Elgato Facecam: The most innovative webcam available
As a content creator I can say the two things that you can not skimp on is your camera and lighting. Luckily for creators, Elgato has provided us with the tools we need to produce professional and high-quality.
In December, I received an early Christmas present from Elgato (my first one) and it was the Facecam. It was an amazing gift and a game changer at the same time.
Prior to receiving the Elgato Facecam, I had been using the Logitech C922 Pro HD Webcam. This was the industry standard for high end webcams until now… notice I am saying until now. I did like it, but it seemed like the quality was degrading after a few years. So I was already in the mindset of finding a new webcam to replace it. Needless to say, Elgato made that a reality.
Earlier in 2021, I purchased the Elgato Key Light and the GoVee Glide. The lighting made the look of my streams for Adobe look better and more professional. But still, I was struggling with the slight blurriness of the Logitech cam. After setting up the Elgato Facecam my mind was blown.
The difference was night and day. The Facecam produced an image that was so crisp and clear. The colors from the backlighting of the GoVee Glide were so rich and vibrant. There was no question that the Facecam was now my main cam for all my content creation. Now, the old Logitech cam serves as a secondary cam where I just show my hands movements drawing on the screen of my XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro and that only is used during my Behance streams for Adobe. So the Facecam is now my main camera for everything even Zoom meetings!
Let’s dive into the specs, because Elgato really did put a lot of thought into the overall design and production of the Facecam.
Elgato Facecam on Amazon.com (US) and on Amazon.de (Germany).
Elgato Prime Lens…
Elgato spared no expense with its prime lens, which as I stated allows for such a clear and crisp image.
All 8 elements are made of low dispersion glass with 18 anti-reflective coatings and an aspherical surface. This reduces chromatic aberrations while enhancing the sharpness, contrast and tonality. This along with IR cut filter prevents lens flares, tint/color distortion and blocks infrared light from disrupting the sensor.
The Prime Lens has an f/2.4 aperture and focal length of 24 mm. This brings studio-quality optics into your home office or home studio. Or well… into your workplace if you are creating content for your employer.
With the camera, you can achieve an 82-degree field of view and optimize the focus as well. My old webcam did not have this range and I was actually surprised at this. This meant cleaning up the corner of my home studio (just joking). But seriously, this is a great feature.
Sony STARVIS CMOS Sensor
Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of the camera… crawl inside and learn more about what is going with the inner workings.
Because professional filmmakers and photographers rely on Sony image sensors for stunning imagery, Elgato wanted to bring that into one’s home or office.
Just behind the sensor, you will find the Custom Heat Sink. This allows for a 24/7 cooling operation.
Flipping The Camera Around, We Have…
The flash memory along with an advanced image engine. Not unlike what you would find in a high-end DSLR. Pairing an ultra-fast processor with manual control really allows you to create top-notch videos and photos.
Then you have a USB 3.0 interface along with USB-C connector, which allows for uncompressed video transfer with low latency. What more could you ask for? Not to mention the Facecam produces ZERO artifacts…. did I say ZERO? Yes, ZERO!
Body And Mounting…
The height of the Facecam is almost double the size of my previous cam. Since I placed it on top of my XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro, I do have to get used to that. I think what I will do is simply get a riser for my BenQ PD3220U display monitor and the problem will be solved. But I have it placed for optimal coverage of what I am streaming for Adobe on Behance. Which this should give me room for my new League of Legends keyboard (yes I am a nerd and a gamer).
The cam is quite light, weighing in at 103 grams.
As I said you can clamp it on the top of any monitor or even display tablet (whether it be a display tablet from XP-Pen or Wacom or Huion or whatever). It also has the standard 1/4-inch thread, so it will also pop onto any tripod… or if you have a Joby GorillaPod (one tool that I have and love dearly)!
Or you could also purchase the Elgato Wall Mount and is available on their website.
Privacy And Safety…
The Elgato Facecam also comes with a lens cap! Now, many of you will say big deal. But this is super nice. Just pop it on and then no one can see you. The other cool thing is that if you are on the go and you take your Facecam with you then that lens cap protects your camera lens!!! PROTECTION (singing it in my most angelic voice). I have taken my setup different places when clients want to work with me in applications such as Adobe Character Animator (which you can use your Facecam with by the way). So not only is the lens cap for privacy, but also for travel and keeping your camera safe! Good thinking Elgato, BRAVO!
Software…
The Elgato Camera Hub makes calibration and setup easy. Whether you prefer manual or auto.
If you are happy with the auto settings then you are ready to go. But if you want to tweak the settings, then Elgato makes it easy for you to do so. The cool thing is your settings can be saved to your Flash Memory. Thus, you can switch your from laptop to desktop and have utilize the same settings.
For me, the Logitech software falls short compared to the Elgato Camera Hub. They really put a lot of thought into it.
No Microphone
Elgato focused on the camera itself and excluded the microphone. Which I think it totally smart. Most streamers and content creators buy high end mics.
When developing tech, this approach makes much more sense. Plus, if you want to buy a mic you can always buy the Elgato Wave:3 or another mic. Note I have yet to try the Wave:3. But at least you know if you want to run the whole Elgato ecosystem you can. They have your back!
So to me, this is a plus and not a con. They were laser focused on creating an amazing camera… why get distracted by adding a mic to the camera that probably would not even be used anyways. At least I know that they put all their ideas into the camera and the image quality.
Specs
Wrap
The Elgato Facecam is a brilliant webcam and you will be amazed at the quality. My mind was blown at how it outperformed my Logitech C922 Pro. Vibrant colors and tone just made me pop! It was like WOW… a whole new world (saying that in my best Ariel the Little Mermaid voice).
I do believe that if you are going for a webcam this is the way to go. DSLR 4K cams are expensive, and personally… I do not want to use my DSLR for anything other than photography for fear I would run it into the ground by using it every day. So, I do not plan to go that route… the Elgato Facecam is the perfect solution for those of us who simply want to rock our content with pro-quality video.
My viewers on Behance even noticed a difference when I made the switch to the Elgato Facecam. If they notice, then that says something. I was told it looks crisper, sharper and more colorful. Hearing that made my heart go pitter-pat!
In my honest opinion, Elgato has created yet another allstar product that will empower content creators. They put content creators in the forefront when designing all their products, which is why they excel. The company knows its audience and they do not want to give them anything other than a solid and reliable product.
Düssel York City Studios is committed to creating content relating to trends in marketing, public relations, design, tech, software, creativity and games.
To learn more about Düssel York City Studios simply send a message to: dusselyorkcitystudios@gmail.com
FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / YOUTUBE / LINKEDIN / PATREON / Behance Live Streams Weekly
