Founded in 2016, Emeet has produced a wide range of webcams, some of which have picked up awards for design. I reviewed the Emeet Pixy for Digital Camera World back in July 2025, giving it 5 stars - so it was no surprise to me that the Pixy won the Red Dot Design Award in 2026. The innovatively designed Pixy was a dual-lensed laptop-mounted webcam that could pan and tilt to keep you in the frame, even if you stood up from your laptop and walked about. I was therefore very keen to test out a more recent offering from Emeet - the SmartCam S600L.

The Pixy’s PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) key design innovation was the mini-gimbal that it was mounted on. The SmartCam S600L’s design innovation is that it combines a webcam with a ring light, enabling you to capture or stream better quality video than you can with your laptop’s built-in webcam.

The Emeet SmartCam S600L enables you to stream high-quality footage in 4K. For our recommendations on other 4K-capable laptop webcams, check out our buying guide.

Specifications

Price

The Emeet SmartCam S600L officially retails at $104.99 / £71.99. I use a 2023 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip, and its built-in FaceTime HD camera produces 1080p footage that looks soft, lacks contrast, and can look a bit noisy in low light. I can’t afford to upgrade to a newer M4 MacBook Air with its 12MP Centre Stage camera, so an outlay of £72 for the Emeet SmartCam S600L is a much more attractive and affordable way to stream sharper-looking footage from an old MacBook! Check out my supporting video in the Performance section to see the difference between my MacBook’s camera and the Emeet SmartCam S600L.

Design and handling

It’s always interesting to handle an Emeet product, as they tend to be well-built and have innovative design features. The Emeet SmartCam S600L lacks the built-in gimbal and dual lenses of the award-winning Emeet Pixy, but it also lacks the Pixy’s higher price tag (which officially retails at nearly twice the price). The Emeet SmartCam S600L also boasts a feature the Pixy lacks: a built-in LED ring light. The ring of LEDs encircles the webcam’s lens, so when you look directly at the camera, it creates a subtle catchlight in your eyes (or less subtle if you wear glasses!) — adding a sparkle that helps bring your face to life on video calls.

Even though it is made of plastic, the Emeet SmartCam S600L doesn’t feel cheap and nasty. It has a solid build and feels surprisingly heavy for such a small device, weighing in at 124g on my kitchen scales. Fortunately, it was not too heavy to sit comfortably on the top of my MacBook Air’s display. It has an adjustable hinged clip that grips the top of the display. Rubber inlays on the inside of the hinged grip ensured that the SmartCam had a tight and secure grip on my MacBook’s thin screen. At the base of the grip is a 1/4” threaded hole, so you could pop the S600L on a tripod if you wanted to film yourself from an angle. If the tripod has an adjustable ball head, you could flip the camera at an angle and stream vertical footage instead of horizontal. So this tripod thread is a welcome design touch.

The Emeet SmartCam S600L has a single circular knob on its side. This also functions as a dial. Press the knob to turn on the LEDs, press it again to toggle between different colour temperatures, and rotate the knob to adjust brightness. The ball joint connecting the camera to its clip enables you to rotate the light through 360º. You can also tilt it by a 15º angle to fine-tune your position in the frame.

One useful and welcome design touch is the privacy switch. If you’re having a bad hair day and want to listen and talk in a Zoom meeting without being seen, then simply slide the switch to activate a built-in lens cap. The cap is a vivid orange, so it’s very clear when you’re using the SmartCam in privacy mode.

Performance

When I unboxed the S600L, I was a little concerned to see that the end of its cable had a large USB-A connector. My MacBook Air only has USB-C inputs, so I thought I’d have to hunt out my USB hub to get the camera to talk to my MacBook. Fortunately, I realised that I could remove the camera cable’s USB-A adaptor to reveal a USB-C plug. I popped this plug into my MacBook’s USB-C socket and the SmartCam S600L’s ring light began to display an animated pattern that cycled through all of the colours in the spectrum. This indicated that it was active and ready to stream/capture footage.

The ridged edges of the SmartCam’s single control knob enabled me to easily adjust the brightness of the LEDs mounted in the ring around the lens. This sounds like a useful option, but to be honest, I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d want to reduce the brightness of the LEDs, as they are only capable of a maximum 60 lux from a distance of half a meter. For the duration of my test, I kept the brightness to maximum. At the brighter end of my kitchen (it’s less messy than my home office to film a review), the side-angle key light from a window caused half of my face to appear in shadow. By activating the S600L’s LEDs, I was able to summon a fill light to make the lighting look a little bit more even. The LED lighting was more effective and noticeable when filming at the darker end of the kitchen, as you’ll see from my supporting video.

I was able to press the control knob to cycle through lighting presets - cool (6200K), warm (2600K), mixed (400K) and ambient. By default, the ambient lighting is a cold blue, but if you open the supporting Emeet Studio app, you can change the ambient preset to more creative colours such as Pink, Purple, Blue, Cyan, Yellow and Orange. I found the creative ambient colours to be less bright than the more subtle colour temperature presets, plus the cool 6200K preset best suited and complemented the similar lighting streaming in from my test location’s windows.

I started my test by recording a QuickTime sequence using my MacBook’s FaceTime HD camera and then recorded a sequence using the S600L. The S600L’s 4K footage was much sharper than my MacBook’s native camera, and there was a wider tonal range with stronger shadows and brighter highlights. The MacBook footage looked a little warm, whereas, thanks to a more accurate white balance reading, whites looked white in the S600L footage, creating cooler, more natural-looking skin tones.

The spec of the Emeet S600L indicates that it is fast to focus (in 0.2s), keeping you nice and sharp at all times. I tested this claim by placing my iPhone 17 close to the lens and then removing it. It did indeed keep the nearby iPhone looking nice and sharp and then quickly refocussed on my face when I removed the iPhone from the shot.

The S600L also had two built-in microphones, so I tested those too, of course. My MacBook’s built-in mics captured more bass in my voice, but they were also slightly muffled. The audio captured by the Emeet S600L was much sharper and clearer, but at the cost of sounding a bit too thin. Have a listen to my test video. The Emeet S600L’s audio also sounds a little quieter. I’ve tweaked the levels a bit, but I haven’t adjusted loudness or EQ, as I want to give you an accurate comparison between the S600L’s mics and my MacBook’s built-in ones.

Verdict

An affordable way to make my 2023 MacBook Air’s built-in webcam video footage look better would be to use my iPhone 17 as a Continuity Camera. This would enable me to stream much better-looking footage from the iPhone’s superior camera. However, using an iPhone for this purpose means popping it on a mini tripod and then removing it from the tripod if I needed to use it to take a call.

The advantage of the Emeet SmartCam S600L is that it’s a dedicated webcam. It takes seconds to clip it onto my laptop, and it sends a superior video feed through a wide range of applications such as Zoom for streaming or QuickTime for recording ‘talking to camera’ movies. The built-in ring light can be triggered with a tap, and its integrated design means that I don’t need to faff about trying to align a separate ring light with my webcam.

At a maximum of 60 lux (that’s around 60 candles), the ring light isn’t the most powerful LED available, but in bright conditions it will fill in harsh shadows on your face, and in darker locations it helps the Emeet SmartCam S600L’s 1/2” CMOS sensor reduce the presence of noise in your footage.

Alternatives

Webcams and their underlying software form the backbone of communications in the modern, connected world.

But these sophisticated devices owe their roots to a group of caffeine-fueled computer scientists who just wanted to know if there was coffee left in the pot at their research lab without leaving their desks.

Back in 1991, when the web was still in its infancy, Quentin Stafford-Fraser and Paul Jardetzky were researching ATM networks in the depths of the Trojan Room, part of the Computer Lab at Cambridge University, England.

The duo were part of a wider team of 15 or so programmers involved in the research, which was intellectually taxing work fueled by copious amounts of caffeine, and a freshly brewed pot never lasted long.

“Being poor, impoverished academics, we only had one coffee filter machine between us, which lived in the corridor just outside the Trojan Room,” Stafford-Fraser commented retrospectively in a Cambridge University blog post.

Frustrated by frequently venturing down to the coffee machine only to find the pot empty, Stafford-Fraser and Jardetzky devised a solution to check the coffee pot without needing to leave their desks.

As recalled by Stafford-Fraser in a 2001 retrospective article, they used a 128 x 128px grayscale camera, pointing it at the coveted Krups coffee maker, a frame grabber, an Acorn Archimedes computer and some custom software.

Jardetzky wrote the server-side program that stored the three grayscale images snapped per minute on the university network, and Stafford-Fraser crafted the interface that the researchers used to access the images from their computers.

Aptly named XCoffee, the monitoring system only took the pair “a day or so” to put together. But as Stafford-Fraser later commented, hilariously, that it was “more useful” than anything else he wrote while working in the Trojan Room.

Two years after XCoffee launched, fellow researchers Dan Gordon and Martyn Johnson modified the original system and connected it to the internet, subsequently creating the first ever webcam.

Over the next couple of years, the Trojan Room coffee pot gained widespread press attention and, in 1995, Stafford-Fraser wrote the Trojan Room Coffee Pot Biography to satisfy the growing interest. By 1998, the Trojan Room Coffee Pot webpage celebrated its fifth birthday while surpassing 2 million hits, gaining something of a cult following.

“Perhaps the coffee pot camera has something of the appeal of early silent movies. There is, after all, no accompanying audio (now why didn't we think of that?), and the image is black and white with a very low frame rate,” Stafford-Fraser said in 2001.

Despite the mundane subject and less-than-appealing grayscale colors, images of the Trojan Room coffee pot continued to captivate people until 2001.

That year, the Computer Lab moved to a different building in Cambridge University; the webcam system was shut down and the now legendary longest-serving pot sold on eBay for £3,350 ($4,420 / AU$6,410) to raise money for coffee facilities in the new lab.

On August 22 2001 the webcam captured its final image, showing the fingers of Daniel Gordon, Martyn Johnson and Quentin Stafford-Fraser pressing the power-off switch on the Acorn Archimedes that had captured the images for the preceding 7 years and 9 months.

And so passed into history a quirky and simple, yet revolutionary camera system that inspired the high-speed, color-rich livestreaming we enjoy today. Alas, as Stafford-Fraser revealed, it didn’t make the coffee “any better, though”.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best 4K webcams and the best webcams for working from home. Alternatively, many cameras (such as the Canon PowerShot V1) can be used as plug-and-play webcams via a USB connection.

“How many times have you heard ‘Can you hear me?’ at the start of a meeting?”

According to a new Owl Labs survey, those familiar tech hiccups are adding up – costing workers an average of 6.5 minutes per meeting across major global markets (The survey took place in the US, the UK, Germany & France.)

Moreover, the company goes on to point out that it isn't just the old and easily confused suffering this kind of delay – which the company has dubbed a Workplace Tech Frustration for, no doubt, its amusing

Interestingly, it isn't just the usual suspects who are being delayed by tricky webcams in meeting rooms. Technical difficulties are even more frequent for younger workers, with 82% of Gen Z and 79% of Millennials reporting time lost to tech issues – higher than the 73% of Gen X and 72% of Boomers.

At this point it's fair to remind readers that Owl Labs are not exactly impartial in all this; the company created the Meeting Owl and its assorted sequels, conference room webcams which can be placed at the center of a meeting table and see in any direction.

An AI tech is used to identify who is speaking and make them the subject of the video feed that is sent from the room automatically.

Owl Labs also highlight that the rather vague "technical difficulties" account for 79% of reported issues, while audio echo or distortion is reported by 78%, the result being that 74% feel they have missed visual cues.

Whether this should matter to employers or not rests more on the risk to their staff, and incredibly 93% of employees said they would take some form of action if they no longer had access to hybrid working. That despite the fact that most had systems they found problematic. (Tech, in general, was the second most ranked factor at work after salary, at 89% to 92%.)

So "Organizations are investing heavily in AI and meeting technology, but the real value comes when those tools are intuitive, inclusive and trusted" said Owl Labs CEO Frank Weishaupt

Can we at Digital Camera World vouch for the latest model? No. I've personally tested the Owl Labs Meeting Owl 3 but we have not tested the most recent model.

There are alternatives, of course. You can check our guide to the best conference room webcam.

Built-in webcams are simply not good enough for those with serious quality ambitions – there are compromises made on cost and physical size to fit them into laptop lids. YoloLiv fully understood that when they announced that their YoloCam S3 was "the closest you can get to a DSLR," but did they achieve their goal – and were there any trade-offs in the process?

In my review I look at all the possible needs, but as an expert reviewer of premium webcams, there are several key areas that will come up, and several targets – a spoiler: you'll need to decide which matters most to you!

High-quality webcams can be useful for streamers, on platforms like Twitch or any of the many others. You can build a better relationship with followers if they can more easily connect with you, and clearer, sharper images help. Similarly, meetings on platforms like Zoom can benefit from better images – but here plug-and-play setup is usually more crucial too.

DSLRs, by the way, are a bit of historical category altogether – but are definitely associated with 'proper' – so let's find out who the YoloCam S3 is (and isn't) for...

Yolocam S3 Price

In this area, the $219 / £209 camera is priced broadly competitively with premium 4K webcams from Insta360 and Obsbot, however both of these will offer gimbal-based tracking for similar money while the Yolo seems happier to rest on its heavy magnetic grip and the soft background of a larger sensor. For many this will be a practical versus visual choice.

Yolocam S3 Specifications

Build and handling

If you're a serious video-maker or photographer and someone tells you a device is DSLR-like, you're immediately suspicious. DSLRs are, after all, a technology which has had its day. The term lingers on amongst the wider public because they don't replace their cameras, even every ten years, and because 'Mirrorless' doesn't sound quite as cool, but if you're shopping for a new pro camera it'd be an odd choice not to get a mirrorless one.

DSLRs, though, were what introduced many to the concept of consequence-free experimentation with settings, and that's very much how YoloLiv seem to have approched their concept – a camera with a large image sensor so settings can be tweaked, and an app (for Mac or PC) that allows them to be adjusted.

More than allows, I'd say. Requires. When I first plugged in the camera it was recognised by the system (I use a MacBook Pro M4). I could select it from the list of cameras in all the usual apps, like Zoom, or the built-in FaceTime camera. So there is a basic 'plug-and-play' via USB, but the picture at first was surprisingly bad.

Only after I installed the app was I able to take charge of the settings, though there were a few disappointments. While the Mac recognised the camera, and OBS did (which I used to record the review below), it didn't appear in Final Cut Pro as a camera to record 'live' with.

Other software alluded to by YoloLiv was 'Picasso Resolve' (wonder where they got the idea for that name) which can, apparently, achieve live color grading in a manner similar to DaVinci Resolve. This wasn't tested because it's "Coming Soon" on the Mac.

The camera doesn't have to be clipped over a laptop – the meaty metalic clip also boasts a tripod mount so you can screw it into a support and position it as you choose (it of course works with relatively light supports, like those used for action cameras).

For the most part build is OK, though I did accidentally drop it a couple of times and what I assume is the paintwork near the corners and on the rim of the lens has small chips. Operation seems unaffected.

The promotional materials also boast that the device does not suffer from overheating issues, but it's fair to say that after a few hours it was one of the warmest parts of my computer setup.

Performance

The camera's performance is something of a mixed bag, I think I encountered some frustrations (it didn't like what it kept complaining was a USB 2 grade cable even though it worked just fine for me Insta360 Link 2 Pro, for example, and the default image – for me at least, on the review model – was a concern.

On the plus side, with the app open, I had little trouble getting the image I wanted as you'll see in the video (yes, I know I need a haircut...).

Above: sample video captured with the YoloCam S3

On the plus side, the camera's focus was well-behaved and relatively quick. AF is an essential with a camera like this with a larger sensor because the f1.85 aperture at 24mm EFL can give a decent depth of field effect (soft focus background).

The software (again, you'll need to run it and then store the settings to the camera) also offers the opportunity to choose settings for you by AI.

Overall verdict

If your goal is streaming, or recording pieces to camera for YouTube on a low budget, then this camera is an astoundingly good choice. You will need to spend a bit of time setting things up – but then you always do, don't you? To get the studio or your recording location right.

Looked at that way, adding in some controls we're familiar with as creators (what YoloLiv call 'DSLR-like') is a good thing, but if you're doing a lot of meetings on the move and just want something you can trust you'll need to go to the settings app every time and that's a delay I wouldn't really want to add every time. Sometimes you'll be in a rush and want it to just work.

Some webcam creators will also value other features which aren't here, like automatic pan/tilt tracking (a gimbal).

So this is a great device, for a quite specific niche of creator. If that is you, I think you'll appreciate its quirks. It's definitely cheaper than using a serious compact camera like the Sony ZV-E10 and streaming from it

Alternatives

The Logitech Rally camera is a PTZ system which brings high resolution to the workplace meeting area, and is compatible with most conferencing systems, and is sold in a variety of packages by Logitech to bring speakers, connectivity and remote control to the meeting room. Which you choose will depend on your needs.

It is designed to work with multiple connection boxes, too – one hub on the table and another to plug into a monitor on the wall of your meeting room, to afford setup flexibility.

This has the potential to be one of the best conference room cameras, but is it able to meet that challenge – on its own or in one of its bundles?

Price

The Logitech Rally launched as a device alone at $1,299 / £1,299, and can be found at $1999 in its cheapest bundle with hubs to form a Logitech Rally system. The value proposition is bolstered by hybrid zoom, which smaller webcam alternatives can't yet muster.

Specs

Build and handling

There is a significant heft to Logitech's camera, which comes from the 5x optical and 3x digital zoom.

Use with the full Rally system, the camera integrates with Teleconferencing systems – Google Hangouts Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom – but be prepared to set that up or, more realistically, have someone in IT handle that.

The camera can automatically detect people at the start of meetings, but it lacks the AI capability to automatically track them if they're moving around, so it's not ideal for presentations (just zoom out if you're dealing with a walker!)

Logitech offer a wall-mounting plate, while the base of the device has a tripod thread for more temporary fitting. A nice touch is that if the ceiling mount is used, the image is automatically flipped.

The camera draws a lot of power, more than a standard USB-C cable (at least back when it was designed), hence the non-standard arrangement. That is a frustration for anyone hoping to deploy it as a streaming camera.

Sadly there is no PoE in the device – LAN can be connected to the table hub (alongside a USB and HDMI-in), while the display hub has HDMI out and connections for the speaker or speakers.

Performance

The camera uses a system called 'RightSight' as its AI, which frames participants in meetings, and 'RightSound' to filter out ambient and background noise and balance the sound between the louder and quieter meeting participants. That's good for the person at the other end as they should be able to hear the more mouse-like participants while not being overwhelmed by your shouty – er, over-einthusiastic – colleagues (you know who they are).

The camera can cope reasonably well with rooms that aren't ideally lit, thanks to its basic camera smarts, so credit where it is due.

Overall verdict

The Logitech Rally provides an excellent picture, but the value and the scattered tech of the system seems designed to trap you into Logitech's office supplies range with its proprietary connector on the base and range of associated hubs which result in a lot of cables and require more thought and planning than some meeting room camera systems.

Alternatives exist which can plug directly into a computer, without, and it's interesting to see that the next generation of this camera – if such the Rally AI can be considered – will also be adopting a more flexible approach.

If you're looking for something with modern AI that'll track people, look elsewhere. The motors are not quick and the default responses are slow when people are speaking.

Owl Labs, the company behind the innovative 'any-room' 360-degree meeting room camera system, has announced the new Meeting Owl 5 Pro for pre-order with features designed to reduce cable and device clutter.

It looks like the Meeting Owl might be looking to find a home in the middle of more meeting rooms, with key features including 4K UHD video, the ability to deliver content directly to a display via HDMI passthrough, and cable-reducing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) experience.

