Opal C1 Webcam Review: MKBHD Invested In This Thing?!

What's so special about this webcam that MKBHD invested his money into this company?
Products:
Opal C1: opalcamera.com/
Insta360 Link: amzn.to/3W0g9Hi
Belkin iPhone Mount: amzn.to/3BGAVTf
Extras:
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Video gear: www.amazon.com/shop/joshuachang/
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Disclaimer:
This description contains affiliate links which help support the channel at no cost to you. This video is in no way affiliated with Opal or MKBHD. Thank you for watching!

[@michaelchen2718]

it would be nice if you added a mic comparison to the macbook built in mic!

[@JoshuaChang]

I’ll upload it as a short if people are interested!

[@fist003]

@@JoshuaChang dew it

[@JoshuaChang]

done ✅ kzbin.infoJRwNyvWwJBM

[@alateralus88]

I got one, it’s good… but kinda disappointed the software is not available for windows. Essentially my fault for not reading more into it

[@luke5957]

I grow tired of companies releasing half baked products for the users to beta test. If it's not ready on release day they should hold off or its a bad look, especially at the asking price.

[@kirk4517]

This just how it is, the investor want fast cash, they have no choice but lunch half bake stuff, otherwise investor will pull out

[@ChrisThe1]

@@kirk4517 and consumers don't buy, so the company fails. Investors are often stupid

[@kirk4517]

@@ChrisThe1 yes, and costumer also has a foot in this trend, basically just people increasingly getting less patients, people always want the next things, the byproduct of Consumerism and capitalism

[@ChrisThe1]

@@kirk4517 That's true. Educated purchasing should be practiced to alleviate the issue

[@MiguelLomeliC]

It's not only half baked. It's completely useless. A camera without functioning autofocus is literally useless. You'll be out of focus every time you lean or get close to the monitor

[@renatovelarde422]

I was on the “waiting list” and then they started bugging me to buy it and the site shows that the software comes with it for “free” now and then will be a monthly subscription to use eventually when its more widely available… that’s completely ridiculous, no way I’m buying anything that even slightly hints at ever doing that. Weird that reviewers (and mkbhd) never mention that at all. Basic (already overpriced) hardware locked behind subscription software for basic functions? No way on earth.

[@balla2172]

ROFL a monthly sub for a web cam GTFO of here LOL that god damn web cam better have the video quality of an A1 and audio quality of a condenser mic even then 90% sure it wont happen that company failed before it launched

[@nihilichen]

Yeah this thing absolutely SUCKS for that. Screw Opal.

[@Computron64]

It seems that they recently dropped the price from $300 to $250 for the Opal C1 camera and also they removed the subscription fees for the software, meaning it's now free, as it should be. 🙂

[@nihilichen]

​@@Computron64 I still feel like this is unreasonable for how "just okay" it is

[@Computron64]

​@@nihilichen That really is a fair point, I guess it boils down to if one wants a nice looking camera with OK features (I hear the video quality is quite nice though) that can only be used with Mac's VS a more mainstream 4K camera like I.E the Logitech Brio Stream that can be used across multiple OS/hardware, has a range of features and is more available in the regular market channels. They are both in the same price range. The Opal C1 might have more of an X-factor though, well as far as webcams goes I guess.

[@HOV615]

I feel like it's a little too late for this ... if it was released during peak pandemic, like it was announced. Then it would be a hit product but I don't really see the market for a $300 webcam anymore. Especially since Logitech has 4k webcams for $150.

[@thesidneychan]

It's not too late. Some companies, employees, are seeing the benefits of working from home (my wife's company managed to cut a lot of upkeep costs by shutting down most of the main office, and employees don't have to deal with traffic). There will also always be a market for webcams, pandemic or not.

[@HOV615]

@@thesidneychan Not once did anyone say people would not be working from home anymore. I stated the peak of WFH was done during the pandemic, I've worked from home since 2018. Each job has sent me a bundle of a Logitech stuff which included a headset, webcam, mouse & keyboard for arouund $300 and it's all decent quality. This is a $300 webcam (that's barely working btw) that does everything that a company who basically owns the B2B sector for webcams does for half the price.

[@thesidneychan]

I didn't say you meant that people won't be working from home, I apologise if I came off that way. The biggest peak was indeed during the pandemic, and this webcam certainly missed out on that window. But having worked with some companies that are terrible in their spending (sometimes at the employee's expense), these webcams still has a shot at getting popular.

