I am looking to buy a webcam to use with Windows 10 and Linux Mint. Is there a range of brands documented anywhere or your personal experience? Logitech is expensive, and Microsoft. But some lesser known brands are cheaper with surprisingly good features.

So I'd like advice on which device to buy for Mint 19.

if you have a device you can look for compatibility on the net. Otherwise in general all [most] of them should work.

I can confirm that my MS Lifecam HD 3000 works.

I've also been at places that used Logitech webcams with Linux.

Most of the lower priced gizmos are built with some parts usually from a big name supplier. While it won't be logitech it might be one supported under linux. Unless you have some reference that says some kernel/distro will work on it then you are simply guessing.

I chose this one advertised as Linux compatible:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/383566815194

It has the right features and is not unbelievably cheap.

Anything that supports UVC should work, since Linux supports that since a while. Older (pre-2007) Logitech cameras may have issues due to internal hardware bugs (as in, this cannot be fixed - Logitech fixed this on later revisions). Webcams in general should be cheap ($10-30 US is realistic), but I've seen prices go to hilarious mark-up (read: price gouging) because of the pandemic (as in, Logitech/Microsoft/'name brand' stuff going 300-1000% price increases overnight).

In terms of 'I just want to shop a known brand' - I believe most, if not all, of Creative Labs' web cams are UVC compliant (almost anything 'modern' is UVC compliant), including a lot of the older ones that should be a few bucks on ebay. This should be true for newer Microsoft/Logitech stuff as well, but again, price gouging is very real.

The one you linked is probably perfectly fine, and a bit on the fancy side, but the price doesn't look awful for all that it's including (higher resolution, microphone, looks modern (meaning it should 'clip on' to an LCD or laptop), etc).

More:
https://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.p...Webcam_Devices
https://www.ideasonboard.org/uvc/#devices

FireWire cameras can also work, if I remember right they have to support V4L (or be supported by V4L, more properly) to work - again if I remember right, this does include the Apple FaceTime cameras.

I picked up one from AverMedia -- their "Live Streamer Cam 313" -- a few months ago (when they'd gotten scarcer than hen's teeth) via Dell's web site. Worked first time, every time with the various video tools that shipped with OpenSUSE Leap as well as Zoom. It was cheaper than the Logitech models I had been considering.

There are plenty of reviews available by googling "Avermedia 313 review".

Good hunting...

Basically nearly anything that uses the 'uvcvideo' module is good to go in linux. Choose your spec & price. Windows is big enough to look after itself.