# 4K USB webcam > A sharper webcam with room to crop and zoom in on a card. - Camera, High volume - Typical UK price: £90 to £180 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, TikTok Shop, eBay, Vinted - Orders a week: 0–2000 - Not yet checked by a person The extra resolution lets streaming software crop tight on a card corner or a stitch and keep the picture sharp. It earns its price once you run regular shows from a computer with a capture setup; for phone-only streaming it adds nothing. ## Kit rankings - #3 in [Best camera for Whatnot streaming](https://sellersetups.com/kit/camera) ## Detail sellers streaming from a computer You stream from a computer every week and sell items where detail closes the sale: graded slabs, coins, watches, hallmarked silver. The extra pixels let you crop into one part of the frame in your streaming software and still send a sharp 1080p picture. If you stream from a phone, skip it. Phone apps on Whatnot and TikTok Shop use the phone's camera, so a 4K webcam has nothing to plug into. ## Sensor size, locks and USB 3 Choose a model with 4K at 30 frames a second and 1080p at 60, so you can pick detail or smooth motion per show. A larger sensor, often listed as 1/2 inch or bigger, handles lower light with less grain. Manual focus and exposure locks matter more than the headline resolution, because autofocus hunts between your hand and the card. Make sure it connects by USB 3 or USB-C; 4K needs the bandwidth, and an older USB 2 port may cap you at a lower mode. ## A wide scene and a cropped scene Mount it above or in front of the mat on an arm, set it to 4K, then add it twice in your streaming software: one wide scene of the whole mat and one cropped scene on the centre of the card. Switch between them as you show each item. Set up two side lights with it. Side lighting keeps glare off slabs and coin capsules, and a 4K sensor still needs plenty of light. A plain dark mat behind the item helps the camera hold focus on the edges. ## 1080p, Facecam, mirrorless or a macro lens The 1080p USB webcam costs about a third as much and suits a face camera or held-up items. A 1080p face camera holds exposure better under bright lights, so pick it for your face rather than for detail. For background blur and a larger sensor, a mirrorless camera body with a 4K capture adapter beats a webcam, at several times the price. On a phone, a clip-on macro lens gets close detail for a few pounds. ## Computer and cable checks Encoding a cropped 4K feed works the computer harder than a 1080p webcam. Run a 30-minute test stream and watch the dropped-frame count in your software before you go live with buyers. Keep the cable run short or use a powered USB extension rated for USB 3. At £90 to £180 it costs more than a basic webcam, so confirm your computer and ports keep up before you rely on it. ## Common mistakes - A webcam cannot connect to phone streaming, so if you stream from a phone, spend the money on lighting. - Crop in your software and output 1080p; the platform takes 1080p, so a full 4K stream gains nothing. - A USB 2 port can limit the resolution. Use a USB 3 or USB-C port. - Lock focus at the mat distance, or auto focus hunts between your hand and the card. - Run a 30-minute test stream first and check the dropped-frame stats before you go live. ## Questions ### Does Whatnot stream in 4K? Platforms compress live video, so viewers see less than 4K. You zoom into the 4K frame and send a sharp 1080p crop. ### Is a 4K webcam better than a phone camera? A recent phone often has a better sensor. The webcam wins when you stream from a computer and want a fixed camera that stays in place. ### Can I use it as a face camera too? It works, but a 1080p webcam does that job for less. Point the 4K webcam at the mat and use a lower-cost camera for your face. ### Do I need a powerful computer? You need a recent processor and a USB 3 port. Run a test stream and check for dropped frames before your first show.