New Obsbot is cheapest 4K AI webcam yet with AI tracking and auto-zoom
Webcams for streaming are all the rage, and with this Obsbot are opening their smart tech up to a wider market
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.
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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.
With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones.
Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones.
He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook.