How To Use Laptop Camera

How to Use Your Laptop Camera

By Anne Hirsh

Updated September 28, 2017

Items you will need

Video editing software (optional)
Video chat software (optional)

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Modern laptops often come with built-in cameras for online video calls and other video recordings. The exact method of enabling and operating the photographic camera varies past computer and camera manufacturer, but y'all tin can start by finding the appropriate camera software through the search function on your Windows-based figurer.

Accessing the Camera

Click "Start" to open the Start carte du jour and click within the search box near the bottom of the menu.

Blazon "webcam" only exercise not hit "Enter." Await at the suggested matches that appear in a higher place the search box. If nothing like "Webcam application" appears, replace "webcam" with "web camera" or "camera."

Select the camera application that appears in the search results. This will launch the photographic camera software, and may automatically turn on the camera.

Conform your laptop until the camera picks up the prototype y'all want to capture, such as your face or a specific area of the room. You will see the image on a preview screen on your laptop, much as you lot would on a digital camera. Most laptop cameras automatically attempt to focus on faces within the camera frame. If this feature is non enabled on your camera, it may focus on the object closest to the middle of its range, or information technology may focus on an area of bright light or color.

Arrange the camera'southward settings until the image on your screen appears the way you want. The settings push button may be labeled "Settings," have a wrench icon or an icon that looks like a series of sliding switches. Setting may include the focus, every bit well every bit color contrast, effulgence and sharpness. Arrange these by sliding the markers on your screen to the correct or left to increase or decrease each setting. Follow the on-screen directions to save your settings.

Recording Video

Choose a brightly lit area for your video recording. If yous are recording a close-upwards of your confront, such as a video blog, shine lite onto your face from behind the laptop, then it angles down toward you lot to highlight your features. For larger room video capture, such as recording a home skit or capturing your kids at play, try to go diffused general lighting without having whatsoever light fixture inside the video expanse, as this will crusade focus problems.

Set the laptop on a stable desk-bound or platform and accommodate information technology until you see the expanse where you desire to capture video in the preview screen. If possible, lookout the preview screen as you lot run through the motions you want to record. This lets you meet if the epitome you will capture is what you had intended. If non, adjust the laptop position or the lighting and try again.

Record video by clicking the tape button, either a red dot or a movie camera icon on most software. Finish the recording past clicking the button again. This video will save to a file on your computer, usually in the default "Videos" folder. If information technology does not save there, bank check the "Pictures" and "Documents" folders, or any folder labeled with the aforementioned name equally your camera awarding.

Launch any movie editing software installed on your estimator, such equally Windows Live Picture Maker. Choose the choice to import or open an existing video from the carte at the summit of your screen, then browse to the file y'all recorded in the "Videos" or other binder.

Add together the file to your movie editing software'south current project following the on-screen instructions or information in the program'due south "Help" file, and and then edit your movie as desired.

Video Chat

Close any applications using the camera and connect your computer to a high-speed Cyberspace connection, such as DSL, cable or Wi-Fi.

Launch whatever Windows-compatible video chat software, such as Skype, Windows Live Messenger or AIM video messenger chats. The software will turn your camera on and allow y'all to video conversation with contacts who apply the same or compatible video chat software. You will run across a preview screen similar to your camera awarding's screen, so y'all tin can adjust your settings and the image area you capture the same way you did in your initial setup.

Follow the software'southward on-screen instructions to add contacts and make video calls. Click the "Aid" push if the method for doing this is not obvious. The "Help" push button is often a small question mark inside a blue circumvolve. If yous do not take video chat software installed, you tin can download and install compatible software quickly and easily over a high-speed Internet connection.

Tips

Add your camera's software icon to your desktop for easy access. Right-click the application instead of clicking to open it, and so cull "Ship to" and "Desktop" from the menus that appear.

Exit completely out of your camera awarding for privacy when your camera is non in use. To do this, correct-click the program icon in your task bar and cull "Close" or "Go out."