The Opal C1 Camera is here to shake up the webcam market, promising 4k “near DSLR” quality aimed at professional users at 10% the price of a DSLR setup. It’s a one-of-a-kind bundle with a stunning look that’s backed up by remarkable software that improves over time thanks to machine learning.
Features:
The Opal C1 employs computational photography, a reasonably familiar smart phone camera approach in which the device mixes developer tricks with information about your face gathered from previous images to touch up and alter your video stream in real-time. This data is not stored in the cloud, so there are no privacy concerns (though there are ongoing disputes about what it means to create photographs or films that “improve” reality rather than represent it), but that doesn’t mean the device is without drawbacks. Essentially, while it’s difficult to argue that the Opal C1 shoots excellent photos, it also costs $300.
The design:
The lens on the Opal C1 is off-center on the module’s body since the right side of the gadget is dedicated to something called the “MicMesh.” This is a set of three omni directional beam forming microphones, and while it won’t replace the best desktop microphones, it is similar to the mics found in the best gaming headsets.
Aside from the main body of the Opal C1, the gadget has a footless display mount that provided a solid connection to both curved and flat back monitors. The section of the mount where the camera screws in can also tilt 180 degrees downwards, however my unit required quite a bit of force to do so. Unfortunately, it cannot be tilted upwardly, but you can simulate a swivel effect on the Opal C1 by increasing the tension of the screw that links it to the mount. Because of the screw-based connection, the Opal C1 can easily be mounted on a tripod if desired.
The Opal C1’s software
Much of the Opal C1’s capabilities is concealed behind its software package, which includes bokeh (blurring the background—more there’s to it than that, but that’s what you’ll get here), touch up, and an Nvidia Broadcast-style camera lock that keeps you in the frame as you move. Each has a slider to alter the intensity of the effect, and they all work nicely, but there’s a catch.
The Opal C1 program is only available for Mac and requires a $4 monthly subscription. The Opal C1 website does state that the software is “free for early clients,” but it is unclear whether this is a lifetime offer.