Like previous Meeting Owls, the core concept is that the device used the central camera at the top of the device, which also combines a dual speaker system and eight directional microphones. The AI uses these to pinpoint the current speaker, and one of several different styles of image is sent to other remote meeting participants, whether a view of the whole room, or crops of just the speaking or most recent speakers.

The Meeting Owl can "see" and detect individuals approximately 10ft (3m) in any direction, but for larger meeting rooms, it can now also be paired with another device using a single secure Ethernet cable. The camera has 64 megapixels, but the pickup radius is also determined by the range of the microphone array, which is 18ft / 5.5 meters.

"The Meeting Owl 5 Pro represents a significant leap forward in our mission to create truly equitable hybrid meetings for all companies, with a focus on Enterprise," said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs.

A new integrated port design in the bottom of the device includes HDMI, USB-C, and Ethernet ports. Owl Labs partners with Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP), which provides platform security. This is all powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250.

The Meeting Owl 5 Pro is available for pre-order now for $2,599 / £2,399 with shipping expected in Q1, and details are available from Owl Labs, but the earlier Meeting Owl 3, perhaps better suited to huddle meetings, is still on sale and can be connected directly to a laptop for less than half that price.

Check out our guides to the best conference room cameras, and to the best 4K webcams

For various reasons, a lot of WebCams are not as high-quality as you'd hope – especially those built into computers. Laptop cameras, especially, are treated by manufacturers as components and have to overcome strict criteria on size and price. Quality is just one consideration, for a computer vendor – but it might be something much more significant if you're a YouTuber, a game streamer or just want to look your best when working remotely.

Insta360 are one of a small but growing number of companies concentrating on premium webcams. The Link 2 Pro is one of two models released at the same time that boast similar camera specs (the other is the Link 2C Pro).

Even though the 2C has an extra letter in its name, this one is the more powerful since it also includes a gimbal and AI that gives it the ability to follow it's subject around the room, making it more like having a personal camera operator.

A device like this can be a massive boon for streamers as well as those seeking to look good in standard video calls. If video conferencing is important to you paying a premium makes sense. For those running online training sessions, a camera like this is likely to help students see what you're doing – even if you need to move around. That can help them learn, and make your training more effective.

With all those reasons to own the device in mind, the question is, has Insta360 got things right with this model?

Link 2 Pro: Pricing

Launching at the start of 2026 for $249.99 / £239.99, this is more expensive than its previous generation, but brings more features and better quality, so there isn't an immediate surprise either – it's also still easier on the wallet than some premium PTZ webcams (I'm looking at you, Obsbot Tiny 3), so all round value is on the right side of acceptable.

Link 2 Pro: Specs

Link 2 Pro: Build and handling

The Link 2 Pro has "Flagship" written on the box, and feels just as premium when you take it out.

The core components are constructed from metal or high-quality plastic, nothing cheap, and that weight is reassuring. There is also something about the large size of the gimbal turntable and the camera head that reminds you there is a larger image sensor inside.

The camera connects using the generously long USB-C to USB-C cable included in the box, but (if you need it) you'll also find a USB-A adaptor. This feels the right way around these days to me; USB-A is, after all, a bit old school, but you never know!

In fact plugging it in is enough for most apps to identify the camera and, thanks to the gesture recognition, for you to turn on and off the face tracking feature that sets this camera apart from many.

Holding your palm up a couple of seconds is enough for the AI to recognise that you want to be tracked, after which the gently glowing green LED circle flashes a couple of times in acknowledgement and turns blue. Get up and walk about and you can get nearly behind the camera before it'll lose you.

The software is generous in nature, and installing it brings out the best in the camera. For example, I found the default track had a slight lag before it decided to turn, but it turns out there are simply three choices – personally I preferred the 'Quick' option, and by using Insta360's 'Link Controller' app you can access settings like these.

This is also the route to more tun-of-the-mill features like digital zoom which, again, offer a lot of directorial control if you're used to making do with the limited feature set of your meeting app.

Link 2 Pro: Performance

I tested the camera in low and good light, and the camera's 1/1.3-inch image sensor impressed me a great deal with no tweaks to the settings.

The camera can be used simply by plugging it in, and will recognise faces easily. It has dual native ISO, which means that the image generally retains detail across the image, unlike cheaper or built-in webcams, which invariably have over- or under- exposed areas.

Not everything was perfect about the digital effects. While my girlfriend was a fan of the digital effects, especially the Makeup options, they require switching down to 1080P.

Despite seeming newer and a bit more futuristic and 'AI' than the 'Background' options, which is a tech we've all gotten a bit used to from remote meeting apps already, I found that there was still a degree of fringing especially with motion. Where things can be improved (if you have the gear) is by using a green screen. If you check the box, it'll identify the key and take advantage of your setup.

You'll see that the autofocus and the auto tracking using the two axis gimbal (as I move in my seat) is quick. When I got up and walked around, it followed me until it was looking halfway behind before losing track of me because it cannot continue indefinitely.

Head tracking is smooth and consistent, and the phase detection autofocus system worked well in my testing.

Incidentally, 4K for a webcam can reveal some quite crisp detail and if your personal grooming is as poor as mine, well, that may not be ideal. Something that is much appreciated is that – should you choose to use the accompanying software (including AI makeup) – it is relatively straightforward and can act as a virtual camera so any of your apps can use it.

Positives are that it was easy to use compared to others I've tried. One slight issue – potentially a gender one? It had no problem at all applying digital 'makeup' to my girlfriend, even in low light, but even in good light I think my beard confused the AI because there were some brief flickers as the lipstick lost the lips momentarily!

Link 2 Pro: Overall verdict

I tested this camera on work meetings, with my girlfriend, and recording streams, and in every case – whatever the lighting – I found myself pleased with the result. What is especially pleasing about Insta360's implementation of the gimbal technology is the smoothness with which is handles subject tracking.

If I were looking for a negative, the camera is perhaps slightly bulkier than I'd want, especially knowing that a certain competitor seems to have made the same concept around half the size (Obsbot, since you ask, also found in our best mac Webcams guide).

Gesture controls, well, they can be a bit of an acquired taste – but it's one of so many options on this camera (the app is a great choice in my book). This camera makes a presentation practical, plus with features like whiteboard mode it can potentially save a lot of money against a full scale meeting room setup.

Alternatives

Logitech has launched two new cameras, the new Rally AI Pro PTZ camera and the Rally AI which, together, have the goal of addressing more complicated meeting spaces.

The Rally AI Pro features a dual-camera system – with a traditional gimbal-mounted PTZ camera at the top with 15x hybrid zoom at the top, and a fixed camera system in the housing with a one-inch sensor and 115-degree field-of-view monitor the entire room.

The 15x zoom is made up of 3x optical and 5x digital, which is the same as Logitech's existing Rally cameras, but this features AI subject tracking and all-new motors for much more responsive subject tracking.

This kind of subject tracking was described as "Great if you're a pacer, like me" by Holly Zhou, who introduced the product.

Despite gaining a camera, and AI, the new Rally AI Pro is thinner than the original Logitech Rally model, protruding only around 10cm (4 inches) from the wall. While the top camera can turn down for privacy, the side camera has to roll away.

In terms of AI features, the cameras come fully equipped for the latest in multi-camera conferencing apps, which include Zoom and (which now supports up to 16 cameras) and Microsoft Teams multi-camera view. The system is also capable of pulling off this kind of AI without the help of the software, identifying the speaker and, indeed, avoiding people the other side of glass walls who might otherwise distract a meeting room camera.

When the camera goes on sale this Spring in America and Europe, it'll retail for $2,999 (around £2,200). The device will be offered in both a gray version and an off-white version, and a large array of fitting accessories will be available from Logitech too, including ceiling mounts and recessed wall mounts.

With several more weeks to wait, it remains to be seen whether this will make our guide to the best conference room cameras.

The Obsbot Tiny 3 is, it claims, not only the smallest PTZ webcam on the market, but one which now boasts significant improvements to its microphone system, offered with the prospect of offering studio-quality sound and so replacing cumbersome mic and camera rigs for streamers.

The five new audio modes, as well as the bigger image sensors, are a key part of the upgrade over the previous generation of 'Tiny' cameras. Will serious streamers be able to consider a PTZ camera only a little bigger than a soda bottle top?

In this review, I test that capability with a recording artist to verify whether the sound from the three-microphone system meets those claims. We also talk about other options...

Pricing

At launch in late February 2026, the Obsbot Tiny 3 is not the cheapest webcam, at $349 / £299 / AU$549, but it offers a step up in quality over what is included in the computer. Unlike the recent Insta360 Link 2 Pro launch, this camera isn't pushing the price up from the previous iteration – the Tiny 2 – though on Amazon at least I'm seeing lower prices on the previous generation.

(Launching alongside the camera is the Tiny 3 Lite, for $199 / £169 / AU$309 , though this has a lesser camera, lacking the DCG HDR and dual native ISO. This is also nudging prices up a little.)

Specs

Build & handling

The Obsbot really does feel small and surprisingly light, even for its small size, when you lift it out of the included travel case, especially compared to competitors.

The base is a black plastic, with a tripod screw at the bottom. At the back there is a USB-C socket and supplied with the camera is a USB-C cable and an adapter for USB-A ports for older devices.

The camera itself, which sits above the base, is a dark gray, and has the cold touch of metal rather than plastic. There is a glossy shine to the microphone array's cover, which lives behind the camera on the base (so turns with the camera).

Built like the tiny PTZ camera it is, when I opened it for the first time, there wasn't just a piece of protective film over the lens, but another over the guard that covers the mic grille, such is the delicacy of its manufacturing. (I was impressed when testing that no motion sounds were picked up.)

The camera has what appears to be a single long-thin color changing indicator light at the base of the gimbal, but in reality, this is made up of several LEDs because it can flash in sequence during software updates and the like.

Obsbot also provide a simple monitor clip, which is bordering on the tiny, but nevertheless manages to support the camera on the back of my MacBook Pro. It attaches magnetically to the camera (the magnet is in the camera's base), and has three hinges so can be positioned in a number of different ways. This is useful if you want to give the camera a bit of extra height.

As well as the hardware, Obsbot offer downloads including Obsbot Center, which allows more sophisticated control of the camera than you can get with simple USB. There are also option to buy a remote control from Obsbot,

The app is extensively equipped, with all kinds of tools, including a teleprompter. It also has an on-screen joystick control and access to the AI tracking features, which includes the ability to set up a four-camera multi-camera system and record a live stream.

Performance

It's an unusual situation for a webcam to require a review test to call upon a musician, let alone a recording artist with a single release in progress, but Obsbot make some very serious claims about the Tiny 3's studio quality sound, and Ariane X, in the midst of releasing single Not Normal, was available to help me assess that claim.

First, though, we looked at the image quality. Notice how the camera manages to pull detail in dark hair and a dark jumper.

In testing, Ariane X was also very interested in the AI makeup tools. We both found it a little difficult to actually find these in the feature rich Obsbot center app, but this is something which would become less of an issue with practice.

She (not me) is someone for whom time spent applying makeup is a consideration before online meetings, so the quality of these features has the prospect to save time, and she was genuinely impressed after some tweaking. I noted that the 'Man' setting seemed to affect the background as it altered my face shape.

In the video test, you'll also see testing the gesture controls – which it generally detects well. However, when I start talking about the gestures, the camera begins and stops tracking because it also responds to voice commands.

All of this can be turned on and off in the app, but my lesson was that it's important to familiarise yourself with all the commands if you plan to leave them enabled.

The digital zoom is certainly perfectly usable up to about 2x without any serious issues in the video, while you can use it up to 4x if you choose.

In the above tests, though, I also used the mode given as an equivalent to a studio microphone, so for comparison, below, is the same song as recorded for its official release, so you can listen and compare.

For comparison, the studio recording...

Back to the review...

Admittedly, you're hearing a different set of instruments in the fully mixed and mastered recording versus the testing of the camera, which was done with a keyboard on the kitchen table.

The testing environment, however, did have decent accoustics and we were both impressed with the sound – even with the piano playing, the vocals were more dulcet, and the mic had no issue with the combination.

I did notice that the camera seemed to get a little warm if left in use for extended periods, which of course can happen. Some other features, like voice tracking, while effective at pointing the camera at the speaker, might not – even at the fastest setting – be quite as prompt as you'd hope in a setting where the people speaking are two sides of a table.

Overall verdict

The Obsbot Tiny 3 is an excellent webcam, with impressive video quality against its competitors. In my main test space, it had to contend with difficult and rapidly changing backlighting, which didn't seem a problem for the exposure. The camera was able to detect my, keep it in focus, and handle the shifting light. When we tried using the AI subject tracking, it didn't get mixed up even when there were two of us in the shot.

There is a bit of a question, though, as to the need for it for some users, which was brought up by Ariane X as she helped with my review. She made the not-unreasonable point that a phone, with its extensive image processing, can typically manage a slightly more flattering image than the system, though she was taken aback by the sound quality.

Could the camera replace a studio setup using a mirrorless or a phone and a studio microphone? Yes, and it could make that arrangement a lot more portable. The camera and a screen clip are very portable, especially thanks to the included case, which can definitely survive a good bit of rough and tumble. The low-light capabilities make sense with a lot of streaming setups, too.

Obsbot has released two new PTZ webcams, the Tiny 3 and Tiny 3 Lite. These 4K webcams are the latest in the company's range of gimbal-based devices, bringing updated AI Tracking 2.0 subject-following, all in a slightly smaller body than the previous generation.

The new cameras feature improved audio systems, desk mode, whiteboard mode, gesture controls, and the Tiny 3 sports dual-native ISO and DCG HDR (while the Tiny 3 Lite has HDR and standard ISO).

"Tiny 3 delivers flagship imaging in an ultra-compact form for creators who want the best, while Tiny 3 Lite brings the same professional audio and AI experience to everyday workflows at a more accessible level." said Liu Bo, CEO of OBSBOT.

Both cameras feature a triple-silicon MEMS microphone array – featuring a directional microphone as well as two omnidirectional ones.

Obsbot has added five dedicated audio recording modes, hoping to catch the ASMR market and studio-grade music, as well as AI-powered features that can balance voice against background noises.

The cameras offer consumers a choice of 1/2-inch (Tiny 3 Lite) or 1/1.28-inch (Tiny 3) image sensors – up to 37% larger than the previous generation (The Tiny 2 had a 1/1.5-inch sensor).

The cameras still, of course, offer integration with all the main streaming and web meeting platforms, and Pro software for PC and mobile. 4K is caught at 30fps, but 1080P is available at up to 120fps, and ISO 12,800 is now offered.

The Obsbot Tiny 3 and Tiny 3 Lite are being launched and sold alongside a branded Mic from Obsbot. The Mic is $59 / £49.

The Tiny 3 commands a price of $349 / £299, and the Tiny 3 Lite comes in at $199 / £169. The cameras are supplied with the USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter, but bundles with remote controls are also available from Obsbot.

Checking out the latest tech at the BETT Show in London this week, I saw Ohbot's programmable robot heads which can be connected to a camera – but, thanks to AI, they are now also able to talk to each other about cameras...

The company Ohbot offer robotic heads which can easily be programmed by children as young as 7 using a drag-and-drop coding system called Scratch.

Within seconds, the two robot heads were throwing shade at each other’s looks, but not exactly mastering the subtlety of mirrorless vs DSLR – delivering the kind of camera hot takes you’d expect from a salty but very ill-informed YouTube comment section.

The heads themselves can be built as a kit, or bought fully assembled from Amazon, and you'll note that there is a webcam underneath it, and this, too, can be connected to the system very simply – able to 'see' me using AI.

It took a matter of moments to drag and drop the lines of code required to turn the head to follow me as I moved around the area visible to the webcam.

Anyone taking advantage of these tools can program all the motors and lights to turn the heads and eyes. On top of that, there are speakers, so the heads can talk back.

The ability to control the motors, however, is not the extent of the commands available. There is also a selection of commands which can be used to connect to ChatGPT, granting access to the ability to generate responses.

Combining the two takes only a few lines, and with the prompt to have a conversation about cameras.

The demonstrator told me that Ohbot has also added a prompt that gives the bots distinct personalities, which you'll see very clearly if you play the short video above.

One assembled robot head, without webcam, is £269 – around $360 – and is available with a choice of eye iris colors from the manufacturer. The smaller Picoh head is £150 (currently available at Amazon.co.uk, or directly from Ohbot.

I don't know about you, but for now while it's a lot of fun that AI can help robots dislike each other and seemingly criticise each other's appearance, I don't feel they've got enough of a grip on camera categories for me not to want to ask a human for advice when I go camera shopping. Then again, I write about camera tech – I would say that, wouldn't I?

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The new Insta360 Link 2 Pro and Link 2C Pro cams boast 1/1.3-inch image sensors with dual native ISO, and 4K output resolution, targeting pro-grade streaming as well as video calls. With the Link 2 – which also boasts a gimbal – Insta360 seems to be taking the idea that a device in this category can take on a fully fledged PTZ camera and running with it.

In terms of imaging quality, 4K is nothing new for webcams, but the 1/1.3-inch image sensor is a larger sensor than seen on many. Indeed, it is 2.23x the sensor area of the 1/2 inch sensor of Insta360's already well-received Link 2 webcams, and means the 'Pro' cameras can perform in very low light. Insta360 are calling it DSLR quality, but that's a claim we'll assess in the review I'm still conducting.

Other features include HDR, a dual microphone setup, which enables AI-assisted noise reduction. Since this is something most consumers have come to expect from the microphones on their smart headphones, it makes sense to include it on a webcam.

The camera also boasts some natural bokeh, though there is a Background Blur feature available via software should you choose. Insta360's software includes DeskView, Whiteboard, and Portrait modes, and new features upgraded with new Smart Whiteboard, Virtual Background, and Green Screen options.

As with the previous generation (the Link 2 and Link 2C – note without 'Pro' at the end of the name), the key distinction between the Link 2 Pro and the Link 2C Pro is the presence of the gimbal, and the subject tracking features that come with it. The gimbal enables the Link 2 to physically turn the camera to follow a person as they move and even walk around, while the 2C has a lesser form – digital cropping for automated subject framing.

Support for the Wave Speakerphone and Stream Deck platforms is included.

Both cameras are on sale now, and while the camera is undoubtedly higher spec, the price has risen above the previous Link 2 and 2C models too.

You might recall that 1/2-inch sensors seemed big for webcams when the Link 2 series emerged, so these pro cameras are a step ahead – hence the price rise. For now, at least, both are available in stores, too.

Canon has announced two new cameras for the company's range of PTZ – Pan/Tilt/Zoom – devices: The CR-N400 and CR-N350. These 4K UHD devices offer remotely controllable cameras with powerful 20x or 40x zoom, but are differently equipped depending on the target environment.

The CR-N400 boasts the full set of professional interfaces, including 12G-SDI (capable of handling 4K video down a single cable), Time Code, Genlock, dual XLR audio inputs and the like. Essentially, it'll happily slip into a demanding broadcast studio environment, while the CR-N350 has a lighter feature set better suited to streaming.

In terms of common features, both use a 1/2.3-inch CMOS image sensor to deliver 4K video at up to 60fps. The system uses hybrid AF – contrast detect and phase detect AF at the same time to keep things quick, meaning the camera is suited to sports as well as events and the ever-popular houses of worship market.

Head, eye, and face detection can track a subject, and is smart enough not to hunt even when they turn from the camera, according to Canon representatives. In fact, Canon's "Advanced Auto-Tracking" will keep presenters in a frame unassisted, though the company traditionally supplies – as here – a 'Lite' version with the cameras and offers a paid upgrade for features like multi-person framing. (See Canon's own page about the Auto Tracking App RA-AT001)

The 20x optical zoom has a 30-600mm EFL. (Drop the resolution to 1080P and you can output in 40x zoom.)

Both cameras also have optical image stabilization, so even at that long telephoto it shouldn't pick up vibration. That is powered by Canon's DIGIC DV7 processor, as is the color system which allows for Canon Log 3, HDR HLG/PQ & custom LUT files to be uploaded to the cameras.

