineup offer 1080p resolution, but the Hue HD Camera peaks at just 720p. While this is technically HD, it’s just the bare minimum to qualify as such. Only offering 720p is disappointing, especially given that 4K displays are becoming more and more common. Fortunately, this camera is able to maintain its resolution of 30 frames per second, a natural capture speed for the human eye. Again, many modern cameras are doing 1080p at 60 frames per second, so the Hue really lags here.
The Hue HD has a few features, but not as many as other units on the market. Its ability to correct the lighting in real time allows you to swivel the camera without worrying about over or underexposure. It also has automatic noise reduction, allowing you to make video calls without fretting over background sounds interfering with your voice. But we’d like to see more features, like face tracking or one-click uploads. Also, it does not have any sort of digital zoom.
This camera’s best feature is its stylish design. The Hue HD is available in a variety of colors and it comes with a long swivel neck. Thanks to this flexible neck, you can easily reposition the camera however you need it. For this reason, Hue recommends this camera for classrooms - rather than home computer set-ups - as both a webcam and a document camera. Last, the lens is made of glass, which is preferable to plastic, and the USB cord is 6 feet long.
Should you buy the Hue HD Camera?
It's an older model now, so unless you find one for a bargain price, it's tough to recommend. The Hue HD Camera has always been a low-priced webcam with excellent design, but it lacks full 1080p resolution and many of the features we look for in a webcam. It offers light correction and noise reduction, though, making it good for online video chats, and its swivel neck makes it a great document camera, especially for classrooms.