[@andybrice2711]

Remote work is still a big trend. Monitors lack webcams. And most webcams are ugly and cumbersome. So there's a market. But they need to sort out their software.

[@LoFiAxolotl]

@@andybrice2711 the only market for that product is MKBHD fans who will buy anything he tells them to.... anyone else can get a better camera with useable software for a lower price

[@touchtennis]

What worries me is MKBHD loves 30fps and I’m concerned that’s what they’ll ship this locked to!

[@JoshuaChang]

What is the ideal webcam refresh rate for you? Never thought about it.

[@touchtennis]

@@JoshuaChang I’m thinking 25 as I’m in the UK! I’d want to ship a sturdy webcam to some of the touchtennis guests so we had decent shots of them too. They send it back after the show. Maybe I should just look for guests with better webcams!

[@wewepolapy]

bruh this looks like 2 fps. 30 would be great

[@touchtennis]

@@wewepolapy 😂😂😂😂

[@ChrisThe1]

@@wewepolapy it's probably 30 fps but with a high shutter speed. that makes it seem jittery

[@SilencioTortilla]

I think the software features are cool but they should really fix the bugs. Love the design

[@austin.paquette]

Looks very Teenage Engineering-y. I really like the matte, speckled paint job and coiled cable. However that's where the positives end. The framerate looks awfully choppy and the autofocus is a joke. For $300, you'd be better off just using an old point-and-shoot or phone.

[@NwinDii]

The audio on it sounded far better even in this beta state than the insta360 but that's a given when considering the array on the front of it. It can be tweaked and improved. I like my insta360 more for its other features anyways.

[@fentlacedxans]

the clarity of the webcam is great, tho one thing ive noticed is how choppy it seems to look, is this like a usb bandwidth limitation? bc ive seen the exact same problem with other high end webcams, im only a quarter way through the video so you may have already brushed up on this lol but

[@JoshuaChang]

Hmm that’s a good point. I do see a slight bit of choppiness. If it’s a software issue, firmware update? If hardware… GG 😂

[@LoFiAxolotl]

USB 2 had a bandwidth of 480mbps which is about 4 times higher than a modern mirrorless fullframe camera will record 4k/24p in

[@RVDL]

I'm new to your content, and I enjoyed it a lot. Fun enough, yet going deep enough comparing and reviewing the Opal to alternatives. What iPhone phone case (that you have on testing the Belkin thing) do you use by the way?

[@arseneandrouse5554]

your videos too are really clean and well designed

[@AuthenTech]

Fantastic review man, great work!

[@JoshuaChang]

Thanks Ben!

[@ko5040]

I have been using it... SO many bugs so far. but they are fast to update especially when you reach out to them.

[@EposVox]

Great review! Wish they had Windows drivers by now

[@ckjjclan]

Do settings changed in the software save to the device? I ask because I have a work computer that I cannot load outside software on to…

[@SK1MD]

Can you please do a comparison between the Airpods Pro 2 vs. the new Beats Studio Buds + ? Especially the ANC quality. The new Beats Studio Buds+ seems to be a great upgrade, but ANC is a huge factor for working/focusing. Love Airpods Pro 2 that but ran it through the washer 2-3 times and wouldn't mind repurchasing. But not sure whether to try out the new Beats Studio Buds as a backup.

[@richardstudio]

May I know what the iPhone case is when you are introducing the Belkin mount? 😅

[@natedole8276]

Considering MKBHD literally has a channel called autofocus you would think his webcam would be able to do that! Especially for the price.

[@Vfulncchl]

It’s not HIS webcam lmao

[@Arnoldismouldy]

Great video. Underrated channel

[@Wozzi7]

What camera do you use for these videos?

[@nomadcurate]

Great video! The only issue is both of the other cameras you showed off to compare or better than the one you featured but it’s still a great video. Good work.

[@MtFoxt]

Wait what? So he's supposed to get a shittier camera? That wouldn't be an honest review then.

[@karmatraining]

It's an interesting concept but that auto-focus is a deal-breaker. Once that's fixed, it's definitely a contender.

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

the fact your stubble is clearly detailed is quite impressive

[@LaifuMike]

I agree the camera specs are great, but I updated the software to v1.1.1 which has rendered the camera not usable on my Mac Studio, which is a real bummer because i was initially very excited for this. I've contacted support, will wait to see what they say. Keep getting an error message in Composer saying "Connection Lost. Your camera doesn't seem to be connected."