Social media creators haven't been forgotten either – both cameras can export a simultaneous portrait-format crop for social streaming (and the crop is adjustable).

The Canon CR-N350 and CR-N400 are now officially announced, and indeed have started to appear for pre-order in numerous retailers. I've already spotted them in a few spots, though they don't appear to be shipping until the new year. To get ahead, check here:

• 🇺🇸 Amazon USA : CR-N400 (Black) $5,699 | CR-N400 (White) $6,249
• 🇺🇸 Amazon USA : CR-N350 (Black) $3,999 | CR-N350 (White) $3,999

Check out our guide to the best PTZ cameras available right now

Hollyland, a brand usually associated with professional wireless microphone and video transmission systems, has revealed its first ever webcam: Lyra.

The Lyra 4K UHD Webcam is positioned as a premium device and as such it features a larger-than-average 1/1.5" image sensor, which is said to bridge the gap between typical webcams and professional vlogging cameras.

Lyra is aimed at creators, streamers, teachers and remote professionals alike, fusing high video quality with effortless ease of use. Hollyland claims Lyra's 1/1.5" sensor is significantly larger than sensors in competing webcams - it's capable of recording 4K 30p or Full HD 60p video, and combined with the larger aperture f/1.8 lens, low light image quality is said to be "exceptionally clear" with a true “mirrorless-level” visual experience.

And it's not just video quality that's been given a boost. Lyra also packs a built-in Hollyland LARK A1 wireless microphone receiver, allowing direct pairing with a LARK A1 transmitter for high-fidelity, cable-free audio. Its built-in omnidirectional microphone records at 48 kHz/24-bit for broadcast-level quality, while eliminating background noise through smart AI noise reduction.

Lyra's AI capabilities extend to automatic brightness, contrast and exposure adjustment that detects your ambient lighting conditions, for a more professional-looking video, whether you're streaming, teaching, or on a video conference. AI tracking and automatic framing ensure you always stay centered in frame, plus there's an optional beauty mode that'll subtly refine your appearance. Lyra features a physical rotating lens cover that instantly disables the camera when you need some privacy. The camera can be used on horizontal or vertical orientation, with a magnetic base for effortless switching between the two.

The Hollyland Lyra is available to buy now, priced at $149/£129.

Check out our guide to the best 4K webcams

Insta360 has announced the new Insta360 Wave webcam accessory, a device the company is calling a 'professional-grade speakerphone with integrated AI recording suite'. The stand-out design is described as 'levitating' and – among other uses – it can bring Insta360's Link 2 into the conference camera market.

In a week of significant launches from Insta360's leading competitors GoPro and DJI – the company is launching in another very different space.

The Wave works on its own as an 8-microphone 3D array boasting advanced AI-powered noise cancellation and dereverberation, and can be used for sound recording or as a high-end mic for podcasting and the like. It records 48kHz detail from up to 16ft away.

The built-in AI is capable of eliminating 300 types of background sound, from keyboard clicks to street noise, and it features acoustic echo cancellation and automatic gain control.

The speaker is capable of full duplex audio, and a built-in battery means it can operate via Bluetooth alone for up to 12 hours. Controls are in a 1.82-inch touchscreen in the base. It can record to its own built-in 32GB of storage – up to 1,000 hours of audio, too.

The device is designed to couple with the Link 2, Insta360's subject-tracking webcam with a built-in gimbal, creating a complete meeting camera system. Insta360 haven't stopped there, though, with an AI meeting assistant tool InSight capable of transcribing meetings in 99 languages.

The software – payable at an additional subscription – can identify speakers by voice, produce smart summaries, and be set with workplace-specific glossaries so it'll know your office's terminology. (There is a monthly or an annual pro plan, at $99/year to support these features).

A nice feature in the demo – a QR code appears on the screen at the base of the device and you can scan it to download a meeting transcription.

The system will also let you chat with ChatGPT and Gemini, and can scale with multiple devices in larger rooms.

Sound optimization allows for Omni-directional, front-focused (cardioid), supercardioid, a 'figure-8' shape for front-and-back (meetings of two people face to face), and stereo for creatives – Insta360 suggests music or ASMR recordings!

The Insta360 Wave is available from today, sold in a 'standard bundle', including a carry bag and cable, for $299.99 / £279 / AU$519.99, or bundled with the Insta360 Link 2 for $499 / £478 / AU$849. It'll be on sale at major retailers and from Insta360 direct.

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PTZ cameras have different jobs, and Logitech's brand is oft associated with conferencing or education. This camera is like any other in that regard, and can play well with the company's software, providing the capability to direct at a subject and close in with a powerful 10x optical zoom.

That's you're lot though – there is no built-in microphone, so don't expect a single device to complete your whole setup. This is more of a premium option to, say, provide close-ups to intermix with other video feeds of a classroom or church.

The camera itself isn't able to auto-track subjects, but it can partner with Logitech's software, which does have some capabilities there.

Logitech PTZ Pro 2: Price

With a likely retail price of only a few hundred, the Logitech is a relatively accessible PTZ camera compared to some from the more traditionally broadcast focus brands like Sony and Panasonic. This is where the value seems reasonable.

Logitech PTZ Pro 2: Specs

Build and handling

The Logitech PTZ Pro 2 adopts a simple and mechanically conspicuous approach to its design – no domes or other complexities are needed our used here. That seems reasonable since it's unlikely to be used in an environment where extra protection from elements is needed!

External construction is from good-quality two-tone grey plastics, the only exception being the remote.

The slight exception to the hard plastic quality is the remote control, which has a slightly rubberized feeling. This mgiht well be protective – maybe absorbing a tiny amount of drop impact, or just making it harder too drop. It also has the effect of helping the remote become a magnet to slightly sticky fingers.

The other thing I didn't love about the remote is that the controls are entirely 'on/off' – there is no anaglog (soft) option, so you cannot push the center a little more gently to make the camera move less quickly. This all-or-nothing approach is good enough to line up a shot with, but means you can't really track a moving subject.

Another aspect of the device which felt a little behind the times to me in a very USB-C era was the single DIN style connector which split off into a historic USB-A connector for my computer and a power connector. I did appreciate the length and quality of the power cable though, to be fair, in a world where these things are often not good enough, but why not simply draw power from a USB-C cable? That would feel more modern.

There is a cutout for a Kensington styler security lock on the back too, but that's about it.

In terms of operation, the camera can be placed on a flat surface or mounted on a tripod and the arm controlled by the remote. When disconnected the power, the camera sinks back into a downward looking position and stops.

The options on the remote provide for three preset positions, a video mirror flip, and a picture mute and – beyond the PTZ controls – that's about it.

Logitech PTZ Pro 2: Performance

The camera certainly does pan, tilt and zoom within the promised range, so no complaints there. The motors are not silent, but then there is no microphone built in to pick up the sound so you should be OK depending on how you set up your system.

I did find – and you'll see in the sample video – that the camera could have been a good deal faster to focus on me. The video also seems to revert to hybrid zoom beyond 10x – meaning that you can see the blurring of digital 'guessing' rather than the optical accuracy of the detail of might somewhat untidy (or 'wolf like') beard.

I don't think that's a bad option to have, but it'd be good to be able to disable this and there is certainly no physical switch on the camera.

In general, the speed of focus – and the hunting in a fairly well-lit room (two big windows in daylight) was quite disappointing for me, though once the camera had got there the picture stayed solid and of a good quality.

Firmware updates have gone a little way to redressing the speed of performance here since launch, so make sure you install the Logitech Sync app and use it, but don't expect miracles.

Logitech PTZ Pro 2: Overall verdict

The Logitech PTZ Pro 2 is a decent, if not brilliant, conference camera, no doubt better suited to setups where other Logitech gear is already present and can communicate with it. Conference rooms and low-movement, relatively static education events like lectures rather than dramatic live events would seem more suited to it. That's because the speed of focusing and the difficulty of directing the camera when using the infra-red (included) remote alone are problematic.

In this day and age there are more sophisticated alternative technologies to consider, which might offer more. AI subject tracking in-camera is not unheard of, so expecting it to be provided by the computer software and the computer to send UVC commands (though this is at least a common standard).

On the plus side, I think the camera provides a flattering picture when the focus is successful, adding a great deal more range. It can thus be placed to the side of a room. It can also see a whole lot further into a meeting room than, say, a fish-eye style camera.

Logitech PTZ Pro 2: Alternatives

If you’ve ever considered upgrading your livestream camera but felt overwhelmed by the cost or complexity of professional mirrorless cameras, Hollyland’s new VenusLiv Air might just change that.

Hollyland has just announced the compact live streaming camera, designed to bring pro-level image quality to creators who aren’t running a studio or a six-figure budget.

At its core, the VenusLiv Air is impressive for a device in this price range. It pairs a 1/1.3-inch 50MP CMOS sensor with a fast f/1.05 lens (equivalent f/3.5), giving it surprisingly good low-light performance and smooth background blur. Whether showing off products, doing a tutorial, or just streaming yourself, the camera promises crisp detail and natural color reproduction.

An important characteristic of streaming cameras is their compact nature, and the VenusLiv Air delivers with a weight of 660g and measures just 134 x 97 x 101mm (LxWxH). The addition of a built-in 3in touchscreen flips 180°, making it easy to check your framing in real time.

Above: Hollyland's video introducing the VenusLiv Air

But Hollyland hasn’t stopped at hardware. The camera leans heavily on software to simplify streaming for beginners. AI-powered tuning adjusts exposure and color automatically, while scene presets and green screen tools mean you can move from wide shots to close-ups or swap backgrounds without breaking your flow.

Even first-time streamers can get a polished look with minimal setup, which is refreshing in a market that often expects you to either have technical knowledge or hire someone who does.

Connectivity and workflow also feel well thought out. VenusLiv Air streams in 4K30 over USB directly to a computer, supports multi-platform streaming, and even handles wireless 4K streaming without a PC.

There’s an HDMI port for switchers, a Type-C port for high-quality audio, and a rotatable design for horizontal or vertical shooting, covering everything from Twitch streams to social-first short-form video. Built-in air cooling also promises uninterrupted streaming, so you won’t be cutting sessions short because the camera overheats.

All this comes at a price of $549 / £500 (Australian price to be confirmed). A price point that makes pro-style streaming genuinely attainable. For YouTubers, Twitch streamers, podcasters, or small-business sellers looking to elevate the production value of their live content, VenusLiv Air feels like the sort of tool that could genuinely simplify the jump from hobbyist to professional-grade setup.

It won’t replace a full studio rig for someone who needs total creative control, but for anyone who’s been frustrated by the barriers to professional streaming quality, it’s an exciting option and one I think is worth checking out.

• Pre-order the Hollyland VenusLiv Air at B&H Photo

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Dedicated webcams often don’t have much in common with interchangeable lens cameras, but a new option from Elgato is the first webcam to support threaded lens filters. The Elgato Facecam 4K supports 49mm threaded filters, a feature that allows the webcam to use the same camera filters that are typically designed with interchangeable lenses in mind.

Support for threaded filters allows the Elgato Facecam 4K to support a number of different added effects. Users could slip on a diffusion filter for light blooms and softer skin, a starburst filter to add interest to that background lighting, or perhaps a polarizing filter so you can block whoever is on the other end from seeing details of what’s outside the window behind you.

The company says that the new webcam delivers “DSLR-like 4K60 video,” in part because the camera allows users to adjust factors like shutter speed, ISO, and white balance. The webcam’s software even supports LUTs for color-grading live video, as well as HDR support.

The Facecam 4K uses a 1/1.8-inch Sony Starvis 2 sensor, a series designed for enhancing image quality in low light. That’s combined with a custom-made prime lens and the company’s latest processor.

The webcam’s list of features also includes auto-framing using a face tracking tool and support for Stream Deck.

Elgato, a subsidiary of Corsair, says that the webcam is designed for creators.

“As the creator economy evolves, we see opportunities to expand what a streaming webcam can do, especially through software, filters, and deeper app integrations,” said Thi La, CEO of Corsiar. “We’re excited to give creators the tools they need to enhance their brand image, and this is just one step in our broader plan to drive further innovation.”

The Elgato FaceCam 4K, which works with both Mac and Windows devices, retails for $199.99 / £179.99. The webcam is available from Elgato’s website and Amazon.

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Hong Kong-based company Emeet was founded in 2016 and was initially known for producing business-focused cameras, such as the Emeet Owl 4+, a 360º panoramic camera that captures everyone around the table in a board meeting.

The company has since expanded its range to produce smart cams designed to meet the everyday needs of home computer users, like the Emeet SmartCam S800 – which sits on top of your PC so that you can stream live footage via OBS Studio, chat to friends and family in a Zoom call, or record a high-quality ‘talking head’ intro for your YouTube channel via apps such as QuickTime.

I wasn't a big fan of the S800 due to its struggle to get a balanced exposure in high-contrast lighting scenarios, but I was much more impressed with the newer, cheaper and more effective Emeet Piko+, due to a combination of excellent picture quality, affordability and a distinctive dual-lens design that – combined with its oval body – is reminiscent of a tiny robot owl. Very cute!

The Emeet Pixy is an evolved version of the Piko+. While the Piko+ sits immobile on its supplied mini tripod and stares in whichever direction you point it, the Pixy is built into a mini gimbal. This enables the Pixy to pan and tilt to follow your every move, so you can stand up and walk about (instead of being glued in front of your laptop or PC while talking to an immobile webcam).

The gimbal component explains the PTZ initials in Pixy’s full name – pan, tilt, zoom – and thanks to this gimbal, Pixy is a game-changer when it comes to webcams, as I’ll explain.

Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam: Specifications

Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam: Price

The Emeet Pixy officially retails at $159.99 / £149.99 / AU$279.99. Its predecessor – the Piko+ – retails at $70 / £60 / AU$134. If you're happy staring at a statically mounted webcam and have it stare back at you, then the older and cheaper Piko+ will do a great job.

However, if you want the freedom to stretch your legs while in a Zoom meeting or you want to walk and talk while recording a QuickTime movie, then the gimbal-mounted Pixy is well worth the extra cost, as it will keep you in the picture at all times.

Personally, the Emeet Pixy suits my needs, and the price is attractive. I’ll tell you why. I have a 2023 15in MacBook Air, which has a built-in FaceTime HD camera. However, unlike newer models, my MacBook Air’s FaceTime Camera doesn’t support Centre Stage.

Centre Stage uses software to make the feed from the FaceTime HD camera pan, tilt, and zoom to keep you in the frame (as if the camera was mounted on a tripod). To enjoy Centre Stage in my video calls, I’d need to spend $1,200 / £1,200 / AU$2,100 on a newer MacBook Air, which is not something I can afford.

The Emeet Pixy is a fraction of the cost of a new MacBook, but it enables me to present to a camera that will pan and tilt in a similar way to Centre Stage. Plus, Centre Stage can’t tilt to keep my face in shot if I stand up, and its panning angle is far narrower than the Pixy’s 310º.

So, in short, I think the Pixy’s price is right (especially as the Ultra HD image quality of the Pixy’s feed looks better than footage streamed from my MacBook Air’s FaceTime HD camera).

Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam: Design & Handling

On unboxing the Emeet Pixy, I was instantly impressed by its weight. Despite being made of plastic, it felt sturdy and well-built, especially when compared to the older and cheaper Emeet Piko+, which is basically a small oval bit of plastic that weighs in at a lightweight 39g compared to the heftier 120g Pixy.

I was intrigued to see that the Pixy is built into a mini gimbal. I’ve enjoyed using gimbals such as the Hohem iSteady M7 to make my iPhone 16 Pro’s camera follow me on location, courtesy of an AI sensor.

It’s very liberating to be able to walk and talk while presenting to the camera with an AI-powered camera operator smoothly tilting and panning to follow my every move. The Pixy’s combination of gimbal construction and AI chip means that I can enjoy a similar level of freedom of movement when using a webcam at home.

The Pixy’s side-by-side dual-cameras look like a pair of eyes, and the urge to anthropomorphize the camera is further encouraged by a little horizontal status LED below the eyes that gives the ‘face’ a ‘mouth’. I was intrigued to see that the dual-camera ‘face’ of the Pixy was clamped between two cylindrical ‘ears’ which rotate to tilt the face up and down.

The face and tilt motors are situated at the top of the Pixy, with a 'neck' connecting them to a pan motor that sits on top of a little cylindrical 'body'. Thanks to the combination of face, neck, and body, I found that the Pixy reminded me of a baby bird, especially when, after unboxing it from its cardboard box ‘nest’, it stared up at me while sitting on my desktop.

The ‘eyes’ of the Pixy aren’t just there to make it look cute. The left camera (as you look at the ‘face’) sends a 4K UHD feed to the Pixy’s 1/2.55in Sony Sensor. The right camera is the Portrait Camera, which uses AI to ensure that the face is in focus at all times.

AI also helps ensure natural-looking skin tones and a perfect highlight/shadow balance when it comes to exposure. Using BlinkFocus technology, the Pixy is able to adjust focus in a speedy 0.2s, so you’ll always stay sharp when in shot. This focus adjustment is, according to Emeet, 2.5x faster than the industry average.

The Pixy ships with a little metal mount. It’s an easy job to screw the mount’s thread into the base of the Pixy’s body and then hook the mount on top of your PC or laptop’s screen. You can then adjust the mount’s hinge so that the camera is pointing at a suitable angle to display you in shot.

Once mounted, the Emeet Pixy sits on top of your PC’s display like a baby bird perched on a branch. I did say that it is cute!

Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam: Performance

When it comes to setting it up, the Emeet Pixy is pretty much ‘plug and play’. It ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable (and comes with an adapter to connect it to older computers via a standard USB Type-A socket). Once plugged into your PC, you can access the camera from a range of apps, such as Zoom or QuickTime.

You should also download the free Emeet Studio software, as this enables you to take more control over the Pixy, such as adjusting the footage’s resolution and frame rate. Emeet Studio also has a Privacy switch, which causes the camera to tilt up at the ceiling and go blank so that you’re no longer in shot.

Oh, you can also use the Studio software to update the Pixy’s firmware, which I did just before testing it. I’ll talk more about Emeet Studio later in this section, and you can see the software (and camera) in action in my supporting video.

I tested the Pixy with it mounted on my MacBook Air’s display. I made the mistake of closing the hinged display while the Pixy was still attached, and it flopped forward, nose-diving onto my desk with a clatter.

The little mouth-shaped LED turned orange to indicate that the Pixy was a bit dazed and confused by its fall, but it quickly tuned back to blue once I re-mounted it on my Mac. A blue ‘mouth’ indicates that the Pixy is in tracking mode, so the gimbal’s neck will rotate, and its head will tilt to follow your face at all times.

I found that the AI-powered tracking was relatively effective. When I leaned left or right, the camera panned smoothly to keep me in shot. I’m a freelance camera operator, so I’m fairly quick at panning to keep a subject in the centre of the frame. The Pixy’s AI-powered panning gimbal was slightly slower than a human operator to respond to movement, but only by a delay of just under a second.

The camera eases in and out of pans naturally and smoothly, just like a human operator. The Pixy was slightly slower to respond when I suddenly stood up. It did tilt to get me back in shot, but this move took around three seconds.

To test the range of the pan and tilt, I stood up and wandered around the room. When the Pixy is happily tracking you, its ‘mouth’ lights up blue. If it loses you, the ‘mouth’ turns orange. When I walked behind my Maono PD300X mic on its metal boom arm, the Pixy lost sight of my face, causing blue to turn orange. However, it was quick to recognize me when I reappeared, and it continued to track my face as I returned to my seat.

