Yeah I recently got a new monitor and now have to think about a webcam setup - would you recommend to just have a smartphone mount on top to quickly position the iPhone and just use that? How has been your long term experience with the continuity camera?
It's a reasonably good looking webcam I guess, but it's still just a high end webcam. If you're only using it for video calls, then Facetime, Zoom or Teams will be compressing the hell out of your image anyway, so resolution above 1080p and all the post-processing is next to meaningless. Not only that, but you can tell (with your mouth moving especially) that the frame rate has to be messed with significantly in order to maintain good exposure on your face. Not only that, but the fake bokeh looks really bad, I don't know why they bother since we're not making movies on these things, it's a webcam, and the real bokeh looks decent enough without adding a weird halo around your head. If you're looking for more than just video calls, then just step up to an older mirrorless camera. If you're looking for a smart webcam, this has significantly fewer bells and whistles and tracking features than the Insta360 Link for instance, and that's not that much more money. If you're exclusively using this for business meetings, just stick with your standard webcam and just improve the lighting in your room, that'll make far more difference than buying a new camera. If you really want a better camera and you're in the Mac ecosystem, continuity camera and the iPhone is going to provide much more versatile results. Sorry Opal, I know you've been pushing this one really hard with the sponsorships recently, but the fact of the matter is, there is better options, cheaper options, smarter options and more practical options than your overpriced webcam.
Thank you Greg for the review, I am going to check it. For years I am disappointed with Apple for the time it’s taking to upgrade the camera on the MacBook Pros. It is a high cost laptop with a very ordinary camera.
A lot of tech tubers pushing this model, so an advertising blitz. This video is just an advert? I understand you need to earn money, but a bit too commercial. What is the resolution?
sorry man but this video makes you an advertiser more than a reviewer. I normally like your videos, Greg. But the mac's built in cam is already really good, and I'd say the Opal is marginally better, but hardly presents anything additional that makes it worth getting when you consider that just another thing you have to have on your shelf or carry along. It's sharp but you're washed out in most of the shots. The lens is certainly better, but the processing is seemlingly sluggish as the jittering is quite apparent in your video example. That alone makes it a deal breaker. As for aesthetics, I'd say it looks like something of a home-brew design that is easily 3D printed. Does not look like they took any further development beyond what they started with, beyond the retro splatter/speckle texture, which personally am not too fond of. The only way I'd buy something my computer already has is if it is a MUST-HAVE killer app game-changer kind of feature. This is just another web camera.
For those of us with an older MacBook that won’t support Ventura so we just CANNOT use continuity camera, would this be a solid easy choice for my video podcast?
PSA: What a horrible camera. I bought this camera a couple weeks ago, such a nightmare to setup and always out of focus. Software doesn't work properly, and support made excuses for where to plug it in. I returned it, I got so tired of it. What a waste of time and money. If you see RUclipsrs or IGers talking well about this camera, they're probably cross-advertising, don't fall for it.
Have you experienced issues with auto focus and the excessive heat of the webcam hardware that many have reported? I think this could be a step up from my Logitech Brio, but I will need to test it to see if some of the bugs that were reported early on have been addressed. At least the dropped the subscription model for their software, that was going to be a deal breaker for me, no matter how good it is.
4:33 - Well…. The highlights on the right of your face look pretty blown out on the Opal. The MacBook one retains those highlight details. And it’s wider. I also prefer the more magenta leaning skintone of the Macbook over the yellow leaning skintone on the Opal. And why all of those little speaker holes? Who uses WebCams for speakers? It’s plugged into a computer that already has built-in speakers or we use headphones. I really think that was a waste of space. That area with the speaker could be used for a small LED light or maybe even simply a mirror to see yourself if you have to hide your camera preview for whatever reason.
Think if I needed a better looking image than my 27 inch LG Ultra HD 5K 1080P webcam I would use continuity camera with my iPhone 11 Pro. Thing is I only use it for non professional virtual meetings.
It's much more brightness and whiteness in the Opal C1 compared to the $3500 DSLR but it's a webcam not a pro-consumer mirrorless camera...btw you bought me smhlmao
I’ll stay with continuity camera with iPhone but thank you.
Yeah I recently got a new monitor and now have to think about a webcam setup - would you recommend to just have a smartphone mount on top to quickly position the iPhone and just use that? How has been your long term experience with the continuity camera?
continuity won't even work for me I'm not sure why
@@votebjorn4primeministertry signing out of Apple ID on Mac the resign in
It's a reasonably good looking webcam I guess, but it's still just a high end webcam.
If you're only using it for video calls, then Facetime, Zoom or Teams will be compressing the hell out of your image anyway, so resolution above 1080p and all the post-processing is next to meaningless. Not only that, but you can tell (with your mouth moving especially) that the frame rate has to be messed with significantly in order to maintain good exposure on your face. Not only that, but the fake bokeh looks really bad, I don't know why they bother since we're not making movies on these things, it's a webcam, and the real bokeh looks decent enough without adding a weird halo around your head.
If you're looking for more than just video calls, then just step up to an older mirrorless camera.
