Professional’s Score
Execs
- 4K webcam with 1080p/60Hz choices
- Intensive configurability
- Wonderful 360-degree face monitoring as you progress round a room
- Guide pan and zoom
- Good mics
Cons
- No privateness shutter, only a privateness mode
- Autofocus may be barely tender
Our Verdict
The OBSBOT Tiny PTZ 4K webcam gives an unimaginable array of premium options for an inexpensive value, capped off by an AI-powered capacity to bodily observe your face as you progress.
Finest Costs Right now: OBSBOT Tiny PTZ 4K
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K actually ranks among the many greatest webcams you should buy, 4K or not, interval. It gives a lot: 4K video, a 60fps choice (albeit at 1080p), and the actual magic: an automatic gimbal that bodily rotates and dips the webcam to middle your face.
It will get higher. The OBSBOT Tiny 4K (typically bought because the OBSBOT Tiny PTZ 4K) will quickly be supplemented by the Tiny 2, with a bigger sensor for improved video. That ought to assist resolve one of many Tiny 4K’s solely shortcomings: video high quality is sweet, simply not excellent. Alternatively, OBSBOT is discounting the Tiny PTZ 4K in anticipation of the Tiny 2’s launch, so it can save you a big chunk off of its common $269.99 MSRP.
The Tiny 4K ships in two items: a magnetic mount, and the digicam meeting itself, packaged collectively inside a zipped carrying case that OBSBOT offers. OBSBOT additionally offers the selection between a 4.92ft/1.5m USB-C to USB-C cable, or a USB-C to USB-A cable inside the identical field. Simply be sure you join the latter to a USB 3.1 port (versus USB 2.0) to make sure that the webcam has sufficient energy.
The OSBBOT Tiny 4K feels exceptionally well-designed, with touches that you simply won’t want but are offered anyway. The magnetic mount holds the digicam meeting quick, with the folding “jaws” being lengthy and pronounced sufficient to deal with even thicker shows. The mount meeting even comes with a small, sticky floor that may be peeled off to affix the mount, although you most likely received’t want it.
Mark Hachman / IDG
All instructed, the webcam and its mount measures 5.59 inches tall, and a couple of.28 inches extensive and deep. The gimbal and separate mount weigh 0.37lbs collectively.
The Tiny 4K has unimaginable, easy configurability
This is among the few cameras whose utility software program, downloadable from the OBSBOT web site, feels actually crucial. OBSBOT provides the standard picture controls: brightness, publicity, white stability, and anti-flicker controls, but additionally auto-focus and publicity controls (metered globally, or else particularly in your face).
The premium options the OBSBOT Tiny 4K consists of are additionally controllable. The actual magic of the Tiny 4K is the way it locks on and tracks your face, and this may be triggered by way of the OBSBOT Webcam utility. OBSBOT, nevertheless, goes additional: Not solely are you able to set the auto-focusing digicam to robotically orient itself in your face, you may manually configure the way you seem on digicam, too.
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K is extraordinarily nicely designed, combining each 4K and 60Hz choices with an automatic gimbal that may bodily observe your face.
A “headroom” setting tilts the digicam up a bit to create “area” above your head, should you so favor. You may even manually alter the automated gimbal in order that the digicam positions your face to at least one facet or the opposite, for captioning or graphics. (Whereas the digicam will observe you round a room, for a full 360 levels, you may manually configure the gimbal 150 levels with 45 levels of tilt.) You can too set the sector of view (86, 78, or 65 levels) and optically zoom between 1X and 4X. The Tiny 4K’s stage of configurability is just above and past most competing webcams available on the market immediately.
Mark Hachman / IDG
OBSBOT even means that you can lock the digicam in your face via gestures: holding your hand out, palm up, identifies you because the “goal”. Holding your fingers within the form of an “L” zooms out and in. All of those gestures labored completely out of the field, although I discovered that I wanted to re-identify myself on one event.
There isn’t any privateness shutter, although the gadget will enter sleep mode if not actively getting used. You can too manually push the digicam down; when it’s pointed down it enters sleep mode, turning off the mic and digicam. (Home windows’ Sound Recorder and Digital camera apps confirmed this.) The digicam tends to neglect your preferences should you unplug it or shut your PC down, although it can save you them as a preset, too.
How does the OBSBOT Tiny 4K carry out?
The Tiny PTZ 4K’s face monitoring is fairly wonderful. The Tiny 4K is gradual, however dogged; you may actually stroll round your show and the digicam will observe you, albeit slowly. That’s one of many solely knocks in opposition to this webcam, as you’ll develop used to it monitoring you as you shift about in your seat and even tempo the room. (Simply beware should you lean away to blow your nostril!) It’s a little bit gimmicky in the truth that most of us don’t tempo the room whereas on a video name—and should you do, your viewers may even see some odd angles because the digicam tracks you.
Mark Hachman / IDG
If it loses sight of you, the Tiny 4K will search out the final recognized location of your face, then swivel left and proper and up and down till it re-acquires you. A small array of LEDs on the entrance sign if every little thing’s okay (inexperienced) and whether or not it’s acknowledged any gesture instructions you’ve made.
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K’s video high quality is fairly good, on par if barely inferior to the Razer Kiyo Professional Extremely, which appears to be like about nearly as good as any webcam delivers. About the one complaints I’ve is that the video decision is just adjustable within the preview mode, and the HDR adjustment can’t work wonders in a backlit room. Remember, too, that 4K decision is just achievable in 30Hz. If you wish to seize or broadcast in 60Hz, you’ll have to step right down to 1080p.
As you may see within the screenshot beneath, the autofocusing may stand to enhance, too. The twin noise-cancelling mics, nevertheless, filtered out background sounds fairly successfully, although they did a greater job paired with the noise-cancelling algorithms in Zoom, for exampe.
Mark Hachman / IDG
OBSBOT has simply launched the Tiny 2, which provides just a few new options: voice management, quicker focusing, and a bigger picture sensor, for $329. We’ll possible be reviewing it quickly. Nonetheless, the easy configurability of the OBSBOT Tiny 4K elevates it to top-of-the-line webcams we’ve ever seen, and a terrific product in its personal proper. We strongly suggest the Tiny PTZ 4K.