The Emeet Pixy is hailed by its publicity as the "world’s first Dual-Camera AI PTZ 4K Webcam". PTZ stands for 'pan, tilt, zoom', as I mentioned earlier. The Pixy does indeed use AI to pan and tilt the gimbal that’s holding the camera. However, I also expected it to perform an AI-assisted digital zoom to keep my face larger in the frame when I leaned back in my chair (like you get when using Apple’s Centre Stage feature).

When streaming 1080p resolution footage, you can get the Pixy to zoom in digitally by manually dragging a slider in the Emeet Studio app, but all that’s doing is cropping into a 4K resolution image. If you choose to stream in full 4K, then you can’t use the digital zoom feature.

Emeet Studio has a range of controls to fine-tune the behaviour of the Pixy. In Standard Mode, there’s an onscreen joystick that is designed to let you manually pan and tilt the Pixy, but this is really cumbersome to use and you tend to watch the Pixy swinging wildly back and forth before eventually getting your face in the frame.

It is much easier to hold up your palm to the Pixy and trigger its Tracking Mode. The green mouth on the Pixy turns to blue to indicate that the Pixy will now track your face. Hold up your palm again to revert to the static Standard Mode, where the Pixy behaves more like a classic webcam.

In Standard Mode, you can use the virtual joystick to set up three different camera positions. You can then get the camera to pan to each position in a click. This could be handy if you want the camera to pan from your face to a product on you desktop, for example, during a Zoom chat.

As well as capturing/streaming great-quality video, the Pixy boasts three microphones built into its body. The Emeet Studio app enables you to switch between three audio presets. Live Mode applies automatic gain control and eliminates ambient device noise, such as air purifiers or fans. This could be useful when using the Pixy at home.

Noise Cancelling Mode analyses the signals from the multiple microphones and isolates the desired sound source while filtering out background noise and reverberation, so this could be handy when working in a noisier location, such as a coffee shop. Noise cancellation can affect the audio quality of your voice, so you can stick to Original Sound Mode if working in a quiet environment.

I found that the audio quality from the Emeet Pixy’s built-in mics was a bit thin and over-sharp (especially in Noise Cancelling Mode) compared to fuller-bodied audio from my Maono mic.

Since I was comparing the Pixy’s footage with the feeds from my MacBook Air’s FaceTime Camera and iPhone 16 Pro Camera, I sourced all my audio from my Maono mic to keep the sound consistent throughout my video review, regardless of which video source I was using.

Emeet Pixy Dual-Camera PTZ 4K Webcam: Verdict

The Emeet Pixy is a game changer when it comes to streaming/recording footage via a PC or laptop. Thanks to the built-in gimbal you are no longer ‘chained’ to your chair during a video chat or online meeting while staring at a webcam.

The Pixy will attentively follow your every move as you stand up to stretch your legs or walk and talk while making a presentation to camera. You’ll also stay in sharp focus when streaming via the Pixy, and your skin tone and facial detail will be clearly visible, even when shooting against a light source.

So if you want a quick and easy way to improve your online presence in meetings, while streaming to YouTube or recording a video presentation then the Emeet Pixy comes highly recommended. I especially like the way you can hold up your palm to trigger AI-tracking and the Pixy’s mouth turns from green to blue, indicating that those cute little dual-camera eyes will be following your every move via smooth tilts and pans.

Alternatives

While the Nintendo Switch was popular with cautious parents in part because it's not over-burdened with modern chat features, the new Nintendo Switch 2 was announced alongside a new camera – the Switch 2 camera – which comes in at $54.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.99.

The games console does, however, also support third-party cameras using the UVC standard (USB Video Class). The chances are you've already got one of those lying around, but did you know your phone might be able to help out? YouTuber Niles Mitchell worked it out:

A USB-C to HDMI cable connected to a modern phone with a USB that can output video can, with an adapter, be sent straight into the Nintendo Switch 2's USB-C socket.

The solution is a bit laggy, though, because does uses an app that puts the camera image live to the screen of the phone (and after a few seconds turns off any overlaid buttons).

He recommends the app TrueVistage, which does this job. The USB-C to HDMI cable is plugged into a video capture cable which, as a YouTuber, he just happens to have lying around.

• 🇺🇸 Guermok Video Capture cable on Amazon $20.99 $17.84
• 🇬🇧 Guermok Video Capture cable on Amazon £18.99 £17.99

The new Nintendo Switch 2 includes a 'Test USB Camera' feature (in System Settings), in which Niles Mitchel was able to see himself, but as Nintendo warns: "You may be able to use a USB-C camera accessory you already own. However, not all cameras may work as intended."

Cameras from some bigger brands have been found not to work – including Sony's Playstation camera and even the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. An extensive discussion has already grown up on Reddit.

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The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWC) has named Obsbot as its official camera and webcam partner for the Esports World Cup 2025, set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 07 to August 24.

The two-year partnership will see Obsbot's cutting-edge AI-powered webcams and PTZ cameras embedded into the production infrastructure of the world’s largest esports event, delivering next-generation video quality and immersive viewing experiences to millions of fans worldwide.

The collaboration is part of the EWC’s broader strategy to strengthen ties with China’s thriving esports and tech sectors, integrating innovation from one of the most dynamic gaming markets into its global ecosystem.

"The Esports World Cup is built on innovation, and technology plays a crucial role in creating unforgettable moments for players, Clubs, and fans," said Mohammed Al Nimer, senior sales director at the Esports World Cup Foundation.

"Our partnership with Obsbot is at the heart of this vision. Its cutting-edge camera technology demonstrates the power of AI in esports today, capturing the intensity and emotion that defines competition at this level and bringing fans into the moment.

"We are thrilled to have Obsbot as our official camera and webcam partner as we continue raising the bar for esports experiences worldwide."

At the core of Obsbot’s offering are two standout devices, the Tail 2 smart-tracking camera and the Tiny 2 webcam.

The Tail 2 is a 4K PTZR live production camera powered by AI Tracking 2.0, designed to deliver smooth, cinematic shots with minimal manual input. It integrates easily into professional broadcasting environments via NDI and other pro-grade outputs.

The Tiny 2, Obsbot’s flagship webcam, brings the same tracking intelligence to the desktop, offering exceptional image quality and responsiveness tailored for streamers and creators.

Both cameras will be used across player areas, streaming stations, and fan-facing activations at the Esports World Cup, helping document gameplay, reactions and behind-the-scenes moments with heightened realism and clarity.

"We believe that everyone’s story deserves to be seen and shared, and the Esports World Cup provides the perfect platform for us to showcase our vision," said Liu Bo, CEO & founder of Obsbot.

"Through our partnership with the Esports World Cup, we are bringing our cutting-edge AI-powered camera technology to millions of gamers and content creators, celebrating the excitement, drama, and triumphs of elite competition on the world’s biggest stage.

"This collaboration is about more than just capturing moments; it’s about empowering a new generation of storytellers to create, share, and inspire with professional-grade tools that are as dynamic as the esports community itself."

With over 25 tournaments across 24 games, 2,000 elite players, 200 Clubs, and a record-breaking $70 million (around £53 million / AU$109 million) prize pool, the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh is poised to be the largest celebration of esports ever staged.

Fans attending in person or tuning in online can expect a rich visual experience that reflects not only the scale of the competition but the sophistication of the technology powering it.

Obsbot’s AI camera technology will play a vital role in elevating that broadcast experience, keeping up with the pace of play, tracking the intensity of the moment, and helping ensure the world sees every angle of this global esports spectacle.

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The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has quickly become a favorite among travel vloggers and content creators; with its compact form, excellent 1-inch sensor, and built-in gimbal, it’s a camera designed for portability without sacrificing quality.

It’s already well-loved for its ability to shoot smooth, cinematic footage on the move, but what’s less talked about is its use as a high-quality webcam.

Not everyone buying the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 knows it can double as a webcam for video calls or live streaming. It’s a quiet feature, but a useful one, especially for people working remotely or looking to improve their online presence without investing in a larger setup.

By connecting the camera to a laptop via USB-C and switching it into Webcam Mode, it becomes instantly available as a video source for platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or OBS Studio. There’s no need for additional drivers or complicated settings; it’s simple, quick, and works surprisingly well.

As a webcam, the Pocket 3 benefits from its larger 1-inch CMOS sensor, which enables better image quality than most built-in webcams. Even though it streams at 1080p rather than 4K, the clarity, depth, and performance in low light all feel like a step up.

The camera’s face-tracking feature, ActiveTrack, also works in Webcam Mode, gently keeping you in the center of the frame as you move, something that can feel subtle but genuinely useful.

You can also swipe left from the right edge of the screen to unlock features such as Glamour Effects, Exposure, White Balance, and Focus Mode. Webcam Mode can also enable users to record and playback the recorded videos after exiting the mode.

For anyone already using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 to create content, this is an added bonus, and for those looking for a compact video camera that can do more than just record video on the go, it’s a feature worth knowing about!

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The Nintendo Switch 2 has been creating a buzz since the gaming console was first unveiled back in January. But, during Nintendo Direct, the company revealed one of the new gaming device’s biggest features – and its powered by a camera. 

GameChat is an online chat platform for the Switch 2 that, along with voice and screen-sharing, can use a camera for video chats. With CameraPlay, players can move in the real world to control gameplay in supported games.

The Switch is arguably a bit late to the game in adding video chat to gameplay, but the Switch 2 camera’s compatibility opens several different features. The camera can be used to display a cut-out figure of yourself when chatting with friends in the new GameChat, with a dedicated chat button right on the redesigned controllers. Voice chat and screensharing is available as well.

CameraPlay takes that even further. Nintendo says that the feature allows players to control the game with their body. The game then shows a cutout of them as they move through the game. CameraPlay will only be compatible with certain games, with Nintendo already offering a brief glimpse at what the feature looks like in the Switch 2 version of Super Mario Party Jamboree.

But while Nintendo is launching its camera for $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.95, the feature will also be compatible with other USB-C cameras and webcams – and I’ve already seen one leak that I would be seriously tempted to buy instead of Nintendo’s boring black camera. The Hori Piranha Plant Camera was leaked at a German retail store, though it hasn’t yet popped up on Hori’s website.

Besides looking like one of the classic nemesis of Mario and Luigi, the piranha plant, the camera can plug directly into the USB-C port, or plug into a pipe stand for tabletop use. For privacy, players can just close the piranha’s mouth. Besides being cleverly versatile, the look like the classic Super Mario character makes my 90s kid heart happy. (Perhaps if I don’t end up upgrading to the Switch 2 for our Super Mario Party family game nights, I should just get one as a webcam for my desk.)

While the Hori camera hasn’t yet been officially announced, the Nintendo Switch 2 and its official accessories have. The Nintendo Switch 2 is poised for a June 2, 2025 release and a $449.99 / £499.99 / AU$769.95 list price, while the official Nintendo camera is slated for $49.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.95.

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The Link 2C is, in essence, the camera from Insta360's Link 2 webcam but taken from the gimbal which allows tracking to make it more of a daily workhorse camera. Something you can throw into a bag without worries about damaging any moving parts.

It's still a high end 4K webcam, and it has excellent features, like a very elegant physically switched privacy guard, but is smaller and more portable without the gimbal so – if you're not moving around too much when you're using it – this is likely the cheaper and more practical choice.

That makes it a clear contender for one of the best webcams, not only because it's budget-friendly but because it includes Insta360's software. This suite unlocks everything from Makeup effects to voice suppression.

Price

This camera launched at $149 / £149 putting it at less than a lot of dedicated 4K office camera systems, but above a simple webcam, so the quality and features need to prove themselves. And they do.

Specifications

Build and handling

Undeniably a high-end experience, the plastic is light but of good quality while the design touches are apparent in the microphone grille in the top and the lens hidden behind a protective screen.

The most impressive touch of the lot is the physical sliding switch on the side to move the blades of the privacy guard in place, and thanks to the shielded design, you can be confident this mechanism should last a good long time. It's practical and elegant.

The weighted magnetic mount has a very premium feel, but to protect your beloved laptop there are thin rubber bases top and bottom which run around it (and you get the joy of peeling back protective plastic which stops dust from sticking to it in transit).

The camera has a corresponding magnet so it can be placed atop the hinged support and angled as you choose in a very natural way. (Unlike the competing Obsbot Meet 2, there is only one magnet, so it can only be used in horizontal format without more than gravity's help).

The only slight downside to this approach is that the lower rubber doesn't reach the edges, so if you don't place it gently and in-line against your computer you might still get a metal-on-metal moment. The extra weight, though, does make the stand feel more robust than some and means Insta360 has chosen to place the tripod thread in the base of the folding element

Performance

The video quality of the camera when plugged straight in via the USB-C port in standard plug-and-play is impressive; the camera is crisp and does well. Autofocus is quick and the overall image is good, with just enough natural boke when used close that you don't actually need to resort to AI.

If I were looking for problems, I'd note that the stated 36cm/14-inch minimum focusing distance is not as close as some, but in my tests I found it able to focus at closer to 12cm / 4 inches, which is fine.

I was able to occasionally confuse the gesture controls – using my phone in front of the camera was mistaken as a gesture – but for the most part the AI was impressive and, while it could be quicker to follow, if you're just walking about the room, it won't lose you.

Install the Insta360 Link Controller app (a free download) and the camera's capabilities improve no end. The options for camera control – including a very straightforward Exposure, AF/Manual Focus and White Balance settings – become available, and these will help with lower light too.

It is also this app that enables you to switch on the HDR, make subtle picture tweaks with Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation sliders (these come into their own in HDR mode). Personally I found the Sharpness was best left alone, but perhaps my aging skin and beard don't need any exageration.

Some features in the Link Controller (which, incidentally, is the wrong side of 650MB on Macs) don't work in 4K mode, notably the Make Up modes.

These will definitely soften the skin, though it was telling that (unlike the Obsbot Meet 2) all the examples seemed to suggest these features were feminised. I'm not actually going to share the clip of me with luscious eyelashes and smooth skin here, but suffice to say that it can do it – at 1080P.

I was impressed that you could layer these effects with softened backgrounds, including not just a blurred background but a more subtle Bokeh effect.

Other software features include whiteboard recognition and even remote control using a phone app – all of which might not always be necessacary, but is very useful to have and, with 4K resolution, actually works.

Overall verdict

If you're looking for a webcam that can beat the quality of the one built-into your computer (or you don't have one at all), then this would seem an obvious choice. It is certainly at the higher end, quality-wise.

If I have any reservations, it is that the best of the camera's quality is only really realised with the software. Thankfull, though, the software is amongst the best out there – it even has a tutorial, as if it were needed. It can pass its effects onto other apps easily.

When you get the device out of the box and as you use it, the camera's quality seems to be it's main selling point, at least for someone like me who often needs to replace the crummy built-in camera in a laptop for more serious work. What impresses more is that, as you explore the software, the camera seems to just get better, to the point of threatening lecure theatre equipment that costs many times more.

Just as with the company's winning entires on the best 360-degree camera list, Insta360 have brilliantly harmonised device and software to get more than the sum of the parts.

Alternatives

How I tested the camera

I test a lot of web and conferencing cameras, and I always go about it the same way, by using it the same way anyone else would! In the case of the Insta360 Link 2C the camera has some great features, some which seemed to be gendered, so I also asked my girlfriend to help me test the Makeup filters.

My testing involves working through the app features as well as using the camera in plug-and-play modes to assess the difference. I'm also all about the travel with a device like this, so believe me it had to survive a few trips in my bag!

Obsbot produces some of the most sophisticated AI-tracking cameras on the market, popular with streaming creators, including the incredibly impressive Tiny 2 – a 'tiny' pan tilt and zoom camera. The Meet series is intended as a more accessibly priced option which can serve as a high-end webcam, and allow access to some of the company's impressive AI software, but – with no moving parts – cannot actually turn the camera to follow you (or your subject) around a room.

The camera makes up for this – especially this new Meet 2 with its 4K resolution – to some extent by cropping and panning to give the illusion of tracking a subject.

The camera is thus a great webcam which you can plug into the computer via USB-C (and, pleasingly, there is a USB-A adapter in the box). It is much more than that though, with a lot of its features released if you download and install the Obsbot Center app – which allows you to access all kinds of features to adjust the picture and even the appearance of the subject. Some of these I tried on my girlfriend later in the review...

Pricing

At release, the Obsbot Meet 2 is priced at $129 for a box including a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-A adapter (the camera is powered by this cable), and a

This is an increase over the original 1080P meet, but the value of the 4K camera is significantly higher, and the software has moved on a step since then too.

Specs

Build and handling

Available in a choice of three colours, the Meet 2 is great for matching space grey or white laptops/computers, or adding a bit of a jaunty feel with the green option.

The device itself is a small rectangle of quality plastic with a protruding lens and rounded corners which looks broadly at home on a stylish modern device like the MacBook Pro I tested it with. The base has a fixed screw thread for a tripod mount, but the box also includes a hinged monitor clip with a rubber grip and a built-in magnet.

This is brilliantly useful for dropping the camera top your laptop on the go, plugging it in and then roughly pointing it by simply grabbing the device and pointing it where you want it – it doesn't have to be directly in line with the clip.

The magnetic mount system and square design also makes it a cinch to re-position the camera for portrait use, which is more than can be said for many integrated-clip designs.

Some don't understand it, but the magnetic mount to the stand is the strongest and smartest part of the design (the magnetic lens cover is less ideal if you throw the camera in your bag a lot, but equally elegant as a peace-of-mind privacy guard)

The clip mount is small and light and easy to hang off any laptop or your average indoor monitor, but it does lack a screw mount – you only have the one in the camera – so you cannot tilt the camera on one of those simple portable tripod poles using the supplied support. This is unlikely to be an issue for many, but is worth noting. Thick monitors may be a challenge, too!

Performance

In terms of video quality, this camera comes out of the box impressive and gets even better when you tweak the settings. HDR can be adjusted using Obsbot Center app. The name is no coincidence, by the way – the camera goes very well with the Open Broadcast streaming platform OBS.

In lower light, the camera will show some grain, but is still far better than built-in cameras, and the AF didn't seem to struggle.

The simple gesture-based tracking – activated by making a simple L-sign with your hand – is surprisingly effective too, even on this compact camera. We tested it in a number of places including a kitchen with a loaded counter, and still it was able to follow a subject all the way behind it to the far end of the room.

Of course the camera can't turn, so it is more limited than a PTZ alternative, but for gaming streamers for example, that won't prove an issue.

The Obsbot Center app also offers extensive live face filters and what it calls 'Retouching' under the 'Beauty' heading, so we tried these. There was only one 'MAN' (yes, it's in caps in the app for some reason) sub-section but two – Native & Classic, targeting the feminine – so I persuaded my girlfriend to sit at a very unflattering angle for an experiment...

Her verdict, after playing with sliders that allowed her to adjust the width of all her facial features, not to mention change her eye size and color and even give herself 'Elf eyes' was very positive.

It helped a great deal that my M3 MacBook Pro had no issues keeping up with the video and providing the artificial alterations, though the app did offer a warning of possible stuttering, so the 'Beauty' mode is by no means guaranteed on less high-spec machines.

Overall Verdict

This is an excellent little camera offering a surprising level of quality given it doesn't have the moving parts that some of Obsbot's other offerings have. This clearly gives it a price advantage and, also, a bit more of a portable and rugged feel.

Obviously this comes at the expense of quality and the extent of panning range, but this is still a brilliant 4K webcam which – given the quality of Obsbot's software – could well also serve as sufficient auto-tracking for many. It is easy to delve into powerful features too, which adds even more fun (and helps keeps up with the demands creators face).

If anything the thing that lets this camera down (if anything) is that the video quality is so good that gamers, video streamers and other creators will be disappointed by the fairly average microphones in comparison to the excellent video (which also looks brilliant in normal 1080P calls). To get the best out of it, be prepared to bring a mic to the party too, but the look of the camera and the stream are hard to beat for the price!

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How I tested the Meet 2

I have tested a lot of webcams over the years, including many Obsbot products. I have experience running live streaming events from my professional life, using software like OBS, and I have also used Obsbot and other brand's broadcast quality PTZ cameras, so I have a good idea of the features I need to test.

