Elgato Facecam MK.2 webcam overview

I wasn’t anticipating a lot from the brand new Elgato Facecam MK.2. It is apparently probably not a sequel, and can simply go on to interchange the prevailing Facecam we beloved so nicely. It is also a bit cheaper than the unique cam launched at: The brand new one is beginning at $150 whereas the MK.1 got here out at $200.

However it’s nice. Actually nice. Just about a greater webcam than the primary in each side, and I’m massively digging the brand new HDR mode the Facecam MK.2 employs. In my residence workplace area, with a pair vibrant home windows going through the facet of my display, it is ace not having these completely blowing out the picture each time I soar on a name within the daytime.

It isn’t messing round making an attempt to be some 4K monster of a cam, however what the Facecam has all the time provided is a unbelievable uncompressed 1080p stream. And it does it with aplomb. That was true with the MK.1 and is completely so on this up to date Facecam MK.2.

Given the target market for Elgato gear is the streaming market, that alternative is a brilliant one. Why decide a better, however compressed decision that folks aren’t going to embed of their stream anyway? What you really need is a decrease decision, however artefact-free video stream. To that finish, the MK.2 is once more providing 1080p60 uncompressed, with 720p120 included in a number of different resolutions and body charges decrease down the size.

The brand new Facecam continues to be utilizing the identical Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor, and nonetheless delivers an ideal image, regardless of the MK.2 having a noticeably smaller ‘eye’ in contrast with the primary mannequin. However that works for me, as a result of one of many first stuff you’ll in any other case discover is that it is smaller as an entire.

The unique is kind of a chonky factor. A boxy beast of plain black plastic with simply the concentric rings across the lens to mark out any element. Now, I am not going to faux the brand new design is a few beautiful reimagining of what a webcam might be—it is nonetheless basically a black plastic field—however the shrinking down of the primary physique could be very welcome. As is the redesign of the stand/monitor hook.

To be clear, it is extra the change in how the Facecam connects to the stand that has been improved. The unique nonetheless simply screwed on, however in a method that meant it all the time needed to be somewhat too free to have the ability to face ahead or be moved round to face you. The brand new model continues to be fairly primary, however the easy screw mechanism now means that you can shift the digicam round extra freely and likewise stops it standing too proud atop your monitor. This, in keeping with Elgato, delivers a extra eye-level stream.

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Elgato has additionally built-in the privateness defend into the gadget now, so no extra casting about looking for the place you set the lens cap while you need to make sure the beady eye of the Facecam is not spying on you. It is one other low-tech resolution, with only a sliding display you can pull throughout. As soon as you have pried it over with a fingernail. That is my solely actual concern with the redesign, the truth that it has such a small tab means it may be fairly awkward to shift the display throughout.

However the Facecam has all the time been extra concerning the picture that it captures than what the {hardware} seems to be like, and that is higher than ever. Not solely is the MK.2 able to delivering the identical stage of picture high quality as the unique cam, however it’s additionally obtained that new HDR mode.

Elgato could be very up entrance about the truth that the HDR mode doesn’t robotically make all the things look higher, and that it’s going to rely in your setup. However for me, I positively want the stream I come out with. To attain HDR seize it quickly takes completely different exposures after which combines the high and low publicity photographs to supply a picture that ought to comprise extra element at each ends of the spectrum.

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Commonplace (notice the blown out window)

HDR (notice the element there now)

HDR does additionally lock out sure parts, with 720p120 seize disabling HDR, and it signifies that a number of the extra superb grain controls out there from throughout the Digital camera Hub software program do not work as they need to. Elgato calls these situations “a conceptual subject” fairly than a technical one, as creating discrete sliders for every publicity stage within the HDR seize mode would find yourself as a reasonably tough person expertise.

None of that takes away from the very fact the Elgato software program is a number of the finest round, and hyperlinks in fortunately with Nvidia’s Broadcast software program, too. There are a number of various controls out there to the person, which allow you to tailor the picture to your preferences. And, whereas I am not some video savant, I will tweak the settings on the fly to get an ideal picture irrespective of the place I’m, or once I’m utilizing it.

And even when, conceptually, the superb grain tweaks for managing the picture in HDR mode aren’t out there, tweaking the brightness does minimize out a number of the initially moody, overly cinematic high quality of the HDR picture.

There are different additions to the MK.2 surfaced by the Digital camera Hub software program, too, with the zoom, pan, and tilt choices permitting you to deliver the picture in tighter round you if the 82° FoV is a bit too large to your tastes. 

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However one thing which has stayed the identical is the dearth of auto focus. The Facecam’s fastened focus system would possibly sound like a detrimental initially, however the truth that it is designed to keep up focus from 30cm to 110cm signifies that you are not going to get that annoying expertise of a webcam always battling to determine what it needs to be specializing in. I’ve obtained the Razer Kiyo Professional Extremely which I exploit within the PCG workplace, and that’s all the time re-focusing throughout use.

One different factor I’ve seen utilizing the MK.2 instead of the Razer within the workplace, nevertheless, is that it actually does not just like the strip lighting above. At residence, it is grand, however in PCG Towers there’s a noticeable flicker to the picture irrespective of whether or not you are operating in 50 Hz or 60 Hz modes. Switching to 50 Hz did assist in Google Meet, however not when recording natively on my machine.

Nor may I allow any of the funky background blurs or eye contact results. I am operating an Intel Arc A770 in my workplace PC, and Elgato requires an Nvidia RTX 2060 or higher to provide you entry to these, which additionally means AMD GPU homeowners shall be disregarded within the chilly.

However it’s now my go-to cam for residence use, as a result of it is clearly delivering a picture past what the unique Facecam MK.1 can, even in darker environments. And it is doing all of it in a more practical, much less awkward bundle, too. Son whereas Elgato would possibly maintain that this isn’t a real sequel to the Facecam, it is nonetheless an enchancment on all fronts.

Cannot wait to see what it does have deliberate for a correct Facecam 2…