2024-07-23 12:05:09
We have previously reviewed Streamplify’s attempts to shake up the rather mature microphone market; they are clearly trying to do the same here, but in a post-COVID world, is there really space for more webcam manufacturers alongside well-known giants like Elgato, Blue, and Shure?
For the Streamplify CAM Pro, you’re looking at around £84, which is slightly cheaper than the Elgato Facecam, Yealink, and Dell UltraSharp – well, most things. This is half the price of the Logitech MX Brio, which offers the same resolution.
A Cam Pro can achieve 4K/30fps or 1080p/60fps from its 8.5 megapixel Sony CMOS sensor. It captures at a relatively wide angle of 105 degrees, which is not quite the fish-eye style of ultra-wide but captures more than traditional framing. These CMOS sensors don’t perform as well in low light conditions as STARVIS, but other than that, you can expect quite decent image quality; I would say the color fidelity, light intake, and contrast are roughly on par with Elgato and even Razer.
This is an advertisement:
The build quality is really nothing to write home about. Yes, the rotating outer cylindrical casing means you can physically cover the sensor and determine if it can “see” you, but everything feels so 3D printed, so cheap, and considering webcams don’t really benefit from being lightweight, you might question it when you first pull it from the box. No, webcams don’t have to be made of cast iron, but breaking up the 3D printed feeling with different materials and colors should be Streamplify’s top priority.
Aside from that, there are few things, but there are some nice features here and there. A button on one side can instantly trigger a 5x digital zoom. It works… well enough, but I hope you didn’t mount your webcam too far away that you’ll have to reach to hit the button. The device itself has an omnidirectional microphone that can pick up your voice, but to be honest, the results are so muffled that almost anything else is better. On the other hand, the little stand is magnetic, which means you can mount it on your monitor in multiple ways, which is always welcome.
There are no drivers required, nor software suites; in this age, you not only have to download software for other webcams, but these suites can take up half or even all of a gigabyte, so this is a bonus. Additionally, there’s actually a low-cost product ecosystem from Streamplify that can compete with products like Elgato in terms of pricing, so it’s not a bad idea.
This is an advertisement:
At the end of the day, the Cam Pro is a beautifully affordable webcam. This doesn’t make it a miracle and doesn’t instantly earn a recommendation, and the slightly dodgy recording quality (especially in low light) and poor build quality do drag it down. But it’s cheap, and it’s competitive.