In this particular case, I also persuaded my girlfriend to subject herself to the AI because there seemed to be more 'Beauty' options targeting consumers who identify (or want to) as women.

Since we were all locked down during the Covid pandemic we’ve become au-fait with meeting (and presenting ourselves) via our webcams. Indeed during a Zoom chat or virtual meeting we may find ourselves silently critiquing the quality of the streaming video footage from the meeting’s other participants! You may even have invested in an LED ring light to give your web-streamed footage the edge.

Another way to improve the look of your streamed footage is to buy a third-party webcam that makes you look better than the results from your laptop or PC’s built-in camera.

Emeet was founded in 2016 with the mission statement "better communication, better world". Presumably, their name evokes their trade – Emeet = electronic meeting! Emeet designs and manufactures the type of business-focused camera devices that you’d expect to see in corporate offices, such as the Emeet Meeting Capsule – a 360º panoramic camera that swivels to capture everyone around the table in a board meeting.

Emeet also produces cameras such as the Smartcam range of affordable webcams that sit on the top of your PC so that you can stream live footage via OBS Studio, chat to friends and family in a Zoom call or record a high-quality ‘talking head’ intro movie for your YouTube channel via QuickTime.

Emeet’s SmartCams have a classic webcam look - a black plastic body with a single lens at the center. However, the company’s latest offering (released in early 2025) stands out from the webcam crowd due to its distinctive design and powerful performance - queue a drum roll for… the Piko+!

EMEET Piko+: Specifications

EMEET Piko+: Price

The Emeet Piko is available in two models - the Piko and the Piko+. The key difference is that the lower-specced Piko has a smaller 1/2.8” image sensor compared to the 1/2.55” Sony sensor in the Piko+. The latter of which retails at $89.99/£73.00. The lower specced Piko (which won’t be as effective in low light) is of course cheaper at $69.99. If you buy the Piko+ directly from emeet.com they offer a code that will give you a 10% discount. We tested the higher-specced Piko+. Emeet offers the Piko+ in Black, White, and spearmint Green.

The price for the Piko+ is a little higher than some of Emeet’s other 4K streaming cameras, but as you’ll see from this review the image quality that it produces is impressively sharp and full of tonal detail, so I think it is a fair price.

EMEET Piko+: Design & Handling

My first impression of the Piko+ after unboxing it was ‘this is tiny!’ My hands aren’t that big for a man but I could still conceal it in my palm. As well as its diminutive stature what makes the plastic-bodied Piko+ really stand out from the webcam crowd is its two cameras. Their side-by-side position evokes a pair of eyes that are nested inside a circular silver ring (which in effect creates the outline of a face.)

Once you plug the Piko+ into your PC to power it up a little horizontal blue line below the ‘eyes’ provides a ‘mouth’. My wife couldn’t resist the anthropomorphism, saying that ‘it has a cute face’. The cuteness factor is no design accident. The Piko+ also ships with a cute little rubber cartoon panda face that acts as a privacy shield (or lens cap). This lens cap covers the Piko+’s two lenses via a magnetic attachment - handy if you don’t want to be visible during a particular Zoom chat.

The two lenses aren’t just there to create a pretty face. The left camera (as you look at the ‘face’) sends a 4K UHD feed to the Piko+’s 1/2.55” Sony Sensor. The right camera is the Portrait Camera, which uses AI to ensure that the face is in focus at all times and is correctly exposed.

The Piko+ is very light. It doesn’t feel like it has any weight at all but my food measuring kitchen scales gave it a weight of 39g - the same weight as my daily potion of cereal. At the base of the Piko+ a tiny thread that enables you to screw the webcam onto its supplied silver plastic and metal tripod. The tripod can be extended from 5 to 7 inches which brings the Piko+ up to the same height as my 15” M2 MacBook Air’s built-in HD FaceTime Camera. The tripod could be tilted upwards to include my face in the shot and it will also tilt by 45º so that you can stream vertical portrait-oriented footage instead of a horizontal landscape orientation.

EMEET Piko+: Performance

I write all of my Digital Camera World reviews on my 2023 15” MacBook Air (which I was inspired to purchase after reading Gareth Bevan’s review). The MacBook Air is also great for editing the videos that support my reviews. However, its built-in FaceTime HD camera is very sub-par. When using the FaceTime HD camera (in a QuickTime recording for example) my face looks too soft, with blocky compression artifacts becoming visible when I move my head. There are also some noticeable particles of noise in the MacBook camera’s feed, especially in low light.

If I do need to record a ‘straight to camera’ sequence on my MacBook I’ll choose my iPhone 16 Pro’s Camera - which wirelessly streams superior-looking footage straight to my MacBook. The downside of using my iPhone 16 Pro as a webcam is that I may get interrupted by a call or notification (plus it's very expensive to be related to being a webcam!).

By using a dedicated (and far cheaper) third-party webcam such as the Piko+ I can dramatically improve the quality of my MacBook’s video streaming and recorded video footage. Check out this review’s supporting video so that you can compare the quality of the Piko+ with both my MacBook’s built-in HD Camera and my iPhone 16 Pro.

Normally I’d expect a webcam to clip onto the top of my MacBook’s display so I’m looking directly at my screen when addressing people via the webcam, but the Piko+ lacks a display mount. Instead, I screwed the Piko onto its supplied mini tripod. To get the Piko+ up and running I had to plug its supplied cable into my computer. The cable is a generous 1.5m long so I could place it comfortably next to my MacBook. There’s also an adaptor on one end of the cable so you can plug it onto a USB or USB-C socket on your PC. Very handy!

After firing up the QuickTime app I was able to switch from my Mac’s fuzzy-looking FaceTime HD camera to the feed from the Piko+. The 4K UHD feed from the Piko+ had a pin-sharp resolution, with a wide tonal range that boasted strong shadows, bright highlights, and detail throughout the tonal range. The Piko+ footage vastly outclassed the FaceTime HD Camera’s fuzzy flat feed - and you can see the results for yourself in this section’s supporting video. In the Piko+ footage, you can see every detail in the texture of my shirt and the hairs on my face (must shave next time before recording video!).

The Piko+ is supported by the free Emeet Studio app. This desktop app enables you to fine-tune the way the Piko’s Portrait Camera uses AI to prioritize focus. For example, you can adjust its Smart Focus section to focus on Face Tracking, Half Body Tracking, and Full Body Tracking (which could be handy if you’re demonstrating something from a distance such as leading an exercise class!). The app also has a collection of one-click presets to change the look of your streamed footage. For example, the Nostalgia presets bathes your face in warm sepia tones. You can also fine-tune color temperature to make skin tones look more accurate in cold daylight or warm interior lighting set-ups. If you’re backlit this can cause your face to be under-exposed. The app offers a Backlight Contrast setting to toggle on but all this does is lighten your face while over-exposing the background. You’ll be better of positioning our face so that it’s lit from an angle (as I did in my test video).

Although the footage from the Piko+ looks great I can’t say that the audio from its built-in mics matches its video quality. As you’ll hear from my test video the sound captured via the Piko+’s mics sounded roomy, with my thin-sounding voice bouncing off the walls in my test location. The app enables you to trigger noise reduction, but this just created an even flatter sound. For far better quality audio I clipped a Boya Mini into my iPhone 16 Pro and used the Mac’s QuickTime app to stream audio from the iPhone alongside video from the Piko+. Again, check out my supporting video to compare the Piko+ and iPhone-sourced audio for yourself.

EMEET Piko+: Verdict

The Piko+ should enable you to stream (or record) UHD 4K footage that will greatly surpass the quality of footage captured by your PC’s native camera - especially if you’re using an older computer like my 2023 MacBook Air. I found that the footage from the Piko+ was comparable (if not slightly superior) to the footage wirelessly streamed to my MacBook from my expensive iPhone 16 Pro! There were a few blocky compression artifacts in the iPhone footage, but this could be because the iPhone was streaming wirelessly to my computer whereas the Piko+ was hard-wired via its supplied USB-C to USB-C cable.

The quality of the UHD 4K footage captured via the Piko+ was impressive, with a crisp and clean representation of delicate details as well as detail in both the shadows and highlights. The 4K UHD footage also had a more striking contrast than the footage from my MacBook’s FaceTime HD camera or the iPhone 16 Pro.

I liked the compact size of the Piko+ and it’s welcome to slide into a compartment in my MacBook’s carry case alongside its highly portable mini tripod. I might even use the Piko+ to record more links for my review videos instead of relying solely on my iPhone 16 Pro.

If my review stopped at discussing visual quality, then the Piko+ would get a 5-star rating. However, the audio relayed from the Piko+’s built-in mics can’t match the excellent video quality captured by its dual lenses. My test location was challenging - with hard walls for sound to bounce off, so the Piko+ will sound better in a controlled environment that’s surrounded by acoustic treatment tiles (which is something we can’t always access, especially if we’re streaming via the Piko+ in a cafe for example)

If you want to look your best in an online meeting (or when chatting to camera via your YouTube channel) then the Piko+ is a highly effective and relatively affordable way to improve your video production values. (You’ll just need to use a third-party audio source!)

Alternatives

AstrHori is on the cusp of releasing the world's first dual-lens 4K webcam with AI features, according to our friends at photorumors.com. The unverified report suggests that the camera supports high-quality video with 4K resolution at 30fps, with a pair of 1/2.55-inch sensors delivering clear and detailed visuals.

A three-microphone array should ensure that the webcam's sound quality is on par with the visuals, providing clear audio during live streaming or video recording. This combination of 4K video and professional-quality audio should offer a polished and engaging viewer experience.

The AI element employs face tracking and gesture control, which is said to streamline video production and enhance interactive live streams, making it ideal for content creation.

An eye-catching design aesthetic promises to help the camera stand out from its competitors, with a sleek and differentiated look while giving the dual-lens arrangement a human-like appearance, encouraging emotional interaction and aiding creators looking to engage with their audience. But if the face-like appearance of the camera gives you the uncanny feeling that you're being watched, a magnetic privacy cover can be used for added security.

The cam is said to work seamlessly with all the major streaming platforms and the dual-lens design is certainly an intriguing proposition that could well qualify as one of the best 4K webcams when it is finally released. We'll bring you more concrete news when we get it.

Audio-visual equipment maker Emeet has announced a range of twin-lens AI webcams at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The new products include the Emeet Piko series, which the company is billing as the world's first dual-camera 4K AI mini webcams, and the Emeet Pixy, an AI-powered dual-camera 4K PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) webcam. Perhaps the new products could join the ranks of the best 4K webcams.

The Emeet Piko and Piko+ are "designed specifically for Generation Z content creators who demand nothing less than excellence", according to Emeet. Unlike traditional, single-lens models, Piko boasts dual cameras that enhance overall image quality, as well as focus speed and accuracy.

The Emeet Pixy is also an AI-powered dual-camera 4K webcam, but adds pan, tilt and zoom functionality, and offers immersive UHD 4K images and studio-standard sound. Emeet promises that more features of the Pixy will be revealed later in the year.

Emeet also has some of its other previously announced products on display at the show. Its AirFlow open-ear headphones have a detachable microphone and ensure exceptional call quality, thanks to a top-of-the-class noise-cancelling algorithm. The StreamCam One is a wireless live-streaming multicam that enables up to three devices to be wirelessly connected simultaneously and streamed to up to four live platforms.

If you're visiting CES, which runs until January 10, pop along and meet Emeet at Booth #LVCC, South Hall 1 30413.

The launch of the Insta360 Connect is a smart move for the company; the dual-camera AI video bar adds a dual-camera system (including one on a gimbal) which the company has a good reputation for, and adds the kind of sound array that takes a run at best conference camera status.

At first glance, it really does look a little like the Insta360 Link 2 has been tucked in a glass box next to another camera and given a big speaker, but there's a whole lot more going on...

Insta360 already sells the 4K Link 2 camera, which uses AI to track its subject around a meeting space and a gimbal to keep the camera on it. That, though, is a typical webcam but it shows that Insta360 had already got the software and most of the tech in place back in September.

The Insta360 Connect brings the kind of specs needed to take it into the boardroom – or at least a standard meeting room – including an array of 14 microphones (4 on the left, 10 on the right)

It also, interestingly, has a dual camera system, with a single fixed 1/1.3-inch CMOS wide-angle camera (affording a 110-degree horizontal view) and a gimbal-based camera which can turn to follow a subject.

The cameras are 8K, though the device also offers an '8K gallery mode' and the ability to follow a person as they get up and walk around the room – achieved using a mix of AI features like voiceprint recognition, face and body recognition, lip recognition and sound location detection.

According to Insta360, resolution is enhanced on-the-fly by AI too – what this is actually like in practice remains to be seen, but the demo video is striking.

Features also include a whiteboard mode that can zoom on the whiteboard and use AI to make the person writing on the board a 'ghost' so you can see through to the whole board, the option to use your phone as a Bluetooth mic, and a physical privacy guard.

The launch price of the device is $1,999 / £1,999 (no price given for AU) and it is already available via the Insta360 store internationally. Additional options with touch panels & remote controls for the meeting room are available.

You might also like...

If you're looking for a 360-degree alternative you can put in the middle of the desk, I recently reviewed the Meeting Owl 3, which is one of the best conference room cameras – at least until we do a review on this! Don't forget we also have a guide to the best PTZ cams overall, too, and that there are interesting 'follow me' cameras in the best 4K webcams guide.

Have you heard of DroidCam? If you don't stream a lot of video, you may not have come across it. But this free app enables you to use your phone, instead of a dedicated webcam or mirrorless camera, for online video calls or streaming.

DroidCam makes an interesting proposition. The best webcams are more powerful than ever, offering everything from 4K video to built-in ring lights. And of course, plenty of cameras these days can be connected to your computer – giving you a webcam with a huge image sensor and interchangeble lenses.

So what does DroidCam have to offer, and is your phone really better than these dedicated options?

DroidCam: The defense

Obviously, DroidCam's headline feature is that it's free – and free is infinitely cheaper than having to buy a webcam or mirrorless camera.

So long as you have a phone, all you need to do is download the DroidCam app for Android or Apple and bang – you can start chatting on programs like Zoom, Discord and Teams.

You can also use the app on a PC, by downloading the client for Windows or Linux – or you can grab the plugin for OBS Studio, and use DroidCam with the popular open-source streaming program (Open Broadcaster Software).

If choosing the latter option, you have the option to stream 4K video. Otherwise, DroidCam can be used as a 1080p webcam – but you'll need to upgrade to DroidCam X Pro.

If you do, you'll unlock other features including camera controls (such as zoom and autofocus), the ability to toggle your phone's LED as a key light, rotate / flip / mirror options, brightness and audio adjustment and more – including getting rid of ads.

And, with WiFi or USB connectivity, there's minimal lag involved – and USB-Only mode (for Android) adds an extra level of security.

DroidCam: The prosecution

I can't disagree that those are some pretty great features. However, they do rely on one thing: you having a good phone.

DroidCam's claim to being "free" is reliant on you owning a phone with a decent camera. And while that's probably the case for most people who would be interested in streaming, there are still a lot of potato phones out there whose video quality is about on par with the built-in camera on their laptop.

That "free" bit also assumes that you only want to shoot in 480p standard resolution. If you want to shoot at 720p or 1080p, you'll need to pay for the X Pro upgrade.

Admittedly that's only $15 / £13 / AU$23, which is still cheaper than a proper webcam or camera, but it's still a consideration. And of course, you'll need to pay for the license if you don't want ads all over your streams or video calls.

With a good camera on a good phone, the quality is obviously going to be good – but is it as good as a dedicated webcam with full color temperature settings and in some cases built-in lighting? Is it as good as a mirrorless camera with a large sensor and lenses that give you control over depth of field and focal lengths? No, it's not.

And of course, while it's great that you can use DroidCam on a PC, you're out of luck if you're a Mac user.

DroidCam: The verdict

If you only stream or make video calls occasionally, DroidCam is probably perfect for you. Provided you've got a decent phone, and you don't mind dropping a few bucks for the X Pro features, it's going to give you crystal clear video and audio with a good degree of creative control.

However, if you really want the best out of your setup, you're going to benefit from the best 4K webcams or the best cameras for streaming. That said, I think DroidCam might be the best first step for anyone dipping their toes into streaming for the first time – as it offers you a very low-cost way to cut your teeth without sinking a load of money into kit.

If you'd like to know more, head to the DroidCam website.

Corsair-owned Elgato manufactures some of the best gaming and streaming peripherals on the market, including lighting, microphones, and stream decks. Launched as part of its new affordable hardware line it has just released the Elgato Facecam Neo.

Whether we like it or not webcams have become a large part of working life in the 21st century, and to look your most professional, you need a camera that offers a level-up from your computer's default. The Elgato Facecam Neo aims to do this at a more affordable price point.

The Elgato Neo line of products was announced earlier this year to provide affordable and minimalistic hardware options for live streams and video calls. The Neo line includes a microphone, LED light, capture card, and Stream Deck, and with the launch of the new Facecam Neo, the set is complete.

The Facecam Neo provides the user with full HD 1080P image quality at 60 frames per second, an enhanced video experience compared to most in-built webcams with less motion blur.

Complete with a CMOS sensor, the camera has an equivalent focal length of 26mm and an aperture of f/2, offering a wide enough focal length and aperture for isolating the subject in the frame.

The Facecam is as simple as plug and play via the braided USB-C cable, facilitating set up in seconds. The camera is also designed to be utilized to fit every space and every screen with the adjustable monitor mount, whether attached to your laptop in a coffee shop or a larger monitor at home or office.

The camera's HDR capabilities combat poor lighting conditions by balancing the highlights and shadows, including the all-to-common direct sunlight from the office window.

For further refinement, the Facecam comes with optional access to Elgato's Camera Hub software, which enables users to frame shots and adjust settings such as contrast, saturation, and sharpness.

Other notable features of the Facecam Neo include a privacy shutter, a 77º field of view, and a tripod mount.

The Facecam Neo seamlessly slots into the Neo ecosystem of Elgato products, bringing together everything you need for professional live-streaming and video calls.

The Elgato Facecam Neo is available now for $99.99 / £99.99 / AU $159. It is also available in the Neo Creator Bundle which includes the Facecam Neo, Key Light Neo, Wave Neo, Stream Deck Neo, and Game Capture Neo at the price of $399.99 / £399.99.

Check out our guides to the best budget webcams, the best webcams for working from home, and the best 4K webcams.

The SmartCam S800 is a 4K webcam from Emeet. It boasts a half-inch Sony imaging sensor, along with AI-powered face autofocus, dual noise-canceling microphones for stereo sound, and an application for PC and Mac that lets you easily make changes to image quality.

Although laptop webcams have improved in recent years, there’s still a thriving market of dedicated cameras for taking your video meeting appearance to the next level. The S800 is the sort of webcam you might consider if the one in your laptop isn’t good enough, or if you want a simple and affordable way to add a second camera to your content creation and/or streaming setup.

Emeet SmartCam S800: Specifications

Emeet SmartCam S800: Price

At $150 / £121 at the time of writing, the Emeet undercuts its most obvious rival, the Logitech Brio 4K, by about $15 / £30. Given that Emeet is a far less familiar brand name than Logitech, being priced slightly below its main rival was no doubt a key consideration when bringing the S800 to market.

That said, the excellent AnkerWork C310 is just $99 / £75 at the time of writing, and we were seriously impressed when we reviewed it back in April 2024, awarding it 4.5 stars. If the Emeet S800 wants to top that, it’ll certainly have its work cut out.

Emeet SmartCam S800: Design & Handling

Right away, the S800 looks and feels like a more premium product than some of Emeet’s cheaper webcams. It’s larger, for a start, and has a short but wide cylindrical design instead of the slimmer profile of other Emeet models.

