The Webcam Genius FaceCam 1020 has a fairly compact design, autofocusing lens, and a maximum resolution of up to 1280×720 pixels.
The FaceCam 1020 is beveled with rounded edges that look soft.
The base has a convenient cable grip and a slip-resistant rubber grip that allows the device to be placed on the table, snapping up any screen or laptop.
Included accessories include CD and user manual.
The FaceCam 1020 has a compact bar design. The front of the device is covered with a glossy black plastic layer that is curved softly. The subdued lenses are framed around a beautiful bronze circle. The base of the FaceCam 1020 is clamp-mounted soft rubber anti-slip and handy cable latches.
You can easily place the device on a desk, on any type of monitor or laptop, and rotate 360 degrees horizontally. The FaceCam 1020 is equipped with a lens with autofocus, support for still images up to 1280×1024 pixels and up to 1280×720 pixels.
Genius FaceCam 1020 HD 720p Auto-Focus Webcam: Buy it now
In a good bright environment, at a resolution of 640×480 pixels, the FaceCam 1020 exhibits relatively clear image details, full color in light tones, and unnatural human skin color. The ability to display fast moving images of the device is quite good.
Try increasing the resolution to 1280×720, the image capture the ghost phenomenon in the fast moving scene, the color quality of images obtained is not changed but the image details are less clear than orginal
By reducing the ambient light source, images receive light-grained noise even when setting the resolution to 640×480 pixels. The microphone is quite responsive, and the sound is clear, although the noise is quite loud.
The built-in CrazyTalk Cam Suite Pro application lets you turn the FaceCam 1020 into a monitoring device with motion detection and recording capabilities (motion detection 1m).
The device uses USB 2.0 support for Windows 7 / Vista / XP SP2, MAC (version 10.4.9 and above) or Linux (version 2.6.21 and above).
Design and build quality
There’s not much to say about how the FaceCam 1020 looks. It’s a compact black plastic webcam with a matte finish, and that finish turns out to be useful: fingerprints don’t show, and it won’t throw back glare from overhead lights.
You can clip it to a monitor or laptop lid, or just set it on the desk. It stays exactly where you leave it. Moving it is the annoying part, since the hinge is stiff enough that you have to push harder than you’d expect.
Pick it up and it feels light, a bit on the cheap side, like most webcams at this price. Day to day it holds up fine. The clip is the part I’d expect to wear first, so go easy on it.
Video
Resolution maxes out at 720p (1280×720), at up to 30 fps. If you’re coming from an old standard-definition webcam, you’ll see the difference right away, and movement stays smooth on calls and casual streams. For 1080p you’ll need a different camera.
In a well-lit room the image is sharp, colors look right and the lens doesn’t distort much. In dim light it loses detail and gets noisy. Most cheap webcams share this weakness, and you’ll notice it if your desk sits in a dark corner.
Focus is fixed. On a call that doesn’t matter much, because you’re usually at the same distance from the screen, but anything you hold up close will look blurry. The field of view is moderate. One person fits without a fisheye effect; a group won’t.
Audio
The built-in mic picks up speech clearly, which is all most calls need. It hears the room too, so if you work somewhere noisy or record content, get an external mic.
Setup and software
Setup takes seconds. Plug it into USB and most computers pick it up without extra drivers, and it works in Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype and Google Meet on both Windows and macOS.
Genius includes a simple app for adjusting brightness, contrast and saturation. It can also take photos and record video, so you don’t need to install anything else, and everything is easy to find.
Who it’s for
It fits best on a work desk. Colleagues will see you clearly on calls, even if the picture is softer than a 1080p camera. If you’re just getting into streaming on Twitch or YouTube, or your laptop’s built-in camera is poor, it’s a reasonable place to start, though regular streamers will want to upgrade fairly soon. For keeping in touch with family, it’s cheap enough that there’s little reason to spend more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
Inexpensive
Clear picture in good light, with little distortion
Matte casing doesn’t show fingerprints
Plug and play, with no drivers to install
Cons:
720p only
Stiff clip hinge
Struggles in low light
Mic picks up background noise
Verdict
If you need a webcam for calls and don’t want to spend much, the FaceCam 1020 is a sensible pick. Just make sure your room has decent light.
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Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.