Why the Opal C1 is a great webcam

If you’re looking for a webcam that’s better than what you have, whether that’s a plug-and-play webcam you may have paid too much for during the pandemic or the (likely) lousy one that’s inside of your laptop, we’ve gathered a few unique and great options, including ones that cost next to nothing.

0:00 Intro
0:29 Opal C1
3:07 DSLR webcam
3:59 Webcams under $200
4:14 Elgato Facecam
4:59 DroidCam (Android and iOS webcam)
5:35 Elgato EpocCam
5:55 Smartphone webcam accessories
6:12 Conclusion

[TheVerge]

How much are you willing to pay for webcam greatness?

[leoherzog]

I'm down for paying a lot of money for good camera hardware, but a subscription service to unlock software camera features is offensive to my core.

[TheJohnRowley]

We need a lot more from this man, he has a good laid back easy presenting style.

[Anonym-dxtp]

I really hate all this subscription stuff on hardware I’ve already bought. I only accept subscription services for software like Netflix, Amazon or Spotify.

[keithr]

The Opal seems great but $300 PLUS a subscription model for software features is asking way too much.

[andre.barreto]

70-80 percent of webcam problems can be fixed with better lighting. Yes hardware does matter but dont run out immediately to buy a fancy new camera

[sguyaimingskyhigh]

glad to see the 'this is my next' series back! looking forward to more videos!

[Tenchinu]

very brave to launch a web cam with a monthly subscription feed… knowing laptops and phones can already do that well enough for most people.
almost as if this vid was an ad…

[ultramegax]

Honestly, Droidcam should be everyone's first try. I've been super happy with it, and was happy to support the developer by buying the Pro version for $7.

If you have a mid to high end phone, your camera is likely to be better than most webcams. Couple that with something like Nvidia Broadcast, and you have the AI features this has and more.

Droidcam can even be used wirelessly, which is sweet. All you need is a $10 tripod to hold your phone at a decent level.

[Kaldrax]

I took my canon EOS 77D with a 24mm and it’s an insane webcam. Should work with a way cheaper canon EOS too.

[andibrema]

"Let's start with a $300 Opal..."
Almost choked there

[KMAaus]

Both Sony and Nikon (Not sure about Canon) have developed new software during the last few years to use their cameras as a webcam with no additional dongles or cables. They work very well, and are a great option if you already have one. And you have the bandwidth in the chat.

[martinowong]

You can get an older dlsr/mirrorless or a GoPro for prices comparable or lower than the Opal, and you’ll get better picture quality, of course a webcam can be more convenient and easier to set up

[vince]

It's kinda surprising how much webcams have lagged behind even older phone cameras. Even the Elgato camera didn't look great, would have expected more from that size of a sensor and lens.

[JBoya]

I really like you showed an old camera option. I went with an old Olympus EM-1 ii I had lying around and not used for years before the pandemic. I used an Elgato HDMI 4k to USB adapter to connect to the computer. But, a $15 knock-off HDMI-USB adapter also does fine. The result is very clean high-quality images with great autofocus and natural background blur. And having a flip forward screen to see what you look like is helpful for getting your face framed correctly.

[MarkSmithMCS]

Spending more than 100 bucks on a webcam is nuts imo, unless you have to make professional live streaming content. Logitech c925 is great for 90ish for meetings etc. I don't understand why this focuses so heavily on hyper niche use cases

[Techninjaspeaks]

For iPhone, I've been using the Detail app. It's a free app for iOs and Mac. It leaves a little watermark in the corner on the free version, but for free it's worth it. I've used it several times wirelessly and it's worked flawlessly. Not an ad, I just legit use it.

[MelvinGarcia]

My webcam rig is a Fuji X-T4 with the 16-55 2.8 lens, I put a dummy battery in it, disabled outputting to SD cards, so it will “record” indefinitely while giving me those beautiful Fuji colors and it doesn’t overheat.

I got it hooked up to a Deity D4, ATEM Mini and I have a three point lighting setup as well to look extra good.

I don’t mind having extra cables and gadgets since my desktop is huge.

[MalteSittig]

Hi Cameron, I just wanted to say that I love the way you moderated this video! Continue your work!

[PaulHo]

I could watch this guy smile all day. 🥺