[@JacoblBroughton]

dude your thumbnails are fantastic

[@b3naqua]

Interesting! I wonder how it compares to iPhone + the Camo app

[@amanfrmearth]

Great Video, subscribed !!

[@mutedmutiny9542]

It does look pretty nice, although am I the only one that thought the on-board M1 cam looked pretty good in the 4K comparison? The opal was better absolutely, but it should be considering it's an external camera. The M1 cam for being integrated into the screen still looks pretty darn good IMHO.

[@balla2172]

yeah is it actually multiple mics or just 1 mic with a bunch of holes?

[@siggenx]

Actually a cool new tech-youtuber. God job! Personally I would have butchered the product because of all the manual stuff you have to adjust. And just recommend the insta360 which looks better.

[@awakeningwithbrian]

What camera do you use to film yourself? Not talking about the webcams

[@clark7310]

The M1 MacBook Pro still came with a 720p webcam, the M2 has the new 1080p :) Cool webcam though, wouldn't shift to the Opal though. $300 for a webcam as a casual (!) user is too much for me, even though a 4K sensor in such a small webcam is impressive. Sound qualitz is pretty good too.

[@samuelkitevski144]

This is not quite right. The MacBook Pro 14” and 16” (M1) shipped with a 1080p webcam. It was the MacBook Pro 13” (M1) which shipped with the 720p. (Source: the compare MacBook specs page on Apple’s website.)

[@alpha_pixel_]

After you compared it with gopro.. i was thinking about the webcam feature of gopro. That really works. 😂

[@felenov]

I got one of those industrial machine vision cameras as my webcam. It's got manual focus but it's 1080P/60 and it was cheap. Regarding looping, I have a 15 minute loop of myself and I run it through OBS as a virtual camera.

[@acters124]

hilarious, what happens if you become the frontal focus of discussion? do you risk the loop on meetings where you may end up in the conversation or just loop on meetings were you are confidently there because they want you to be present but not interacting to them?

[@MyNamaAdam]

Is it one of the Intel cams?

[@felenov]

@@MyNamaAdam no, it's one of the ELP cameras. Similar to the Simatic vision cameras but those are lusciously priced

[@felenov]

@@acters124 If I need to talk I have a glitch transition out of the loop to live and people usually don't notice. As far as everyone's concerned, it's one's connection dropping for a few frames

[@derJackistweg]

So it is pretty much in Alpha status. Note even Beta! There are several cams that can be powered by USB and have a HDMI/Webcam function. In 1080p these will also not overheat. And they work! If one wants a step up from a Webcam

[@rvansteensel37]

alpha ? 😂😂

[@derJackistweg]

@@rvansteensel37 kann es sein, dass du die Bedeutung nicht verstanden hast? Wenn man etwas nicht versteht, kann es sein, dass Bildung fehlt. Dann sollte man besser still sein.

[@LimYQS]

How does it stack against the Logitech BRIO?

[@AlbertoC504]

canon m200, m6mkii, m50mkii, Sony a5100? I used M6mkii and it's simple awesome + nvidia broadcast, best audio and image possible + some good enough light in my case Godox light.

[@LipockRahman]

Whats the case you’re using? Looks very clean.

[@7verse]

Looping feature got me.🤣🤣🤣😂

[@FritzAlcindorJr]

I own one. It a good webcam with plenty of tweaking. It just isn't $300 nice.

[@TechBaffle]

The audio sounds better than the insta360 - much cleaner. Possibly the lack of Noise Reduction helps (it squashes any high-end of the voice).

[@trym2121]

Upcoming Obsbot tiny 2 is also $300 range. Maybe it'll have more inherent Bokeh from bigger sensor

[@user-js1nf7sj7l]

What iphone case was that? Is it magsafe?

[@quite1enough]

I actually liked sound in Opal more, Insta sound sounds to me more compressed

[@korczuch1881]

Who is the demographic for this? Streamers? Feel like they just jump straight to DSLRs usually. I feel like most people who use webcams aren't that fussed about super high quality either... It feels like it's made for a very niche market.

[@wbuffett1]

Does it work with PCs?

[@meenaboy119]

my laptop costweb cam around 400usd i think ill just pas and use my built in web can or use my android phone as a

[@uzentan720]

This vs Kiyo Pro Ultra?

