Introduction

Laptops have become essential tools for both professional and personal communication. From online meetings and presentations to conversations with family and friends, video calls are part of everyday life. As reliance on remote communication grows, camera quality plays an increasingly important role in delivering a clear and natural experience.

However, laptop cameras vary in performance. While some produce sharp images, natural colors, and well-lit faces, others struggle in low-light conditions or when people move. As user expectations and technology evolve, laptops must deliver consistent image quality across a wider range of real-life situations.

To address these needs, DXOMARK introduced its first video call protocol three years ago. The protocol is continuously updated to reflect evolving technologies, user expectations, and real-world video-calling habits. It evaluates laptop camera performance across a variety of everyday scenarios and lighting conditions, providing a comprehensive assessment of image quality.

Learn more about our Use Cases

Camera

DXOMARK evaluates the image quality of built-in cameras during video calls across a variety of real-world situations, from professional meetings in an office to personal calls at home. Our testing assesses camera performance under different lighting conditions and during movement, providing a comprehensive understanding of how well devices deliver a clear, natural and consistent video-calling experience.

 

Other key image quality attributes are also evaluated:

Exposure

Face exposure is a key aspect of the evaluation, assessing the camera’s ability to keep faces clearly visible and well lit, both in stable conditions and when lighting changes during a call.

Color

Does the camera reproduce color accurately? A particular focus is on the skin-tone rendering of the subject. Various skin-tone types are evaluated. 

Texture

Does the camera preserve small and fine details in the image, particularly on the subject’s facial features, such as visible freckles or a beard, and the background?

Noise

How much noise is present in the video, particularly in scarce lighting conditions, where the amount of noise can rapidly increase?

Artifacts

Are there any undesirable and unnatural effects appearing on the image, such as distortion?

Autofocus

How well does the camera keep the subject in focus during a video call? The evaluation considers its ability to maintain focus as the subject moves, approaches or moves away from the camera.

The Video Call protocol also examines how well the camera adapts to the natural flow of a conversation, ensuring that the image remains clear and consistent as people move and interact during a call.

What we also Test

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