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Webcam Photo Capture

Take a photo with your webcam. No upload, and no EXIF in the file.

How this test works

The live video frame is drawn onto a canvas at its native stream size and exported as a PNG. Two consequences are worth stating rather than leaving implicit. The resolution is what the browser and camera negotiated for the stream, not what the sensor can do — browsers routinely negotiate down for bandwidth and lighting, so describing the captured size as your camera's resolution would be wrong. And because the image comes from a canvas rather than the camera's own imaging pipeline, the file has no EXIF whatsoever: no timestamp, no device name, no location. For a photo taken at a desk and sent to someone, that absence is a feature rather than an omission.

What the results mean

Captured resolution
The stream size, which the browser negotiated. Not the sensor maximum.
Camera maximum
Reported as not available, because no browser exposes it.
EXIF metadata
None. Canvas output carries no camera metadata of any kind.
File size
PNG is lossless, so files are larger than a JPEG of the same image would be.

Common problems and fixes

The photo is lower resolution than my camera supports
The browser negotiated the stream size. Closing other applications using the camera and improving the lighting both encourage a higher negotiation, but there is no way to demand a specific size and get it.
The image is mirrored
The preview mirrors by default because that is how you are used to seeing yourself. Turn the mirror off before capturing if you want text in the frame to read correctly.
The photo is dark or grainy
That is lighting rather than the camera. Webcams lengthen exposure in dim rooms, which adds noise and drops the frame rate — add light in front of you rather than behind.

Frequently asked questions

Is the photo uploaded anywhere?

No. It is drawn from the video frame inside your browser and stays there until you download it or leave the page.

Why does the photo have no EXIF data?

Because it is not produced by the camera's imaging pipeline — it is drawn onto a canvas from the video stream, and canvas output carries no metadata. There is no timestamp, device identifier or location in the file.

Why is the resolution lower than my camera's specification?

Browsers negotiate stream size with the camera and choose conservatively for bandwidth and lighting. A camera capable of 4K commonly hands over 1280×720, and the true maximum is not exposed to web pages at all.

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