diff --git a/config/default.yaml b/config/default.yaml
index df2f235..34f19ea 100644
--- a/config/default.yaml
+++ b/config/default.yaml
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@ input:
   type: camera
   camera_id: 0
   video_path: null
-  width: 1280
-  height: 720
+  width: 1920
+  height: 1080
   fps: 30
   backend: auto
   horizontal_flip: false
   max_consecutive_read_failures: 5
+  fourcc: MJPG              # camera pixel format; "" = driver default. MJPG is needed for 1080p@30 on many webcams
 detector:
   model_path: yolo11n.pt
   device: auto
diff --git a/config/experiment.yaml b/config/experiment.yaml
index 69a0634..dc51c6f 100644
--- a/config/experiment.yaml
+++ b/config/experiment.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ experiment:
 input:
   type: camera
   camera_id: 0
-  width: 1280
-  height: 720
+  width: 1920
+  height: 1080
   fps: 30
   backend: auto
   horizontal_flip: false
diff --git a/src/camera.py b/src/camera.py
index 3347191..cd00989 100644
--- a/src/camera.py
+++ b/src/camera.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """OpenCV camera and video input abstraction."""
 
+import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import cv2
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ import numpy as np
 from .config_loader import InputSettings
 from .exceptions import CameraOpenError, FrameReadError
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class Camera:
     """Read frames from a camera device or video file."""
@@ -32,9 +35,24 @@ class Camera:
             self.release()
             raise CameraOpenError(f"Could not open {self.config.type} input: {source}")
         if self.config.type == "camera":
+            # The pixel format must be set before the resolution: many webcams only offer
+            # Full HD at a usable frame rate in MJPG, and fall back to a lower mode otherwise.
+            if self.config.fourcc:
+                self._capture.set(cv2.CAP_PROP_FOURCC, cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*self.config.fourcc))
             self._capture.set(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_WIDTH, self.config.width)
             self._capture.set(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_HEIGHT, self.config.height)
             self._capture.set(cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS, self.config.fps)
+            actual_w, actual_h = self.get_actual_width(), self.get_actual_height()
+            logger.info(
+                "Camera opened: requested %dx%d@%.1f fourcc=%s, actual %dx%d@%.1f",
+                self.config.width, self.config.height, self.config.fps, self.config.fourcc or "default",
+                actual_w, actual_h, self.get_actual_fps(),
+            )
+            if (actual_w, actual_h) != (self.config.width, self.config.height):
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Camera resolution differs from the request: requested %dx%d, got %dx%d",
+                    self.config.width, self.config.height, actual_w, actual_h,
+                )
 
     def read(self) -> np.ndarray | None:
         if self._capture is None or not self._capture.isOpened():
diff --git a/src/config_loader.py b/src/config_loader.py
index d954cdc..78ab96f 100644
--- a/src/config_loader.py
+++ b/src/config_loader.py
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ class InputSettings:
     backend: str
     horizontal_flip: bool
     max_consecutive_read_failures: int
+    # Four-character camera pixel format (e.g. "MJPG"); empty string leaves the driver default.
+    fourcc: str = ""
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
@@ -539,6 +541,8 @@ def _validate(config: AppConfig) -> None:
         raise ConfigurationError("input dimensions, fps, and read failure limit must be positive")
     if i.backend not in {"auto", "dshow", "msmf", "v4l2"}:
         raise ConfigurationError("input.backend must be auto, dshow, msmf, or v4l2")
+    if not isinstance(i.fourcc, str) or (i.fourcc and len(i.fourcc) != 4):
+        raise ConfigurationError("input.fourcc must be empty or exactly 4 characters (e.g. MJPG)")
     if not 0.0 <= d.confidence_threshold <= 1.0 or not 0.0 <= d.iou_threshold <= 1.0:
         raise ConfigurationError("detector confidence and IoU thresholds must be in [0, 1]")
     if d.image_size <= 0 or d.max_detections <= 0 or d.person_class_id < 0: