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A DSLR doesn't rest on top of my monitor. I don't want to use up precious desk space on a tripod and a DSLR body. Saying a DSLR is better is like saying full s

A DSLR doesn't rest on top of my monitor. I don't want to use up precious desk space on a tripod and a DSLR body. Saying a DSLR is better is like saying full size speakers are better than sound bars. Of course they are, but form factor matters!

modeless 5y ago
Mirrorless cameras are not that big these days, especially if you get a pancake lens. You're not going to carry one around with your laptop but I expect most people with a monitor on their desk could fit one directly underneath it with one of those tiny tripods ($9.99 with one day delivery on Amazon). On top would probably be possible too with the smallest ones.
- raesene9 5y ago
  Yep I've got a Sony ZV-1 and it sits on a small tripod behind my monitor just fine.
chrisseaton 5y ago
Not sure why people care about DSLR or not - if you're using it as a webcam the mirror will be up all the time and you're not using the viewfinder. But my professional Sony ZV-1 is small and light enough to rest on a monitor (I use a stand for better stability, but it could easily sit on a monitor.)
- com2kid 5y ago
  > But my professional Sony ZV-1 is small and light enough to rest on a monitor (I use a stand for better stability, but it could easily sit on a monitor.) So, $700 and no fancy mic array? (Edit: reading up, limited to 720p? ick?) I mean yeah I'd have a nice camera as well, but given that my need for a nice web cam is because of a pandemic where I can't go anywhere, that isn't as much of a plus as it'd normally be! Also I need something that is proof against being knocked off the table by cats, which happens about twice a week to my current webcam. Also $300 is already at the very top end of what I'd pay, if the Opal was $200, that'd be an almost instant buy. I imagine they don't have proper scale though to get the price down that low. Chicken and egg and all that, if they flooded the market at $150 or $200 maybe they could get the volumes needed? But problem is lots of web cam competitors have finally come onto the market, this product a year ago would've created a larger splash.
  - modeless 5y ago
    It has a mic array. Fewer microphones, but I wouldn't necessarily immediately conclude that it's worse. Testing would tell. 720p is fine for videoconferencing, it's very rare that the software and the network supports anything higher. I'll take 720p with a good lens over 4k with a crappy lens any day.
  - chrisseaton 5y ago
    Not sure what you mean about mic? You can attach any microphone you want. It’s 720 over USB yes but since it’s a much higher quality lens and sensor the quality is far better compared to my cheap HD webcams. I'm not sure what you're imagining 720 looks like, but it's probably far better than you're expecting for a webcam call. No point shipping more pixels if they’re just a blurry mess.

modeless 5y ago

Mirrorless cameras are not that big these days, especially if you get a pancake lens. You're not going to carry one around with your laptop but I expect most people with a monitor on their desk could fit one directly underneath it with one of those tiny tripods ($9.99 with one day delivery on Amazon). On top would probably be possible too with the smallest ones.

raesene9 5y ago
Yep I've got a Sony ZV-1 and it sits on a small tripod behind my monitor just fine.

chrisseaton 5y ago

Not sure why people care about DSLR or not - if you're using it as a webcam the mirror will be up all the time and you're not using the viewfinder. But my professional Sony ZV-1 is small and light enough to rest on a monitor (I use a stand for better stability, but it could easily sit on a monitor.)

com2kid 5y ago
> But my professional Sony ZV-1 is small and light enough to rest on a monitor (I use a stand for better stability, but it could easily sit on a monitor.) So, $700 and no fancy mic array? (Edit: reading up, limited to 720p? ick?) I mean yeah I'd have a nice camera as well, but given that my need for a nice web cam is because of a pandemic where I can't go anywhere, that isn't as much of a plus as it'd normally be! Also I need something that is proof against being knocked off the table by cats, which happens about twice a week to my current webcam. Also $300 is already at the very top end of what I'd pay, if the Opal was $200, that'd be an almost instant buy. I imagine they don't have proper scale though to get the price down that low. Chicken and egg and all that, if they flooded the market at $150 or $200 maybe they could get the volumes needed? But problem is lots of web cam competitors have finally come onto the market, this product a year ago would've created a larger splash.
- modeless 5y ago
  It has a mic array. Fewer microphones, but I wouldn't necessarily immediately conclude that it's worse. Testing would tell. 720p is fine for videoconferencing, it's very rare that the software and the network supports anything higher. I'll take 720p with a good lens over 4k with a crappy lens any day.
- chrisseaton 5y ago
  Not sure what you mean about mic? You can attach any microphone you want. It’s 720 over USB yes but since it’s a much higher quality lens and sensor the quality is far better compared to my cheap HD webcams. I'm not sure what you're imagining 720 looks like, but it's probably far better than you're expecting for a webcam call. No point shipping more pixels if they’re just a blurry mess.