At its center is a 0.5-inch Sony imaging sensor, which can be obscured by an integrated privacy cover operated by a switch on the top of the camera. It’s a nice design that makes the S800 look and feel premium and means there isn’t a detachable lens cover that you’ll inevitably lose. However, it’s worth noting that the privacy shutter doesn’t actually turn the camera off when it’s closed. It is purely blocking the view of the camera, so you might want to unplug it if privacy is a primary concern. Other webcams, like the admittedly pricier Logitech MX Brio, use their privacy shutter as an on/off switch.

The S800 is permanently fitted to a universal monitor mount and has a good amount of vertical and horizontal adjustment. The mount holds it securely in place, and it has an integrated thread for screwing it onto a tripod if you prefer. The webcam is powered by USB-C and comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable in the box, although you can use a different cable if you already have one.

Overall, it’s a nicely designed webcam that, while not tiny, looks and feels like a premium product. The ‘Caution Hot’ warning notice on the top of the webcam isn’t something I’ve seen before, and it’s not even a sticker that can be peeled off and thrown away. It’s the sort of permanent warning you’d see on the rear of a racing car or the engine of an airliner. It being on a webcam makes me wonder just how hot the S800 can get, and whether there’s anything to truly be concerned about.

Emeet SmartCam S800: Performance

The S800 is very quick and easy to set up. I plugged it into my MacBook Pro and immediately it was available for use. But before that, I headed to the Emeet website and downloaded the free EmeetLink application.

Like many other apps of its sort, this shows a live view of the webcam and lets you make adjustments to the image. HDR can be turned on or off, as can the microphone noise reduction, and the autofocus. There are also sliders for tinkering with brightness, contrast, sharpness, saturation and tone, as well as a slider for adjusting the field of view, which spans from 73 to 40 degrees.

This is digital zooming rather than optical, so it crops into the image to tighten the frame. I’d like to have seen a 90-degree option, but 73 degrees is still acceptable enough for most use cases. However, if you’re a content creator who likes to include a lot of their background, you might want to look elsewhere.

I was at first a little disappointed with the performance of the Emeet S800. This is yet another example of a webcam promising 4K video and, while the resolution is exactly that, the video it creates is bland and lacks detail. But I needed to remember I’d been spoiled by my daily webcam, the 5-star Logitech MX Brio.

For its price, the Emeet S800 actually performs fairly well. However, it can struggle in sub-optimal lighting conditions. There’s a window across the room behind me and, even on an overcast October day, the light played havoc with the U800’s exposure levels, as you can see from the samples below. Turning on HDR mostly fixes this, but it also softens the image (and my face especially), so there are tradeoffs whichever way you play it.

This softening was further compounded by the autofocus system, which performed inconsistently. It would usually work fine, and keep my face in focus, but sometimes it lost where I was and defaulted to focusing on the background instead. A lot of webcams struggle with this, and especially when there’s a window in the background, so your office setup and lighting is worth bearing in mind before making a purchase.

A collection of pre-set imaging filters are available, but I’d suggest you avoid them. Portrait mode turned my skin orange, Object mode cranks up the sharpness to an absurd level and Bright mode created an image that looks washed-out. The Vivid filter is actually passable, but you’re best either sticking with the default mode or opting for Customisation and tinkering with the levels yourself. I found a little extra exposure, contrast and saturation worked best, with slightly less sharpness.

Emeet SmartCam S800: Sample Images

I’ve never seen a webcam whose image quality can vary as much as the S800’s. At first the results were pretty dire, as it struggled to balance the exposure against a window behind me. Even on an overcast day without direct sunlight, it was a mess. But a few hours later, once the lighting wasn’t quite as harsh, the S800’s video quality became perfectly acceptable.

This puts me in a tricky position, because how the webcam performs for you will depend entirely on your lighting environment. I prefer HDR switched on, even though that seems to soften the image, and while the autofocus can be a bit hit-and-miss, it did a passable job of keeping my face sharper than my surroundings. At least most of the time. It didn’t hunt back and forth for a focal point in the way some webcams are guilty of.

I feel the results are acceptable at this price point, but nothing more. Factor in the cheaper AnkerWork C310, or the slightly pricier but much, much better Logitech MX Brio, and the Emeet S800 finds itself in a tricky position.

Emeet SmartCam S800: Verdict

Ultimately, this is a webcam that performs fine but isn’t great. I strongly urge you to ignore the 4K stat and instead focus on whether it can deliver on the more important parameters of exposure, color reproduction, and white balance.

For me, this took a bit of adjusting, and I think I’d need to close the curtains or relocate my computer on a particularly sunny day, but it’s a performance that is passable at this price point. The problems come when you up your budget slightly since the Logitech MX Brio is much, much better for just $50 more. I also prefer the image quality of the cheaper AnkerWork C310.

Alternatives

Insta360 has just released two new webcams – both with AI subject tracking as their central feature. 

The Link 2 is an updated version of the 4K AI camera which can literally follow you around the room using its tracking tech and gimbal, while the Link 2C does more or less the same thing without moving parts to make it even more portable.

The AI also powers noise cancelling features and a 'Smart Whiteboard Mode' which auto-detects a real whiteboard and makes adjustments to square it off and keep it in focus. 

Both devices sport a 1/2-inch image sensor capable of delivering 4K at up to 30fps (and 1080P at 60fps) and an HDR pipeline. To cater to the ongoing needs of the social media market, they also offer landscape and portrait modes – meaning live-streaming and social content generation for phone consumption should be smoother.

The larger image sensor than that in most laptops and phones should offer a potential boon to people working in lower light, though I'll confirm that when I've finished my reviews (we have the devices in hand at DCW). Other key features are Smartphone remote control, background replacement (though, to be fair, a lot of apps have this covered for you already), DeskView mode for overhead presentations, "One Click Makeup" and Privacy Mode.

“Link 2 and Link 2C represent our ongoing commitment to making virtual connections more engaging and seamless. We've listened to user feedback and pushed the boundaries of what's possible in a webcam, combining premium 4K imaging, crystal-clear audio, and intuitive AI-powered features. Link 2 and Link 2C empower you to present your best self online, no matter where you are,” shared JK Liu, Founder of Insta360.

Specs list ±3 EV exposure compensation, ISO 100-3200, a shutter speed of up to 1/8000 and an aperture of f/1.8. The EFL is 26mm and digital zoom up to 4x.

Only the Link 2 – not the 2C – bosts a 2-axis gimbal, but both work entirely from power drawn from their USB-C connection. They can be mounted on a monitor (with a stand included) or a tripod.

The Link 2 is priced at $199 and the Link 2C $149 and both are available from today from Amazon:

🇺🇸 Link 2 - Amazon.com
🇺🇸 Link 2C - Amazon.com 

While you're waiting for reviews of these to come live, you can read about some of the other best 4K webcams we've seen.

A must have device for influencers, useful for working from home, and popular in home security, webcams came into our lives in the 1990s. 

Now, however, the familiar piece of tech is being used for a unique purpose: to live stream rattlesnakes. 

Project RattleCam is a collaboration between scientists from Cal Poly, Central Coast Snake Services, and Dickinson College.

The organizations have teamed up with a shared mission to study and raise awareness about rattlesnakes, their behavior, and their importance in the ecosystems. 

A recent study showed that trail cameras for conservation purposes are missing in the areas that need them the most. The data from camera trap projects can provide vital data in the fight to save many species from extinction, and protect their ecosystems. 

A nightmare for some, the “mega den” with over 2,000 rattlesnakes has been live streaming since May, from a remote site on private land in northern California, on a rocky hillside where the rhumba of rattlesnakes can keep warm and hide from predators. 

The exact location is kept secret to discourage those who both love and hate the animals from harassing the animals. 

The webcam is the perfect tool, enabling the scientists to observe the snakes' behavior without interfering. Interested people watching the snakes online can let the scientists know if there’s any drama.

And sometimes, there’s drama.

The snakes are under constant threat from red-tailed kites circling above, and magpies, who have taken baby snakes as a snack.

Exciting times are ahead as well, as more babies will be born in August. Baby rattlesnakes are called ‘pups’ and unlike almost all reptiles, they’re born alive rather than hatched from eggs. Rattlesnakes also make good parents, as the mothers protect their young from predators, and will also babysit other snakes' babies.

“This is a big, big den for rattlesnakes. This is one of the biggest ones we know of,” Emily Taylor, a California Polytechnic State University biology professor leading the Project RattleCam research, said Tuesday.

“Rattlesnakes get a bum rap as creepy and threatening. But the webcam shows they’re social animals that don’t go out of their way to be aggressive, Taylor pointed out.”

Check out the guides to the best webcams for working from home, and the best trail cameras. 

With their latest Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite, the company have dramatically reduced the price of their AI-powered smart webcam.

The new Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite boasts all of the key features of the Obsbot Tiny 2 – one of our favourite webcams for streaming – but the smarts that make it so useful for streaming and webcam use.

The key features are auto-tracking, in which the camera follow the subject, and auto-zoom, in which the camera can digitally close in on the subject. This can make a livestream look more professional—creating your own cooking or yoga channels can be easier, or you can just make sure meetings look better!

The device uses gesture control to zoom in, and can be 'locked' or 'unlocked' to follow you around the room with a simple palm gesture. There is also the option of a remote control.

Obsbot also provides a powerful software tool with presets for Mac and Windows systems; this is now called 'Obsbot Center'.

The new camera is based on a slightly smaller, 1/2-inch sensor, and uses a powered gimbal to follow the subject. It can output 4K at 30fps and 1080p at up to 60fps. It may have only single native ISO compared to it's sibling's double, but still has dual omni-directional mics. It connects via USB-C.

It only weighs in at about 4 grams lighter than the Tiny 2, but the 'Lite' is more about the prices.

In terms of competition, you might, at first, think the main product in the firing line is the company's own Obsbot Tiny 2, which comes in at $329 / £329 (but does boast a larger 1/1.5-inch sensor). 

There is some method here though; Obsbot don't have this space to themselves any more; they face a contender in the form of the Insta360 Link – which has a list price of $299 but sometimes can be found for a little less. That device, too, is based in a 1/2-inch sensor.

The Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite is entering this market at $179 / £179 – a significantly lower cost – and is available to order now. 

(We have one in so check back for a full review very soon.)

Check our guide to the best 4K webcams.

One of the biggest names in conference cameras has just announced a significant new model in the form of the Meeting Owl 4+, which brings more resolution and more functionality to the popular 360-degree device.

The Meeting Owl camera uses a fish-eye lens in the top of a speaker and microphone (which looks more than a little Owl-like). This gives it a 360-degree view of the room so, if it's placed in the middle of a meeting table, it can see every participant. Built-in AI then crops and selects the speaker for the video feed – a popular approach among the best conference cameras, but the design has made the Owl an iconic brand.

The device is a serious-looking charcoal compared to the cheery white/grey of the Owl 3. The most significant change, though, is that the eyes are no longer the device's only means of communication – they're now optional. If you "prefer a more professional Owl" they can be turned off, and a standard LED will still indicate status.

The new Owl 4+ includes 8 microphones with a pickup radius of around 18ft (5.5m) according to Owl Labs, but the biggest feature bump is the arrival of a 4K Ultra HD feed from the 64-megapixel camera sensor. Powering this is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8250 rather than the 605.

Other changes from the previous edition are a built-in K-lock, Security-conscious IT departments will appreciate that the device can also be used with Ethernet using an adapter, rather than just Wi-Fi – and indeed the power can come this way too. PoE (Power over Ethernet) is an option (as well, of course, as outlet).

Conscious of the needs of enterprises, Owl also offer a 'The Nest' software tool for remote management of multiple Owl devices and accessories. The accessories include room cameras and speaker bars to enable the devices to be used as part of larger conference room setups, details of which are available on Owl Labs own site (including, I was impressed to see, cable run illustrations).

"Non-verbal communication is crucial in the workplace for collaboration and rapport, and studies have even shown that non-verbal communication is at least as important as verbal discussion, if not more,” said Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs. 

The new Meeting Owl 4+ is available now for $1,999 and £1,999, while the Meeting Owl 3 will remain on sale.

Check our guide to the best 4K webcams and the best conference room webcams, and if 360 photography on the go seems interesting, we've got a guide to the best 360-degree cameras too!

It’s amazing how quickly 4K has become the go-to resolution for webcams. Even if such high quality doesn’t necessarily make a difference to the person on the other end of your video call – what with computer processing, internet connection and conferencing platform limitations all taking their toll – 4K has quickly become a must-have.

This is even the case at the lower end of the webcam market. That’s where the Depstech DW49 Pro fits in, as it carries a price of around $70 in the US and between £60 and £85 in the UK, depending on what sort of deal Amazon has running.

As well as the 4K resolution, this is also a webcam that has ‘Pro’ in its name, and from Depstech’s imagery appears to have a nice, big lens for capturing lots of light and producing good video quality with Sony CMOS sensor. Does all this – plus dual microphones, an included tripod and even a remote control – add up to create a must-have 4K webcam on a budget? Read on to find out.

Depstech DW49 Pro: Specifications

Depstech DW49 Pro: Price

As I alluded to in the introduction, the DW49 Pro appears to be competitively priced, at around $70. This puts it well below flagship 4K webcams like the Logitech MX Brio and it even slots in below the excellent AnkerWork C310, which I also reviewed recently.

This puts the Depstech in an attractive position, especially given the promise of a 4K resolution and the ‘Pro’ suffix in its name. It also seems like good value given the extras it comes with, like the small tripod for shelf or desk use and the battery-powered remote, which can be used to adjust the brightness, zoom in, and control other webcam settings. One negative here is how the remote’s required AAA batteries are not included.

Depstech DW49 Pro: Design & Handling

Have you spotted it yet? The DW49 Pro reviewed here doesn’t look quite like the one used in Depstech’s marketing images. It also doesn’t look like the webcam featured on the box. The lens on the actual webcam is significantly smaller than it appears in images.

Buyers will expect to see a nice big lens, far larger than the laptop webcam they might be upgrading from. But instead, they’ll be greeted by a lens as small as the one on the front of their smartphone. This feels somewhat deceptive.

The rest of the hardware is mostly fine. It’s quite a large webcam (lens notwithstanding), but looks smart enough and the universal monitor stand works as expected. I also like how the stand includes a screw for attaching to a tripod. You can use your own tripod, or use the one Depstech handily included in the box; it’s made from metal and feels fairly durable. If you’d rather place your webcam on a shelf or have it pointing up at you from your desk, it’s a decent solution.

I also like how the webcam is attached to its mount with a ball-and-socket fixing, so it can be adjusted in any direction. This is especially useful if you have a desk light on top of your monitor, so you need to mount the webcam off to one side and point it to face you. Even some of the priciest webcams miss out on this breadth of adjustability.

There’s a white light on the front to clearly show when the webcam is on, and a privacy cover is included in the box. Unusually, this sticks onto the webcam with an adhesive strip, then can be slid open or closed. There’s also a set of two stick-on graphics to change the look of the webcam; one depicting the solar system and the other a Christmas scene. It’s a bit of a strange inclusion and doesn’t really fit the ‘Pro’ name, but I can see children enjoying the decoration.

Annoyingly, the USB cable is hardwiring into the camera, so you can’t plug in one of a different length. It uses USB-A but comes with an A-to-C adaptor, so it’ll plug into any computer.

Depstech DW49 Pro: Performance

Exposure, colors and white balance and all mostly acceptable, but I found the DW49 Pro really struggled with bright background light.

There’s a window behind where I sit at my desk, and with the morning sun shining through on a clear day the DW49 Pro really struggled with exposure. However, as I write this in an overcast afternoon, with the sun now on the other side of the building, things are better. I still look rather under-exposed, and my skin tone appears far more flushed with a red/pink hue than with other webcams I’ve tested, but it’s just about good enough for the occasional video call. Clicking the ‘adjust for low light’ button in Zoom’s settings menu helps, and so too does Apple’s Studio Lighting function.

Less impressive is the autofocus feature, which rarely sticks to my face for more than a few seconds at a time. It’s a shame, because once in focus the image produced is impressively sharp with a nice blurred bokeh effect behind. But the slightest movement, even just a change of facial expression, often causes the camera to refocus. This puts the subject out of focus and, more often than not, the camera focuses sharply on my background instead of me. Even when my face is fully in shot, and taking up the majority of the frame, it’ll still prefer to focus on objects 10 feet behind me.

It’s the sort of autofocus that’s frustrating for the user and distracting for their audience. I raised the issue with Depstech and was told it can be switched off, which I feel misses the point.

The included remote is a better idea than I first realized. How often do you need to make a quick adjustment to your webcam while on a call, but are unsure of how to get to the right setting? I like how the remote puts key image controls on good, old-fashioned buttons. This is also a handy way to quickly turn the camera or its microphones on and off.

Speaking of microphones, they produce clear enough sound but are far too quiet. I have the webcam positioned about an arm’s length away from my face, and even with a raised voice in an otherwise silent room, the audio captured was far too quiet. It was also muffled and in no way a high-quality experience.

Depstech DW49 Pro: Image samples

The four images below show how the webcam’s quality is mostly fine, but falls some way short of what buyers would expect from 4K resolution. The autofocus struggled to stay locked onto my face when I grabbed these screenshots, constantly searching for a subject to lock onto. And even when it did, there’s still little detail in my facial features.

The lower-left image was taken with Apple’s portrait and studio lighting features enabled. I also played around with the webcam’s remote, but its ability to raise or lower brightness, saturation and contrast did little to improve the overall result. Ultimately, the image quality isn’t terrible, but it isn’t what buyers should expect from a 4K ‘Pro’ webcam.

Depstech DW49 Pro: Verdict

As you can probably tell by now, this isn’t a great webcam. Or rather, it isn’t a great webcam if you purchase it because it’s described as being a “Pro” product with 4K video and noise-canceling dual mics.

The image quality is fine, so long as your environment has the right lighting and you have a clear understanding that 4K doesn’t automatically produce a cinematic experience. But the rest of the product struggles to deliver. The marketing images are deceptive, the autofocus performs very poorly, the microphones are muffled and far too quiet, and I’m left feeling that Depstech has aimed this webcam at entirely the wrong sector of the market.

If it had instead stuck with a Full HD resolution, dropped the Pro name, and spent its development budget on better microphones instead of the included tripod and decorative stickers, the DW49 Pro could have been a decent, entry-level webcam. Instead, it’s going to leave buyers disappointed.

It is not a huge amount of money when it comes to a webcam, but there are plenty of higher-quality alternatives from better-known brands, such as the AnkerWork C200, or even more affordable options from Logitech. One final note is how every 5-star review I could find on Amazon UK came from customers who received the webcam for free through the retailer’s Vine program, rather than verified purchases.

Alternatives

Sometimes a product comes along that represents such good value that it can’t be ignored. The AnkerWork C310 webcam is one such product. It’s a 4K webcam with a good design, premium build quality, integrated lens cover, USB-C connectivity, and a good app for controlling the autofocus, exposure, resolution, and more.

It ticks all of the boxes for a sub-$100 webcam, and I implore readers not to obsess too much about 4K resolution on any webcam at this price. You’ll never actually appear in 4K to anyone on the other side of the video call, so you’re best chalking the resolution off as a marketing gimmick. Knock the resolution down to Full HD (1080p) and this promises to be a great webcam at a fantastic price.

Is this the perfect affordable webcam for you? Read on to find out.

AnkerWork C310: Specifications

AnkerWork C310: Price

I’ve already covered this, but it's worth quickly repeating. The C310 carries a recommended retail price of $/£99.99 but at the time of writing is reduced by an additional $/£10. At both prices, it feels like good value for money, given the quality of the hardware, the software, and the audio and video quality.

At this price, it is much cheaper than higher-quality options like the Logitech MX Brio, but still manages to produce a great video that will satisfy all but the most demanding users.

