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Auto-focus seems like one of the lesser useful features for webcam (or rather, the use case of a webcam seems to not require auto-focus that much) since the obj

Auto-focus seems like one of the lesser useful features for webcam (or rather, the use case of a webcam seems to not require auto-focus that much) since the object distance remains largely the same for the duration of the video call, at least the video calls I'm usually in. Maybe people have a different setup that I, but I usually remain the same distance away from my monitor at most times.

AYBABTME 4y ago
Good webcam setups have a sharp depth of field, which makes the speaker look sharp and the background blurred. This requires auto-focus because a few centimetres matters to be in field.
- capableweb 4y ago
  > Good webcam setups have a sharp depth of field, which makes the speaker look sharp and the background blurred I'm guessing you mean "shallow depth of field" rather than "sharp" here. And you probably don't want it to be so shallow so a few centimeters would matter, then your nose could be in focus but your ears not, or vice-versa. That's a bit too shallow. It also doesn't require auto-focus, it requires you to be able to put the camera at a good distance with the correct f-stop, or being able to change the f-stop one way or another. Auto-focus is more for cases when the subject/object moves a lot forward/backward from the perspective of the camera, so you don't have to manually adjust things.
  - henryackerman 4y ago
    I'd say auto-focus is a requirement for UX. Most users won't find the manual focus adjust button.
  - RobotToaster 4y ago
    When taking portrait photos ideally you want the eyes to be perfectly in focus, and the nose and ears very slightly out of focus. I doubt a small sensor auto-focus camera will achieve that though.
michaelt 4y ago
It all depends on your setup. In my experience, effective autofocus provides a bigger quality improvement than the step from 720p to 1080p. Webcams in poor lighting conditions benefit from autofocus, because autofocus makes it easier to use a larger aperture, improving low light performance. Laptop webcams benefit from autofocus because there's no room for manual focus controls, and the distance to the user will vary substantially depending on if the laptop's in a docking station, if the user's leaning in to read some small text, etc. Meeting room webcams benefit from autofocus so you don't need a technician to attend every time it gets knocked out of focus. PC webcams sometimes benefit from autofocus, because the cable usually weighs more than the camera, meaning the camera often gets moved and knocked about. Plus about 95% of home users with manual focus webcams don't even know they need to focus them. Streamers have great lighting and cameras firmly mounted on solid tripods - but they're often using mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, so they get autofocus for free anyway.

AYBABTME 4y ago

Good webcam setups have a sharp depth of field, which makes the speaker look sharp and the background blurred. This requires auto-focus because a few centimetres matters to be in field.

capableweb 4y ago
> Good webcam setups have a sharp depth of field, which makes the speaker look sharp and the background blurred I'm guessing you mean "shallow depth of field" rather than "sharp" here. And you probably don't want it to be so shallow so a few centimeters would matter, then your nose could be in focus but your ears not, or vice-versa. That's a bit too shallow. It also doesn't require auto-focus, it requires you to be able to put the camera at a good distance with the correct f-stop, or being able to change the f-stop one way or another. Auto-focus is more for cases when the subject/object moves a lot forward/backward from the perspective of the camera, so you don't have to manually adjust things.
- henryackerman 4y ago
  I'd say auto-focus is a requirement for UX. Most users won't find the manual focus adjust button.
- RobotToaster 4y ago
  When taking portrait photos ideally you want the eyes to be perfectly in focus, and the nose and ears very slightly out of focus. I doubt a small sensor auto-focus camera will achieve that though.

michaelt 4y ago

It all depends on your setup. In my experience, effective autofocus provides a bigger quality improvement than the step from 720p to 1080p. Webcams in poor lighting conditions benefit from autofocus, because autofocus makes it easier to use a larger aperture, improving low light performance. Laptop webcams benefit from autofocus because there's no room for manual focus controls, and the distance to the user will vary substantially depending on if the laptop's in a docking station, if the user's leaning in to read some small text, etc. Meeting room webcams benefit from autofocus so you don't need a technician to attend every time it gets knocked out of focus. PC webcams sometimes benefit from autofocus, because the cable usually weighs more than the camera, meaning the camera often gets moved and knocked about. Plus about 95% of home users with manual focus webcams don't even know they need to focus them. Streamers have great lighting and cameras firmly mounted on solid tripods - but they're often using mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, so they get autofocus for free anyway.