Logitech Quickcam Fusion

The best place to position a webcam is at eye level, as close as possible to your screen. If you have a flat LCD-type screen, the QuickCam Fusion has the perfect base, which hooks over the top. There’s also a microphone built into the camera so you don’t need to worry about any other devices, but there is a risk of echoing or feedback if you’re using speakers rather than headphones.

This is one of the most powerful cameras on test, with the ability to take still images of up to 4 megapixels and video up to 640 by 480 pixels. There’s also a privacy shade you can flip over the lens in case you’re worried about forgetting to turn the camera off when you’ve finished a conversation.

It’s also the most fun camera. This model has software included that can add funny hats, moustaches and glasses to your face and adapt them in real time – you may have seen people doing this on YouTube (try searching for ‘Logitech webcam’ on www.youtube.com) and it’s certainly going to raise a smile the next time you log into an instant messenger.