AnkerWork C310: Design & Handling

The C310 looks and feels very good for the price. It isn’t the smallest webcam around, but it also doesn’t seem unnecessarily large. I like its proportions and how it is longer than it is wide, as that makes it appear more compact. I also like that it has an integrated lens cover, as this is far more convenient than a removable cover that could easily be lost.

The lens is covered and revealed with a sliding switch on the top of the camera, and an included cable attaches with a USB-C connection at the rear. The included cable has a USB-A connection at the other end, which is fine for owners of older computers, but for anything with a modern Apple MacBook or other newer machines, you’ll need to provide your own USB-C to USB-C cable.

A universal monitor mount folds out from the base of the C310 and makes it easy to clip the camera to almost any computer screen. Alternatively, it can sit on a flat surface, or attach to a tripod with an integrated screw thread.

AnkerWork C310: Performance

This webcam performs really well, but owners who want to use 4K resolution will need to pick their USB cable carefully. Since I have a MacBook Pro I couldn’t use the included USB-A cable, and if I connected it to a dongle the 4K video option wasn’t accessible.

I tried a different USB-C to USB-C cable and 4K remained greyed out. Eventually, I realized that 4K footage requires a USB-C cable that is generation 2.1 or later, as only these can carry sufficient power and data. In other words, it won’t work with any old cable you might have lying around – and, crucially, the included cable doesn’t work with laptops that only have USB-C connections, so you might need to purchase a compatible alternative.

The irony of all this is that, while the option for 4K video is welcome, I actually preferred downgrading to 1080p, as that allows for a 60 fps frame rate instead of 30, and a lossless output too, if that’s what you prefer.

After a lot of playing around, I decided this webcam works best at 1080p with autofocus and ‘face focus’ switched on but with exposure smoothing and HDR disabled. I left auto white balance on but increased the brightness, sharpness, and saturation very slightly. Being a Mac user, I also like to dig into the computer’s own webcam adjustment tool and enable both Portrait (to blur the background a little) and Studio Light (to create a greater contrast between me and my background).

As you can tell, the free AnkerWork app gives lots of options for adjustability which means anyone should be able to find their preferred setting. It also lets you pick between the 65, 78, and 90-degree field-of-view options. Alternatively, there’s Solo-Frame, which uses AI to zoom into your face and keep you in the center of the frame. This works very well and quickly responds to movement. I usually leave this switched off, but if you tend to present while standing and walking around, it does a great job of following you.

The C310’s autofocus is less impressive. It’s better than some others I’ve tried recently, but sometimes struggle to find your face and stick to it. That said, quickly turning it off and on again in the AnkerWork app usually fixed it, and once in focus I thought this webcam made subjects look very sharp indeed. There’s also the option for manual focus if you prefer.

I found the white balance was slightly cool by default. This can be switched from auto to manual, then an advanced option lets you tweak red, green, and blue individually to find just the right setting. Again, I was very impressed with the breadth of configurability on offer.

As with any mid-price webcam, the C310 struggles when you sit in front of a bright window. Tweaking the exposure can go some way to fixing this, but if your office is flooded with direct sunlight, especially from right behind you, you’d be best either sitting in a way that blocks the window or closing the blinds for your video calls.

I found the camera managed just fine when the sun had moved past the window, but it really needs the Face Exposure function switched on to stop you from being plunged into under-exposed darkness.

Lastly, audio. The C310 has a pair of microphones that offer AI-powered noise canceling and the option to record at 90 or 360 degrees. You’re going to want the 90-degree option most of the time, and while not a match for a dedicated mic, they do a decent job of blocking out unwanted noise. 

AnkerWork C310: Image samples

I’ve included a selection of screenshots below. These show what the camera’s video feed looks like in various situations. You can see how the three different fields of view look, and also, in the lower-right image, what happens when I enable AnkerWork’s Face Exposure function.

Below those samples, I’ve added a screenshot of the AnkerWork app, only this time with Apple’s Portrait and Studio Lighting filters enabled.

I found the camera’s HDR option unhelpful, as with the bright window behind me it would overcompensate and cause very unnatural skin tones as it fought to keep both my face and the bright sky in sight. Best to leave this switched off and accept that the window will be blown out.

Colors are mostly good, with a decent degree of accuracy and nicely balanced saturation. For a sub-£100 webcam, less than half the price of the five-star Logitech MX Brio, the results are plenty good enough for me to recommend the C310 to most readers.

AnkerWork C310: Verdict

I really liked using this webcam. It looks good, feels well made, and performs very well for the price. I prefer to not use its full 4K capability, and instead dial things back to 1080p. Then, once a few tweaks have been made with AnkerWork’s excellent free software, it produces a very good image for video calls and conferencing.

The autofocus works well, although isn’t quite perfect, and like most sub-$100 webcams the C310 struggles in tricky lighting environments. But that’s to be expected at this price point. It isn’t the smallest webcam around, but has a convenient integrated privacy shutter and a USB-C connection without a permanently attached cable is always welcome. An excellent camera at a good price.

Alternatives

Airbnb, the international vacation rental app, has published a new policy which clearly states that no indoor security cameras can be placed in properties listed on their service.

This comes as good news to potential guests who can't fail to have noticed the ever-growing tally of stories in which 'hosts' (shot-let landlords) are caught out having placed cameras which seem to violate the privacy of guests. 

Until March 11th's official Airbnb policy change, the only restriction was that cameras were not placed in the bathroom or bedroom, and were disclosed in the listing, and were visible. That means that they could be in rooms like the living space or kitchen of a weekend rental; nothing you did would be private even on your holidays.

There are still some caveats to the new rule, but there is a lot less wiggle room for hosts than in the past. Airbnb listings will still be allowed outdoor cameras, and other security devices (including decibel monitors). Hotel listings will still be allowed cameras in their common spaces – for example lobby areas, halls, and restaurants. Hosts will still be allowed video doorbells, too.

Nevertheless, the new rules would mean that the situation that Ian Timbrell described in this tweet last year (below) would no longer be acceptable, whereas before – since the camera was visible and in a public space – it, theoretically, might have been?

It's also worth noting that – since hiding cameras was against policy before – this change in the rules doesn't actually change anything in that regard. A malicious host is now breaking the rules by putting a camera in any room, but some of the more horrifying cases – which seem to be more about voyeurism than mere intrusion – would already have been against Airbnb policy.

Examples include Texas couple Kaylee Gates and Christian Capraro, who sued their hosts after discovering a camera hidden in a "smoke detector" where they were 'intimate', or Chloe Le Brument who told Global News she had not only been the victim of voyeurism in London, Ontario, but discovered it because she accidentally took the camera, thinking it to be a phone charger, when packing. At the time, in 2023, she was told hidden cameras were against Airbnb policy.

Of course there are two sides (or more) to every tech – as I reported one man saw his wife trying to poison him with hidden cameras. I think, though, we'd all sleep a lot sounder if we could trust our hosts in an Airbnb more.

To be 100% sure there isn't a spy camera where you're staying, check our best hidden camera detector guide.

If you hop onto Reddit you'll see a lot of angry Wyze users discussing their intention to ditch the platform after a security breach. The thing is, you'll need to check the date because there was a previous wave of anger relating to a privacy mistake that came back in September 2023.

That wasn't the first, either. The cameras had been found to have vulnerabilities continuously and even Wyze discouraged use of the first-generation product after Feb 2022. It was the respectable New York Times' decision to very publicly withdraw its previous recommendation of the Wyze brand of cameras (only a year and a half later) that got people talking. Their principal concern was not so much that Wyze had suffered a technical issue but that it had been slow to address it and used the most discrete channel as possible to discuss it; the user forums, not exactly building trust.

Here we are again and, yet again, Wyze seem to have adopted a slightly patchy approach when it comes to communicating with their customers. First Wyze co-founder David Crosby told tech site The Verge "at least a dozen users were able to briefly see into a stranger’s property because they were shown an image from someone else’s camera."

A bit over an hour after the first report Wyze turned off the thumbnail feature – the basis of reviewing events. Wyze have blamed the security problem – and blamed it on AWS, the hosting platform it uses. (You can see the service advisory log). Three days later, on the 19th, Wyze's investigation update added the detail that the cause of the issue was "a third-party caching client-library" they had recently added into their software, which in turn was overloaded by the outage – in other words, AWS's share of the blame, if any, can only be directed at the outage – not the privacy blunder it unearthed.

In a discussion on Reddit, a user identifying herself as a 23 year old girl who keeps cameras in her house to monitor her pets says she received this message from Wyze: “We've identified your Wyze account as one that was affected. This means that thumbnails from your Events were visible in another Wyze user's account and that a thumbnail was tapped. Most taps enlarged the thumbnail, but in some cases it could have caused an Event Video to be viewed.”

Others have reported they received a message stating "Your account and over 99.75% of all Wyze accounts were not affected." At least knowing that the opposite of this message exists means, if you've received the 99.75% message, you can now be more confident that you might have been.

One thing users can do is take to the forums. Wyze are communicating with users there in a chat titled "I’m able to see a random camera I do not have permission for."

This incident won't do Wyze any favors – not that they have ever shared any of their cameras with us to review anyway. Weirdly Amazon, owners of AWS, do stand to benefit as they also own Ring and Blink, two major competitors who appear on or guides to the best security cameras. 

If you're interested in the best outdoor security cameras check our guide, and if you are concerned about privacy consider Apple HomeKit cameras or the best NVR. 

Researcher Minh Hung discovered a group on Telegram, the encrypted messaging platform, which invited him to join, calling itself "A group specialized in hacking into private cameras of families and shops in Vietnam. All footage is dark corners and hot scenes from families."

According to a report in VNexpress, Members of the group offered three different 'packages' for access to the footage hacked from the cameras, with pricing tiers curiously mimicking those that some of the camera retailers use for their supposedly secure cloud subscriptions!

The cheapest was 150,000 Vietnamese Dong (VND), $6.16 / £4.84 / AU$9.14 for a selection of over 1,000 videos and random images, while VND500,000 ($20.53) brought higher quality footage with daily content updates. The top tier was called 'Super VIP' and included 4 years' worth of hacked footage from hundreds of cameras as well as live access for VND800,000 ($32.84).

Horrifyingly the group proudly describe their hacking achievements with the tone of a promotional brochure for privacy breaking: "Our software constantly scans localities across the country. Most of the cameras are located in the corners of bedrooms, bathrooms, dressing rooms, toilets, hotels, clothing shops, massage parlors"

The report says that Hung tried the top tier to see if it was just a scam. It required him to download an application and then scan QR codes to view the live feeds, but it worked, and he had access to 15 live cameras in bedrooms and even dressing rooms of clothing stores.

Though the source doesn't specify a brand, we know that there have been incidents with major brands, including Wyze in the USA so this isn't completely isolated. The best way to avoid problems is not only to set up only the best indoor cameras, but to be sure you use strong passwords of your own choosing when setting them up.

You can also, of course, protect your home and be 100% sure about indoor privacy by simply choosing to stick to the best outdoor cameras! Sure, there are fines in the millions of VND (so $1,500 to 2,500) and even potential jail terms in Vietnam for those caught, but clearly that hasn't been effective here. Of course, there was a   case where hidden cameras may have saved a man from murder, so all arguments have two sides, but given the way the video is being sold clearly privacy is the key issue.

We'd also strongly suggest checking our guide to the best hidden camera detectors when visiting unfamiliar accommodation.

Laptops do not, as a rule, have especially good webcams. Yet laptops get used for a huge amount of computing and conferencing. Until recently, Apple fitted 720P cameras which simply couldn't cope with low lighting, meaning there are a lot of media professionals out there with expensive, powerful laptops that have nothing wrong with them except for their webcams.

Curiously a lot of webcams have either ignored the laptop market, or addressed it with an adapter rather than aiming at it head on. Opal's own first webcam, the C1, went down this route too, declaring itself "the first professional webcam," and placing a 4K Sony sensor and array of microphones in a small mount with balances upon a screen – laptop or desktop – in a style we've seen replicated one way or another across many of the best webcams.

The new Tadpole is deliberately designed not to make such physical compromise. It's body is the clip which will support it atop the laptop screen (though we guess a very thin monitor would do as well). 

Opal Tadpole: Build & Handling

The body of the Tadpole, thankfully, does not look a lot like an early stage of the amphibian life cycle. Instead, it looks like what might happen if a smart washing peg decided it needed a lens.

The body has a 'front' – the bit you see when you're working – and the back of the hinge. When detached from the computer, the front clips around the base of the camera square and provides extra protection, while the grip at the hinge juts out. When pressed, the reasonably strongly sprung hinge responds, but there is no need to worry about it scratching your laptop as, despite the crisp lines on the surface, the inside has silicone grips.

That's important because you'll likely be clipping over the top of the display and on a newer MacBook Pro, for example, probably into the screen area a little since the bezels are quite small these days and the clip is more comfortable at a bit over 10mm from the edge.

The cable is fixed to the device and has a ball on it which you can pull to shorten or lengthen the spare wire, seemingly with the intention of making a wrist strap to carry the camera. If you can't quite get enough cable, this is where to check. The USB-C plug at the other end seems a bit chunky and has a red LED in it. The surface is a touch button for mute (the LED the indicator).

The other machined elements are the microphone recesses in the front. The asymmetrical pair work together to create a directional microphone.

Opal Tadpole: Performance

Well, plugging the camera in certainly works on my MacBook Pro. It was recognized by the computer and added to the list of devices without issue. As discussed below, the video deals well with the kind of questionable conditions I'd expect a webcam to have to handle. I noticed the AF having a brief check a couple of times, but it didn't seem to hunt and get lost. 

The image, too, is not aggressively sharp like some digital cameras, which feels appropriate and has the added advantage of softening shadowy grainy areas. It is, however, perfectly angular – no evidence of fish-eye distortion.

The mute function in the USB-C connector does make it a little wider than I might like, but there is still room for my MacBook Pro's power cable to go into the neighboring socket, so we're OK there. I can't say as I loved the ball on the strap, not seeing myself as likely to wear the camera on my wrist, but that's me.

Opal Tadpole: Sample Video

I don't mean to be unfair but thinking about where I use my built-in camera (which is generally for meetings), I tested in very low light. What little artificial light I had I added from the wrong side. I'd say in the circumstances the camera made sensible exposure choices.

I wouldn't say my facial hairs were pin-sharp in the 1080p recording, but there is just about enough depth of field that I stand out from the pile of boxes behind me, and despite the camera's need to avoid over-exposure it still manages to find some detail in my dark top – well done to it!

To test the (and because they can't always resist it) there were some noise contributions from family members in other rooms too, not that you'd pick them up in the audio, which I thought was impressive.

Opal Tadpole: Overall verdict

This is a pleasingly simplistic device so there isn't much to be said about it other than it does its job well, in good conditions and less-than-ideal circumstances too (all credit to the AF and the noise canceling). Portability is fine, too, though the lack of a built-in lens protector of some kind means the little rubber cap supplied could easily be lost.

That, though, isn't what would trouble me. If you are in the market for a premium webcam, I personally find myself asking whether there is much advantage to the extra compact size at all. Once you've got an external device, some extra care – like a little spot in your bag – will be needed. In this case, there is much to be said for looking at other options that have a bit more in the feature pot (see below).

That's just me, though. If you don't mind paying a premium for the looks, and want something clearly better than the camera in most laptops, then this certainly does the business – and with a touch of class.

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Opal has released what they're calling "a new species of webcam," the Tadpole, designed to clip onto the top of a laptop yet provide mirrorless camera quality. That's quite a promise, and one which might hold a lot of appeal for creatives making do with the built-in cameras on modern laptops.

The device is all about portability, with even its corded cable serving as a kind of carrying strap at the same time, with a bead on it that can be pulled to keep a safe grip. The camera itself is a 35mm square clip shape, with the lens projecting from the front and looks ultra-stylish (so it should go with all those MacBooks with crummy cameras). 

There is also what Opal is calling a "category first" directional mic as part of a two-mic array (one-directional, one omnidirectional) which, they say, is inspired by insect auditory systems.

At the computer end of the cable (USB-C, naturally), a touch-sensitive button with a concealed indicator light lets you mute the mic without trying to find the right icon on screen.

The video output is 1080P at 30fps – not the 4K you might have imagined for a premium device – but it is binned from a 12.7mm 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 Exmor RS sensor, so it is not short of detail. My take on that is the use case is more about good-quality video calls on the go than reaching broadcast quality, in which case very few feeds would end up being 4K. The camera is f/1.8 with a 70-degree field of view and autofocus which, in itself, is often a step up versus built-in cams.

Materials choice, however, is where the real premium starts to show – the painted aluminium (offered in black or white) with silicone rubber clip and glass lens cover. The camera weights 35g, with the strap/cable adding another 10g (total 1.6oz).

None of this comes cheap, though. The camera costs $175 and is available for order now, though shipping might take a few weeks.

We have an early model in for review, so we'll be letting you know exactly how good the picture is soon, but I can reveal that the DCW team's first impressions when I used it this morning – instead of my MacBook's built-in camera – were positive.

The Tadpole is expected to ship during December, but if you can't wait that long, perhaps check our list of the best webcams or the best Mac webcams.

Elgato has just unveiled a first-of-its-kind teleprompter designed to revolutionize video production for content creators. Demand for teleprompters is on the increase due to the growing number of people who now live-stream content, record podcasts, upload educational material, deliver training online, and more! By 2030 it’s expected the global teleprompter market will be worth $1.48 billion and devices such as the Elgato Prompter are the main reason. 

Unlike the best teleprompters of the past, the Elgato prompter attaches directly to cameras or webcams, enabling creators to maintain eye contact with their audience. It’s powered by a computer and comes with Elgato’s free Camera Hub software which can be used to display video scripts or stream chat effortlessly. With a built-in 9-inch screen it eliminates the need for an external smartphone or tablet – as used in some DIY alternatives – and it can even be used with applications such as Zoom. 

• Check out the best cameras for streaming on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Live

This innovative product offers unprecedented compatibility and Stream Deck support which is set to redefine online communication. Twitch streamers can now interact with their chat while maintaining eye contact with the camera. YouTubers recording for an edit still benefit from staying on script which reduces the need for reshooting and editing. It can also be used just like you would an external monitor by dragging and dropping your monitor display onto its screen so if you're live streaming with someone you can see them at the same time. 

Using the Camera Hub software (which is available for both PC and Mac) users can customize the prompter's display by personalizing text and the addition of the Stream Deck pluigin means creators can control the prompter with a keyboard shortcut, dial turns or even foot taps! 

Jeff Stegner, Product Manager at Elgato, said, "We built Prompter to be the true all-in-one solution for content creators. For years, consumer teleprompters offered only half the equation, requiring an additional smartphone or tablet. Meanwhile, studio devices with a built-in display were too expensive for most creators. Prompter is the best of both worlds." It is much cheaper than the classic Autocue (a trade name), but uses the same principle for the kind of shooting most common today.

What sets the Prompter apart is its unrivaled compatibility, working seamlessly with hundreds of webcams, cameras, and smartphones including the Sony ZV-1 and the Insta 360 Link. While all DSLR and mirrorless cameras will work with the Elgato Prompter, it won’t work with cameras that have a ¼-inch mount or fields of view wider than 20mm, so it's best to check the prompter compatibility before investing. 

Elgato is taking preorders on the prompter now and expects to ship in December, with prices starting at $279.99/£279.99/AU$440.28. 

For over two decades, Logitech has been one of the leading webcam companies. Many individuals educate, engage, and connect with others with Logitech devices and sales grew fast during the pandemic, but, until now, if you wanted to use a Logitech camera with documents a certain amount of jerry-rigging was needed (indeed you'll find YouTube videos telling you how).

Now the launch of the Logitech Reach means the brand is providing a complete answer in the form of a document camera. The Logitech Reach is a versatile, articulating camera designed to elevate non-digital content sharing. 