[@JasonZakrajsek]

0:36 liking that GarageBand loop

[@diego_fdez]

Looks like the Software is not quite there yet. for a 300 usd camera, I think there are a looot of better alternatives.

[@mr-rocketman]

I agreed. I rather wait for the next few version before committing. You can see the software is not ready yet and might have a lot of bugs. And it is $300, which is not cheap. So I ask yourself, this question. Would you spend $300 for WEBCAM if the software is buggy?

[@visyen]

8:51 missed opportunity to fade to black with the peace sign! 😆

[@keneAhnung11]

And on windows?

[@JohnCiaccio]

Unless you have $500 dollars in lighting none of these small sensor webcams will ever beat a full camera with a large sensor. I don't understand why these webcam companies keep trying to compete with them. I have the Razer Kiyo Pro which is about the best you get image quality wise but in medium to low lighting (indoors) but it doesn't compare to even a moderate size sensor dslr or mirrorless.

[@acters124]

how about that continuity feature from the iPhone? Apple natively supports using your iPhone camera as a webcam is insanely cheap approach (if you are already within the apple ecosystem with iPhone and a Mac.) I haven't seen an android do this as good as apple has done. Most android apps require you to install more software that sometimes seems too sketchy for me.

[@csehbalazs5456]

Boss we f-ed up the paintjob on today's units. Boss: Make it a feature, add 100$ more.

[@karmatraining]

MacBook pro webcam is pretty great when you consider it is literally 1/50th of the size of the Opal

[@acters124]

the fact that you can use your iPhone as a webcam is a complete deal breaker for any dedicated webcam hardware. but this ties you into a mac and iPhone ecosystem. android does not have good enough software/app support to make it viable enough to eliminate dedicated webcam hardware.

[@kyleranney]

The bokeh function doesn't work for me on an older Mac. I bought a T3 dock with appropriate connections, and it still doesn't work. Their customer support could be better. Might have to do a chargeback on this product. I think you'd be better off with the Insta 360 link or something that has all functions built for more compatibility.

[@randomsam83]

f1.8 how?

[@LOKO22Bach]

Kinda cool, but not much talk about the framerate, were you able to make it not stutter or fluctuate? that is a really bad flaw in even many high end webcams imo.

[@rafaelmateodev]

Watched a whole review, only to figure out at the end that I should just use my new iphone 😂

[@espiritusagrado2733]

i wish the camera was centered between the microphones

[@alishatruman]

that magnetic lens cover cloth though

[@resultsforlife3333]

I hope I can snag one more affordably in the future! I'd definitely pay $100 maybe even $150 for webcam and software integration feature set that stands head and shoulders above the rest of the market.......just not GPU amounts of moolah 😏👍

[@TheVFXAssault]

FIY, not that it matters but you cannot anodize in white. So that's most probably just powder coated.

[@veselin4504]

What is the webcam at 0:32 ?

[@MtFoxt]

Isn't in the video insta360 webcam

[@All_you_need_is_love2018]

It has a lot of gimmicky features that I will never use in business, which is the main reason I need a webcam.

[@f0t0b0y]

It has better dynamic range and the color science is way better. You looked better in all the comparisons on the MBP.

[@AndreiLucaa]

Agree. It only lacks sharpness, but with the compression you get anyway, who cares..

[@LoFiAxolotl]

the sensor has 6 stops of DR it's literally 8 years old 1/3.2" Sensor that you can still buy from Sony for a whopping $9 if you order a single one.... it's overpriced E-Waste

[@KingOfCorinth]

An awesome device. Just a bit too pricey

[@cetusz_maximus2]

I have a knock off GoPro (couldn't afford the real one) as my webcam. It looks great at 4k, and self record myself with OBS. 300$ for this is daylight robbery for me compared to what you can achieve with way less money (I only got 4 compliments for my setup so no one really cares)

[@SaltAndVi]

I’ve never wanted people in my meetings to see my face in 4K.

[@adintijerina7596]

Jesus i thought a ticket was coming into my freshworks when I heard that ding

[@MainStreetBusinessStrategies]

Despite the odd auto gain issue, it sounded WAY better than the Insta

[@HeyNoah]

Literally, the second you showed continuity camera with the iPhone, I was like.. "yeah, that's a no go on the Opal." It just doesn't look that good in comparison.

