REVIEW – With more and more people working from home today, a good webcam is almost as important as your laptop and phone. The OBSBOT Tiny 4K webcam is loaded with features. It has auto-tracking/auto-framing, gesture controls, 4x digital zoom, and more. It sounded to me like the quintessential do-it-all webcam. So I decided to check it out.
What is it?
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K is an AI-powered pan-tilt-zoom webcam. The camera uses deep learning neural network computing to achieve AI tracking, auto framing, and gesture control.
What’s in the box?
- OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam
- USB-C to USB-C Cable (1.5 m)
- USB-C Female to USB-A Male Adapter
- USB-A to DC Power Cable
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
- Magnetic mount
- Carry Bag for OBSBOT Tiny Series
Hardware specs
Camera:
- Max video resolution: 4K@30fps, 1080p/60 fps, MJPEG, H264
- Supported resolutions: 3840×2160, 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×360
- Supported frame rate:
- MJPEG: 3840×2160@[30 24 20 15], 1920×1080@[60 30 24 20 15],
- 1280×720@[60 30 24 20 15],960×540@[60 30 24 20 15], 640×360@[60 30 24 20 15]
- YUV: 3840×2160@[1], 1920×1080@[5], 1280×720@[10 5], 960×540@[15 10 5],
- 640×360@[30 24 20 15 10 5]
- H264: 3840×2160@[30 24 20 15], 1920×1080@[60 30 24 20 15],
- 1280×720@[60 30 24 20 15], 960×540@[60 30 24 20 15], 640×360@[60 30 24 20 15]
- Zoom: 4x digital
- Focus Type: AF/MF
- HDR: Yes
- FOV(D): 86°
- Built-in Audio: Built-in dual Omni-directional mics with noise reduction
System requirements:
- Windows® 10 or later, Windows 8, Windows 7
- macOS® 10.13 or later
- Recommended for 1080p 60 fps and 4K
- Recommended Apple computers:
- MacBook Pro (2018, 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processors or later)
- MacBook Air (2018, 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processors or later)
- iMac Retina (2019, 8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processors or later)
Recommended PC configuration:
- CPU: 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5 Processors or later
- RAM: 8GB
Design and features
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam came packaged in a beautiful red box. Inside of the red box was an equally nice hard shell case. The case has a zipper and handle. Pretty snazzy for a webcam. But none the less a great way to transport and protect the camera and its accessories.
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam has a 2-axis gimbal capable of a 150º pan and a 45º tilt. There is a camera indicator light and two omnidirectional microphones on the front of the camera.
Around the back are ports for DC power and USB-type C.
On the bottom of the camera, there is a standard tripod mount. So you can easily attach the Tiny 4K to a tripod.
The base of the OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam is also magnetic, so it can easily attach to the screen mount.
The screen mount is a small foldable clip that fits over the top of the computer screen. It does a solid job of securely holding the webcam in place in lieu of a tripod. Or you can place it on a table or flat surface.
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam comes equipped with a 1/2.8-inch image sensor. And it is capable of 4K/30fps and 1080P/60fps video. HDR and Auto-exposure help with picture quality in any lighting condition. Although I felt enabling HDR resulted in a somewhat washed-out picture. The camera is also capable of up to 4x digital zoom.
The Tiny 4K is a well-designed camera, but what makes it unique are its AI features. The camera uses deep learning neural network computing to achieve AI Tracking, Auto Framing, and Gesture Control.
Auto Tracking with Auto-framing frees you up to move around without worrying about going out of frame. There are three customized modes that you can select for different scenes. The video below shows how each one works.
With Gesture Controls, you can control the OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam with just two simple gestures. Check out the video below to see them in action.
If you require more control, you can purchase a remote for $30 that will let you easily control functions such as zoom, PTZ, tracking, etc.
For privacy and safety, the camera has a convenient Sleep mode. Once this mode is activated, the audio and video instantly cut off. To put the camera into Sleep Mode, tilt it down towards the base. It can also be activated using the Tinycam app.
The Auto-Sleep feature automatically puts the camera to sleep if it doesn’t detect movement for the amount of selected time. There are three preset times, 3s, 2min, or 10min.
Setup and use
Setting up the OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam is basically plug-and-play. I plugged it into my MacBook Air using the included USB-C to USB-C cable, and it was ready to use in under 10 seconds.
I then downloaded the OBSBOT Tinycam app from their website. The app is easy to use and has a clean interface. The start menu lets you control the cams gimbal, digital zoom, and sleep mode. Clicking on the hexagon symbol brings up the System Setting menu. From here, you can change a variety of settings. See pics below.
OBSBOT Software is compatible with YouTube / Netmeeting / Skype / Zoom / Wechat / Tiktok / Facebook / FaceTime / Xsplit / twitch, ect.
Performance
Honestly, I have never spent a lot of money on a webcam. I usually buy something inexpensive, or worse, use the built-in camera. So the OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam is easily the best webcam I have ever used. As you have seen from the videos I posted earlier, the picture and audio quality of the camera are excellent. And all of the features perform as advertised.
What I like
- Plug-and-play setup
- Easy-to-use app
- Great picture and audio quality
- Gesture controls
- 3 Tracking modes
- Auto-racking & auto-framing
- 4x digital zoom
What I’d change
- Nothing I can think of
Final thoughts
The OBSBOT Tiny 4K Webcam is a solid webcam with great features. and it is easy to set up and use. It is a little pricey, ringing in at $270. But, if you live-stream, vlog, or do a lot of work online, you won’t do much better than the Tiny 4K. I am even considering using it to record 4K time-lapse videos of my 3D prints. If I do, I’ll be sure to post it in a future update.
Price: $269.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by OBSBOT.
