As far as computer accessories go, the humble webcam doesn’t get much attention. Two or three brands tend to dominate the market and almost everything looks like, well, webcam? Opal entered the scene in 2021 with its model C1. The idea was simple: put a sexy spin on the humble old webcam with a high-quality sensor, a sleek design, and (at least for Mac users) complementary software that didn’t look complicated to use. Today, the company presents its second camera, the tadpoleand it is something quite different.
Just one look at the Tadpole and it’s obviously a big change from the C1 or pretty much any other webcam out there. For starters, it is designed for laptops, which is evident in its small size. This idea, the company claims, was inspired by the discovery that more than 40 percent of people who bought the C1 were using it with a laptop. Macbooks and most laptops come with a built-in webcam, but as the pandemic forced many more people to work from home, their shortcomings soon became very apparent.
In terms of design, the Tadpole is reminiscent of the last generation. ipod shuffle, clip included. The functional design extends to the built-in cable that hides a capacitive mute button on the USB-C connector, so you won’t have to search for the one that appears on the screen in Zoom. The Tadpole’s focus on portability extends to the fact that it has its own hard case, although that is an additional purchase.
As for the actual camera, it uses a 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 Exmor RS sensor configured to deliver 1080p video with an f/1.8 aperture. Despite the smaller form factor, this puts the Tadpole above its larger, older (and more expensive) sibling in terms of optics. Opal told Engadget that the camera actually shoots in 4K but downscales to 1080p to be compatible with most video calling software. There are some controls in the companion software to adjust image settings and other preferences, but they are currently Mac-only. Company representatives also told Engadget that they wanted this camera to have as little friction as possible and that it would still , there was minimal need to dive into configuration.
Sure enough, the image Tadpole generates is visibly clearer and more detailed than anything you have on your laptop. Next to the Logitech Brio 4K, the Tadpole seemed a little darker, and in my initial testing, background details seem a little softer, at least through apps like Zoom and Google Meet. When viewing the image through Opal’s own software, everything looks sharper again.
It’s on the audio side where things get a little more interesting. Opal claims that Tadpole is the first webcam with a directional microphone. What is certain is that the Tadpole certainly picks up less ambient noise than the internal microphone of a Macbook or that of the Logitech Brio. I tested the Brio and Tadpole side by side with a loud washing machine running in the background and you can hear it on the Brio but not the Tadpole. What’s more, the omnidirectional microphone on most webcams tends to sound very “spacey.” While the Tadpole’s vocals feel much more focused and with less ambient reverb.
Opal even goes so far as to claim that the microphone is directional enough that if it’s not in the shot, you won’t hear it. While it’s true that the microphone is much more focused on what’s in front of it, out-of-plane sounds may still be present, although much less than on rival products. In the test recordings included in this story, you can clearly hear something like birds outside in the Brio’s audio. They are still present in Tadpole’s audio, but much less so. Either way, your colleagues will likely greatly appreciate this more focused audio if you’re video conferencing in an office environment.
One thing is for sure: the webcam market has remained rather stuffy and unoriginal for far too long. We don’t expect boutique devices in the same vein as mechanical keyboards, but there’s clearly room for more products with interesting and practical designs, even with a focus on specific use cases, like the Tadpole.
Opal’s greatest feat may well be proving that webcams don’t have to be big or boring black blobs at the top of our screens. The choice of white or black here with the braided cable and the smart capacitive button on the USB connection shows that it is possible to make a better webcam without inflating the price. The C1 was $300 at launch ($250 now), and the Tadpole launches today, with a better sensor, improved autofocus, and that directional microphone for $175, a little more than half the price.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/opal-tadpole-webcam-140025595.html?src=rss
