# 1080p USB webcam > A plug-in camera for streaming from a laptop or desktop. - Camera, Best value - Typical UK price: £30 to £60 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, TikTok Shop, eBay, Vinted - Orders a week: 0–2000 - Not yet checked by a person Clip it to a monitor or a small tripod and your computer becomes the streaming device, which frees your phone for chat and orders. It suits a desk show where you sit a fixed distance from the camera. ## Kit rankings - #2 in [Best camera for Whatnot streaming](https://sellersetups.com/kit/camera) ## Desk shows run from a computer You sell from a laptop or desktop and want your face on screen while your phone handles chat, order notes and the Whatnot or TikTok Shop seller app. A plug-in webcam gives the computer its own camera, so the phone stops doing two jobs at once. It fits a first desk show: a few dozen orders a week, a seated presenter, items held up to the lens. On Vinted and eBay you can use it to record short try-on or condition clips at the desk too. ## Frame rate, focus lock and field of view Aim for 1080p at 60 frames a second, a manual focus or focus-lock option in the companion app, and a standard tripod thread on the base. Sixty frames keeps a card flip or a sleeve turn smooth on viewers' screens; thirty frames smears fast hand movement. Confirm that exposure and white balance can be locked. Budget models that adjust on their own pulse brighter and darker as you hold a white box or a dark jacket up to them. A field of view around 70 to 90 degrees frames a seated person without showing the whole room. ## Mounting, ports and a front light Clip it to the top of the monitor for a face shot, or screw it onto a small tripod at chest height so it looks across the desk at your hands. Plug it into a port on the computer itself, since some USB hubs drop the frame rate. Add one light in front of you before you touch any camera settings. A small webcam sensor needs plenty of light, and a pair of panels at 45 degrees improves the picture more than the app settings do. Turn off auto-focus once the item distance is fixed. ## 4K, Facecam, macro lens or mirrorless The 4K USB webcam is the better choice if you want streaming software to crop tight on a card corner or a hallmark. A premium USB webcam with locked exposure suits you if colour shifts from auto exposure keep ruining foil cards and you want settings that stay put. For close detail on a phone-only stream, the Clip-on macro lens kit for phones costs less and needs no computer at all. Once you stream every week with a computer and want a background blur, step up to a mirrorless camera (body only) with a capture card. ## Checks before your first show Open the camera in your streaming software and wave a hand fast in front of it. A clean hand means you have the frame rate; a blurry trail means the light is too low or the port is too slow. Hold a white mailing bag and then a dark item up to the lens. If the picture jumps in brightness, lock the exposure. The webcam costs £30 to £60. ## Common mistakes - If the monitor wobbles when you type, a webcam clipped to it shakes the picture, so use a small tripod instead. - Lock exposure in the camera app before you go live. - The webcam's own microphone picks up the desk and the room, so use a clip-on mic instead. - A window behind you turns you into a silhouette. Face the window or add a front light. - For close-ups of small items, move the camera from the monitor to a tripod nearer the desk. ## Questions ### Is 1080p enough for Whatnot? For a face camera and items held to the lens, yes. Viewers watch on phones, and 1080p at 60 frames a second looks sharp there. Add a second camera for close detail if you sell graded cards or jewellery. ### Can I use a webcam with the Whatnot phone app? No. A USB webcam works with streaming from a computer. On a phone you use the phone's own camera. ### Do I need 60 frames a second? It helps when your hands move fast, such as during pack rips or flipping clothes. For slow talking shows, 30 frames is fine. ### Will the webcam work on a Mac and Windows? Most plug-in USB webcams use the standard UVC driver and work on both without extra software. The listing names any app you need to lock focus and exposure.