[@patrikmedia]

I've been using my iPhone 12 Mini with that continuity camera feature for almost a year now and it's by far the best experience. No software issues, always crispy clear video feed. Downside is that you can't use your phone while on a call (duh..) but who needs to anyways. If you got an iPhone, it's a no brainer, just get one of those magsafe mounts and you're set.

[@mazenmassem]

They just need to work on their software and they're solid.

[@Nobody-Nowhere]

4k tiny sensor, needs a lot of light... not at all suitable for indoor normal room light use.

[@TechBaffle]

The software needs TLC but the Opal C1 looks and sounds great. But it's 30FPS. Looks pretty choppy too like a few frame drops. Really? I appreciate it's 4K but really needs to be 60FPS for it to be suitable for content creators.

[@YouAreProbablyInsufferable]

I have used the loop feature in class. OP as fuck

[@KingKikikoi]

You can officially use iPhone as webcam + microphone in macs though so idk the extra 300 for everyday person is a bit unnecessary

[@alexwr]

Somebody didn't watch the video...

[@leeboonkang2]

Besides the technical aspect of the camera and mic, the magnetic camera cover is a godsend with people being worried of privacy issue when not in use and also it will be good for transporting.

[@ManasiKamal]

Looping was the funniest one

[@elshazlio]

This doesn't look that great. More established brands do software better. Thank you for the honest review

[@nikilragav]

The audio sounds better than insta360

[@ettcha]

🤔 me nodding along as i watch in 144p 😂

[@teach3r8]

2:45 the built in webcam looks SO much better when you go to call/Zoom. $300? Pass for me. And pass on Marques' shoes too. xD

[@NitroVII]

How many times can you say we do get in one review?

[@ovidiumoc.3904]

In the first 3 minutes of the video, when you turned your head to one side, seems like the Opal C1 did some kind of blur to your lips !!!😅😅

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Cool

[@AlabasterCo]

Is that the book of Psalms I see??

[@CASyHD.]

That Disney part was funny

[@Gokulbalram]

Webcam quality is something that still baffles me, I know it's impossible to get phenomenal quality out of them, but the choppy video, the horrible quality in the form of oversharpening, or those clumps (atleast the built in ones), even in 2023, when we have phone cameras that make use of AI, and other software trickery to make it all work. But this one baffles me even more so, it gives me the same vibes as juicero, fantastic looking hardware, branding, and marketing, but if I pay $300 and get something that struggles to auto focus, and looks like a smartphone camera from 2015 (I may be expecting too much here, but regardless), then I'd be livid. Am I really just expecting too much?

[@LoFiAxolotl]

no it's overpriced E-Waste.... not only does no videoconferencing tool stream 4k... the Sensor they use in the Webcam is now 8 years old.... it has 6 stops of DR and is smaller than phone sensors from 5 years ago... it's a marketing company trying to sell E-Waste... not a tech company... their software isn't even available for windows....

[@haukekegler4217]

Some of the feature look quite nice, but the framerate looks terrible, at least in the video.

[@AnaIsmySegal]

I found this camera really cool until I noticed on the site its listed as Mac OS only. Really dissapointing the company doesn't want to invest the effort into making it Windows compatible and just highlights that this probably isn't a "get your moneys worth" webcam, but more akin to the apple norm of "overpriced for something that looks sleek" piece of tech.

[@DominicProMax]

I love the term "mkbhd-esque"

[@hilfdsgfuiw]

Worst part is that they still have not shipped a Windows version of the software. Without it, the image quality is way worse.

[@pravatx]

At the end of the day its an webcam; except for the striking design it has almost nothing going for the hefty price tag!

[@nirvana0406]

300-dollar WEB CAM?? man it is easy to make money.

[@MarianKeller]

Hm, definitely not acceptable for a finished product. They really need to fix their firmware ASAP.

[@MarcRitzMD]

Really sounds like the firmware is completely unpolished, and they don't have any legacy to allow you to trust them to fix it

[@meateaw]

What it needs to actually win the webcam wars is high framerate. The logitech brio does 1080 at 60 fps. No webcam review that ignores capabilities is worth a damn. Can the c1 do 60 frames per second? At what resolutions? Does it look like ass when it does it? At 300 bux its got competition, none of what you compared it to is competitive, because you didnt compare it at the feature edge. If i just wanted good picture quality we'd use a real camera looped in at shitty frame rates.

[@fist003]

clearly an unfinished product. at this point, i'd prefer the insta360 link.