If you're looking for a smart webcam, this has significantly fewer bells and whistles and tracking features than the Insta360 Link for instance, and that's not that much more money.
If you're exclusively using this for business meetings, just stick with your standard webcam and just improve the lighting in your room, that'll make far more difference than buying a new camera.
If you really want a better camera and you're in the Mac ecosystem, continuity camera and the iPhone is going to provide much more versatile results.
Sorry Opal, I know you've been pushing this one really hard with the sponsorships recently, but the fact of the matter is, there is better options, cheaper options, smarter options and more practical options than your overpriced webcam.
I would like to see the comparison to the continuity camera option (iPhone 12 or 14 Pro Max). Thanks!
The iphone's have a much much more powerful camera, but the software that Opal Composer has may compete (but not the hardware)
Thank you Greg for the review, I am going to check it. For years I am disappointed with Apple for the time it’s taking to upgrade the camera on the MacBook Pros. It is a high cost laptop with a very ordinary camera.
Would have been great to see how the feed will look like during a teams/zoom call.
thats kind of what i'm wondering too! How do those programs compress or throttle the quality
A lot of tech tubers pushing this model, so an advertising blitz. This video is just an advert? I understand you need to earn money, but a bit too commercial. What is the resolution?
Cmon we all know it’s not worth 299. Just use continuity camera. Nice ad I guess, I hope they paid you well
yeah to not even mention continuity camera as an option is a little disingenuous
I hear in Greg’s voice that it’s far from genuine, so gg no re, noname Chyna brand.
Does continuity cam work with iPhone 8?
sorry man but this video makes you an advertiser more than a reviewer. I normally like your videos, Greg. But the mac's built in cam is already really good, and I'd say the Opal is marginally better, but hardly presents anything additional that makes it worth getting when you consider that just another thing you have to have on your shelf or carry along. It's sharp but you're washed out in most of the shots. The lens is certainly better, but the processing is seemlingly sluggish as the jittering is quite apparent in your video example. That alone makes it a deal breaker. As for aesthetics, I'd say it looks like something of a home-brew design that is easily 3D printed. Does not look like they took any further development beyond what they started with, beyond the retro splatter/speckle texture, which personally am not too fond of.
The only way I'd buy something my computer already has is if it is a MUST-HAVE killer app game-changer kind of feature. This is just another web camera.
Does the software have a skin smoothing beauty effect? To hide blemishes? How about teeth whitening effect?
For those of us with an older MacBook that won’t support Ventura so we just CANNOT use continuity camera, would this be a solid easy choice for my video podcast?
Best looking webcam!!!! 👀 boy, the eye of the beholder is doing some heavy lifting here😂
PSA: What a horrible camera. I bought this camera a couple weeks ago, such a nightmare to setup and always out of focus. Software doesn't work properly, and support made excuses for where to plug it in. I returned it, I got so tired of it. What a waste of time and money. If you see RUclipsrs or IGers talking well about this camera, they're probably cross-advertising, don't fall for it.
Great review. Quick question… how about the Opal Tadpole? Which one is better?
Have you experienced issues with auto focus and the excessive heat of the webcam hardware that many have reported? I think this could be a step up from my Logitech Brio, but I will need to test it to see if some of the bugs that were reported early on have been addressed. At least the dropped the subscription model for their software, that was going to be a deal breaker for me, no matter how good it is.
$250 for this webcam? cmon, for the same price, i prefer the insta360 link or obsbot tiny 2.
🚧☔️🥧katie clementines
i saw something comparing it to the insta 360 link, where the link beats this
I'm using your link because of your awesome shirt
4:33 - Well…. The highlights on the right of your face look pretty blown out on the Opal. The MacBook one retains those highlight details. And it’s wider. I also prefer the more magenta leaning skintone of the Macbook over the yellow leaning skintone on the Opal.
And why all of those little speaker holes? Who uses WebCams for speakers? It’s plugged into a computer that already has built-in speakers or we use headphones. I really think that was a waste of space.
That area with the speaker could be used for a small LED light or maybe even simply a mirror to see yourself if you have to hide your camera preview for whatever reason.
Is that how they pronounce the name? Op-al? vs the English word O-pal?
Think if I needed a better looking image than my 27 inch LG Ultra HD 5K 1080P webcam I would use continuity camera with my iPhone 11 Pro. Thing is I only use it for non professional virtual meetings.
could this be used for ps5/streaming?
I spent 300 bucks on this camera. Just stopped working. Very frustrating product!
Sold!
It's much more brightness and whiteness in the Opal C1 compared to the $3500 DSLR but it's a webcam not a pro-consumer mirrorless camera...btw you bought me smhlmao
its cost 299 now :/
It looks like a Lego.
Awesome video
Greg you look like an older you d Sheldon!
wow that camera..... Mr. blue eyes ;)
Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your day!
Wayyy to pricyyy
A $250 webcam? I'll take the Logitech for $69.99. Nice video though.
The Harrison Ford of tech.
Or just connect iphone as camera
Weird way of pronouncing opal 😐.
I was thinking the same, but he corrects it at one point (but then switches back Lol)
He doesn’t know what an “opal” is.
the mic is garbage