• Check out the best Logitech webcam - ranging from budget options to professional, high-quality cameras

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in demand for non-digital content sharing. Through lockdown, everyone from personal trainers, to chefs, and crafters turned to video as a way of continuing to communicate with their audience. Although life has returned to normal, many people have continued to adopt video learning as standard practice and the Logitech Reach will help alleviate many of the challenges these content creators face. 

There is no way back for the slide-based overhead projector now the digital classroom has established itself! The Logitech Reach's  “show and tell” experience is delivered using high-quality 1080p video at 60fps through enhanced glass optics. The camera boasts smart autofocus that "delivers a more immersive experience." The camera itself is able to effortlessly move horizontally and vertically allowing the content-creator to show different perspectives and zoom in on details with 4.3x lossless zoom in a single button. 

For content creators wanting to switch from speaking to the camera to showing off a skill, a pivoting camera enables users to easily change the vantage point and position the camera. It’s designed to adapt to the space you have so the Logitech Reach can be operated in full desktop mode when using it on a table or in its compact setup paired with the low-profile edge clamp in more confined spaces. 

Working with the Indiegogo Enterprise platform, Logitech is able to offer the Logitech Reach to early adopters and innovation seekers at a discounted price in return for insight into how it can be used in different environments and for different reasons. To be among the first to use the Logitech Reach sign up at Reach Camera. 

Also check out the best cameras for streaming on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook Live, as well as our guide to the best document cameras.

With the best laptop webcam built into your computer, you can enjoy great image quality, silky smooth performance and innovative features. And with remote work and virtual meetings as commonplace as ever, for many webcam quality is an essential consideration when choosing a new laptop.

Of course, you don't just buy a laptop for its in-built webcam: you want it to do all sorts of other things too. That's why we test all aspects of the best laptops, to make sure they deliver on all fronts.

In this article we've listed the best laptops that feature great webcams as well as fast performance, great picture quality, and more besides. However, if you'd prefer to stick with your current laptop, then you could alternatively connect a separate exterior webcam (or even mirrorless camera) to your PC, and perhaps use a ring light or other illumination device too.

Our top picks

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Best webcam laptops 

The best laptop webcam overall

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 is a 2-in-1 detachable tablet computer that blends the portability of a tablet with the versatility of a laptop, although the optional Pro Flex keyboard is a must, and it isn't cheap.

The Surface Pro 11 can be specced with a 2880 x 1800 OLED display so your images look the part. But where this 2-in-1 really takes some beating is webcam quality. It boasts camera with an incredible 12MP, 4032x3024 resolution. Thanks to the machine's AI-focused NPU, the webcam benefits from Windows Studio Effects - these provide handy video enhancements like automatic framing, eye contact correction, and advanced background blur during meetings.

Elsewhere, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X manages to be powerful without being power-hungry, and it can be specced with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, making the Surface Pro deceptively potent.

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The best Apple laptop webcam

Our reviewer found a lot to love about the latest MacBook Pro 14 (M4, 2024). The screen is stunning, and the new M4 chip absolutely blows old Intel chip-equipped MacBooks out of the water. Plus when it comes to the webcam, it boasts a high quality 1080p camera.

Overall, this is a hugely powerful laptop, although may be overkill for some many, especially if you're not doing a lot of resource-intensive tasks like photo or video editing. So if you want a 1080p webcam, you may prefer to save a little money and opt for the previous 2023 M3 MacBook Pro, or even the latest M4 iMac.

See our full MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) review

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The best 2-in-1 laptop webcam

A Windows 11 tablet rather than a laptop - the keyboard case is sold separately - the Surface Go 4 is underpowered in its Pentium incarnation unless all you’re doing with it is surfing the web. Luckily, there are upgrades to the CPU, RAM and storage available that turn it from a touchscreen triviality into a seriously useful machine - though you’ll pay for the privilege.

That goes for the webcam too. It’s a 5MP model that’s perfect for 1080p video calls and selfies, and as it’s a tablet there's another 8MP camera on the back too. You also get Windows Hello functionality, where the Surface Go is unlocked using facial recognition.

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The best Chromebook webcam

Chromebooks – laptops that run the lightweight ChromeOS from Google – tend to have lesser specifications than Windows laptops, as all they’re going to be asked to do is run web apps through the Chrome browser. This doesn’t mean they’re any less capable, as there are full office suites and image editing apps available for them, but they’re not expected to work as hard.

This model from HP has a spec that a budget Windows laptop would be envious of, and its 1080p webcam means your video calls should be clear and sharp.

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The best laptop webcam for gamers

The Razer Blade series are all gaming laptops, but having those powerful CPU and GPU chips also makes them better for doing other things, like intensive image or video editing. The 1080p camera found at the top of the Blade 16’s screen should provide excellent image quality, plus it enables Windows Hello functionality. Naturally with so much performance on tap, you'll pay a high price to get your hands on a Blade 16 (and that's before you get tempted by the options list!). But if you want a Windows laptop that'll stay as future-proofed as possible, it may just be a worthwhile investment.

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The best laptop webcam for business meetings

Lenovo’s ThinkPad line are business-oriented machines with a reputation for having everything you need to be an executive on the move, and that goes for the webcam too.

The display on the X1 Carbon Gen 14 is sharp and bright, with LCD or OLED options, and above it sits either a 5MP or 10MP webcam, depending on the spec you choose. It’s a Windows Hello compatible camera, so you can unlock your laptop with just your face, and it features a wide field of view, along with automatic distortion correction, so you and your colleagues should look your best in a meeting.

While this is far from the cheapest laptop out there, it has a very serious specification to match its serious status, easily performing all day in video conferences and office work.

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FAQs

How to choose the best laptop webcams

When choosing a laptop webcam, there are several key factors to consider. First, resolution: look for at least 1080p full HD resolution, as this will provide sharp, detailed video suitable for professional video calls and streaming. Low-light performance is important if you frequently have video calls in dimly lit rooms. Also, consider privacy features like camera shutters or kill switches to disable the webcam when not in use for security. Finally, prioritize laptops with high-quality microphones if you need excellent audio capture.

How we test the best laptop webcams

We put each webcam model through rigorous real-world testing to thoroughly evaluate its performance. We make video calls and participate in virtual conferences using each webcam to assess video and audio quality in real meeting environments. We stream live video using the webcams to judge their suitability for applications like game streaming. We record video of ourselves with the webcams under different scenarios to critically analyze footage quality. We don't just focus on video: audio quality from the webcam's built-in microphones is also carefully evaluated during testing for clarity and noise cancellation.

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Apple's Center Stage is a popular feature, keeping the camera tightly cropped on the subject. It feels like it'd be a great idea to put this in more webcams, which, at first, is what we thought Coolpo were going for here.

This device can be used in that way, but there is a bit more on offer too. The device is really designed to serve as a kind of junior version of the Coolpo AI Huddle Pana, a 360˚ conference camera which sits in the middle of a table. This is as portable as a webcam but could still work for smaller meetings as it has the Coolpo's 'MeetingFlex' AI tracking.

So, it looks like a big webcam. It plugs into a laptop like a webcam. But it has a group mode which can separate out more than one face. Can it really provide an adequate alternative to a full-on conferencing device like those on our best conference room cameras list but at the fraction of the cost?

Specifications

Camera: 4K UHD
Split screen limit: 7 participants
Field of view: 120˚
Weight: 221g (on my scales)
Dimensions: 126 x 40 x 36mm body + 64 x 15 x 50mm mount

Key features

With a sensor resolution of 4K (though not all of that is always being output), this is a high resolution device, and the 120˚ field of view means you can more or less put it at one end of the table and be sure the rest of the table is in view.

Clearly the stand-out functionality is the AI, whether thought of as an alternative to Apple's Center Stage – keeping the speaker in the middle and cropping the extraneous – or as a replacement for a smart meeting camera, this is a camera which lets its brain play a big part in the video which is output.

There is also a useful app top provide controls from the connected computer, a privacy shield which actually blocks the lens, a monitor grip and a tripod mount.

Build and Handling

Opening the AI Huddle Mini Lite's box is encouraging. The slip case is nicely printed, with some spot gloss, and inside the box is magnetically sealed. Classy. Lifting out felt good too, with a nice heft to the product without it being overly heavy. There was a good amount of protective plastic to peel off too; not just the plastic front cover (not glass) but the 

The body has only a single, unsprung sliding switch which somehow pushes the cover over the optics (it happens in the opposite direction to the switch's movement, which is neat in terms of engineering, but probably inefficient. There are no control buttons at all – that's all done using the app.

On the front there is a single white light to indicate power is flowing, which it will via a USB-C connection. There is a cable in the box, if you need it. At the base, fixed but able to rotate, is one of the better monitor clamps we've encountered. When folded into position, the hinges can be trusted to stay.

Performance

Sadly this is where things get a bit more disappointing. I tested on both an 2020 iMac and an M1 Macbook Pro to be sure it wasn't a processor issue, but in both cases I got similar results.

My first instinct was to see whether this camera could give me the 'Center Stage' my iMac couldn't (it's a feature of the newer models), so I perched it above the built-in 1080p FaceTime camera and tried it out. The results weren't great.

The video feed was sharp, though much more so on the wall behind me a couple of meters (6ft) from the camera than of my face. The blurring, however, seemed partially influenced by the low bit-rate. Even though I was recording locally, my movement was blurred and glitchy, and synchronisation was dubious at best. 

The frames came through as if the shutter was open too long, and there are no settings to change frame rate that I could find.

Changing settings was quite easy thanks to the neat Coolpo Tools app, and the size of the window was also considerate – you could fit it on screen next to a meeting without losing too much real estate. Of course you'll need it thanks to the total lack of buttons on the device – a tracking on/off would have been nice.

The sound quality from the single microphone – on the left, as you look at it – was no better than you'd get with a medium or worse laptop. There certainly wasn't much evidence of the noise cancelling on the tabletop equivalent despite this being promised.

This video is a solo test, but reveals most of the key issues we encountered (as well as how the device handles fan noise in a warm summer).

Overall Verdict

There are some really nice elements to the AI Huddle Mini Lite's design. The privacy guard with icon is neat, and the shape feels like other quality business-focussed webcams like the Anker B600, and the mount is top-notch (though strangely not removable).

Before you buy, though, you need to be certain what you want it for, because if you're looking for something which can track a subject then you'll find quicker better AI in alternatives like the Tiny 4K. 

If it's the meeting AI which appeals, then this is a relatively moderately priced way of accessing that technology. The wide-angle camera is also potentially very useful for this scenario, though there are other cameras that offer reframing (we have reviewed the Obsbot Meet 4K, for example). Only the multi-cam AI framing is the specialty here (in this price bracket). And the picture is sharp but the data rate still seems slow, resulting in juddering and out-of-sync sound (even before an internet connection is involved!)

So our conclusion is that this is a cheap way into that category of cameras, which also gives you the option of a decent 4K wide-angle camera. You'll probably still choose to use the computer's built-in microphone though, such are the limits of the device, and that's a pity.

If you're looking for alternatives, we keep a few guides, including the best webcam for home working, the best budget webcam and the best Mac webcam. If you're looking for something higher end, check the best 4K webcam guide and the best conference room webcam list.

Obsbot's first AI webcam, the 'Tiny' was called that in comparison to the 'Tail,' a camera designed for streamers which was the company's debut product. As such it didn't actually need to be that compact; it easily fitted in one hand, and was a good bit smaller than the Tail, but it didn't look entirely comfortable balanced on a monitor.

That was easily forgiven, though, because, as we noted in our review, it – and the Tiny 4K that followed it – did an excellent job of keeping a subject in frame, offering much of the functionality of the Tail in an even more portable context.

Things have changed a little. Apple's digital subject tracking system 'Center Stage' offered a mainstream appeal for focusing on the action, while more recently Insta360's Link offered a physically smaller alternative to the Obsbot Tiny. Time, then, for the empire to strike back (launching, as it happens, on the very same day as Insta360 brings out another product – a bit of a rivalry there?)

Specifications

Video: 4K @ 30fps HDR
Image sensor: 1/1.5-inch / 50MP
Aperture: f/1.9
FOV: 85.5˚
AI: Gesture Control, Dynamic Gesture Control, Voice Control
Connectivity: USB-C, UNC
Size: 47 x 44 x 62mm
Weight: 99g (on our scales) 95.6g (official)

Key features

The Tiny 2 brings three significant new features over its predecessor (and that remains a device we are thoroughly impressed by). This edition has voice control, auto framing and desk mode.

This means the camera can be placed in more locations and still successfully track the target, following them using digital zoom as well as 2-axis pan and tilt of the camera. The AI tracks the subject as naturally as possible, but can also take direction from the subject and the Mac or Windows app, or the remote control.

Deep down it's built on better hardware, including a bigger dual ISO CMOS sensor which is capable of quicker focussing and better low light detail, and the information will be delivered more quickly thanks to the true USB 3.0 data transfer.

Build and handling

Obsbot are not a company to skimp on travel packaging, and once again we found the camera in a custom moulded hard case with room for the USB cable (with handy velcro tie) and monitor hinge. It took not a moment to unwrap and connect, whereupon the camera took a little look around, then decided it'd wait for me to download and install the software. Fair enough – it needed doing anyway as my test model needed a software update before we got to business.

The Obsbot app has gained a few more buttons, including the simulated makeup features, but is the same broadly sensible tool as I encountered when trying the Tiny 4K. That's great. It's cross platform, it doesn't take up too much screen real estate, and it allows

The smaller-than-before housing feels to be made of better quality materials, and seems to have a chrome-like shine in the tilt axis recess. It is magnetically attracted to the hinge, or it can be placed on a tripod.

When not in use, the camera can be automatically pushed down to face the base. It'll do this automatically after a while too – effectively a built-in privacy shield you can't lose.

Operation of the camera can be conducted entirely in software, or by taking advantage of the voice and gesture controls. Although these are a little quirky – not all requiring a "Hey tiny" prefix, they do work.

The bundle we tested included the remote, which has a USB-A adaptor stowed away in the battery compartment. This is the 'computer end,' and you plug it in just as you might a wireless mouse. The thing is its USB-A, with no adapter, which is oddly old-fashioned.

Nevertheless the remote (and whiteboard marker) is a handy option and also offers access to three preset camera positions you set up. There is a lot of the power of a true PTZ setup, and the remote – a newer version – feels well suited to the task. Or at least as well-suited as any non-analog control can be. 

Performance

The camera quality is striking for something which belongs in the webcam category. The image is crisp but not aggressively so. The responsiveness of the focus was noticeably better than the camera's predecessor, and we didn't often notice a point it irked. The AI tracking, when engaged, also seemed to have little problem following me from being sat right in front of the device to the counter behind.

Subject tracking can follow not just a face, but a body, so looking away from the camera won't cause it to lose track of you and (we imagine some niche streamers might be interested to know) you can even wear a mask. There is also a whiteboard track which doesn't require sticking things around your whiteboard.

In good light video was flawless, but as the light the device seemed even better. In a room with not very impressive lighting, we still didn't detect the kind of noise seen on an average webcam. By default, the Noise Reduction is set to 'Weak' which seemed to work well in a dim room, as did 'Off' to be fair.

We did find that recording 4K straight from the app was a bit disappointing. It created an MKV file that seemed to have all the gloss and quality you'd expect of 4K, but moved a little reluctantly, like jello/jelly mixed without much water. There was no such issue when recording with a program like OBS, however. It seemed a shame, however, that the included app wasn't the best tool for recording with!

Final Verdict

If all webcams were this good then meetings and streaming would be a very different experience. The camera quality will impress anywhere you have the connection to support it, and the fact the AI is clearly the product of a few generations of software improvement is palpable.

The Obsbot's Tiny 2 app offers a lot of functionality – but it isn't too much, even when you're streaming because, thankfully, the control app is organized into tabs. An alternative comparison, Obsbot's original Tail tracking PTZ concept, is also seriously threatened by this device.

It is a lot to spend if you are just looking for a webcam, though. Too much, in all likelihood. By dispensing with the pan/tilt motors, Obsbot's own Meet HD is a much more realistic spend. We also thought it was a shame the specially designed remote control didn't immediately offer pairing with a modern Macbook thanks to its USB-A only adapter. An analog touchpad and Bluetooth would have been better, but it's not like the remote is necessary anyway.

Is the Obsbot Tiny 2 better than its main competitor, the Insta360 Link? By most measures, yes. It can go slightly wider, it has a bigger sensor, it can track hands and by zones, and it does look better. The software also seems to have more tricks, like blurry backgrounds and voice control. In most circumstances, we'd call it our favorite, though it does lack the ability to position its camera in vertical mode which means some social creators might still prefer Insta360's pricier option.

At last week's NAB show AI camera specialists Obsbot demonstrated their first prototype of a new Tail Air streaming camera with PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) functionality.

Obsbot is known for its AI-powered webcams which keep subjects in the frame, and the Obsbot Tail – now sold out – was a powerful model designed for real-time streaming. We've covered the impending Tiny 2 before, and we'll review it when it arrives, but what of the Tail Air? Why is this successor to the original Obsbot Tail so interesting?

As shown at NAB, the Obsbot Tail Air boasts more sophisticated AI for streaming sports, live music, live classes, and other vlogging as well as traditional recording. It features much broader connectivity, with HDMI, USB, and Ethernet, with support for NDI and VISCA meaning it can slot into more serious systems, including Blackmagic Atem video switchers, and will no doubt worry some serious PTZ players.

It looks like we're seeing more and more of a cross-over between the creator-broadcaster and the pro end of the scale, and the Tail Air seems to bring the AI enjoyed by YouTubers to a more serious stage.

Obsbot's expertise is not limited to live-streaming devices. They have adapted and developed their AI tracking tech to a series of pan-tilt webcams, including the Tiny 4K and the upcoming Tiny 2, which boasts a 1/1.5" sensor. They have even ported the subject tracking tech to more traditional fixed web cameras – the Meet 4K and Meet.

Historically, Obsbot has a habit of launching products using crowdfunding campaigns, and we don't yet have a start date for Tail Air, so we can't put a precise date on it, but Obsbot tell us the end of June. It's also fair to say that they don't usually seem to have much problem raising the funds needed for a first production run.

This new Tail Air looks high spec, which means it'll be vying for a spot on our best PTV camera list, and perhaps the best cameras for streaming too.

The Tiny 2 is the latest in Obsbot's series of Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) webcams with AI subject tracking. This is a major refresh, with a new form factor to accommodate the new sensor, a 1/1.5" dual-native ISO CMOS which can deliver 4K video in improved HDR.

• See our full Obsbot Tiny 2 review

The bigger sensor has nearly 4x the surface area compared to the 1/2.8" in the Tiny 4K, the device's predecessor which we reviewed previously (see Tiny 4K review). The dual-layered sensor takes two images at the same time for each frame, and the software can process them together to ensure a wide dynamic range. Obsbot says this will also make the camera well-suited to coping with low and bright light.

A revised 'Deep Neural Learning Network' algorithm improves the tracking which made the brand's name. As before the camera can track its user around the room, but it also introduces Auto Framing, Desk Mode, Hand Tracking, and Zone Tracking.

The new camera will also sport voice control for the first time in Obsbot's history, so you'll be able to act like a director, telling the camera "Position One" or "Zoom In Closer."

Other improvements include USB 3.0, increasing throughput, and a 4x improvement to the focusing speed. This is achieved, according to Obsbot, by using every one of 100 megapixels (both layers of 50), to achieve fast focusing – and, importantly for those in gloomy spaces, better focusing across lighting ranges.

There will also be a 'Beauty Mode', performing the smart skin softening skin and eye brightening we've seen on phones and other software.

We have been impressed by the Tiny 2's predecessors, so this is an exciting prospect for creators. It is expected to ship to customers in early May, and will be available in a standard pack (with case), or different bundles with remote controls and even multiple cameras.

• Pre-orders are now online at Obsbot

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