Opal Tadpole webcam: Two-minute review

The Opal Tadpole is an incredibly capable webcam that is well-engineered and beautifully designed. The video quality is respectable, but my lasting impression of the Tadpole was not to do with the sensor's capabilities but rather that it just felt really good to use. All of this is due to the thoughtful and well-implemented design, as well as the minimalist feature set. This should come as no surprise, considering the Opal co-team has history with Google, Uber, and Jump.

The Tadpole, as the name suggests, is small. At only 3.5 x 4.5 cm, the unit itself sits neatly and unobtrusively at the top of any laptop screen. When I first started using it, a few people initially asked me what on earth it was, but after a while, the device just faded into the background. So, if you’re after one of the tiniest webcams on the market at the moment, then your search is over.

The small size results in an overall weight of less than 50 grams, so there’s no chance of any unnecessary strain being applied to your screen hinge. This also makes it a dream to transport around, but more on that later.

Rather than a magnetic mount, the Opal team has opted for an adjustable clip. This means that the whole unit is either on or off, rather than having a permanently located mount. I personally prefer this implementation, because there is no chance of me losing any individual parts and thereby rendering the whole piece of kit useless.

The range of the clip is 35 degrees, which was more than adequate for my Macbook Pro and is indeed perfect for almost all laptops. One of the concerns I initially had was about damaging my laptop. I didn’t want to scratch my metal back or crack the glass of the screen. I therefore gave the clip a good look before applying it to my laptop. After seeing that the clip was primarily made of silicone rubber, I proceeded to mount it. In reality, I needn’t have been concerned. The rubber ensures that the laptop is well protected.

The build quality is high, with a painted aluminum front and an anodized aluminum back. Despite not being the most expensive webcam on the market, the Tadpole certainly feels as premium as the best. Chemically strengthened glass will help with longevity although, for obvious reasons, I didn’t test how robust the glass was.

The cable, which measures 55cm in length and 3.7mm in diameter, is woven for greater durability. I love a woven cable, so that’s a win for me. It’s just the right length for attaching to a laptop, and thanks to the magnetic end, it can be looped around your wrist as you move between meetings. Even though I appreciate the design feature, I didn’t find much use for this type of portability. 

Moving away from the design and build quality, I’m sure you're interested in knowing about the camera itself. Generally, it’s pretty good, although not as good as the built-in webcam on my MacBook Pro 2023. As a result, I’ll inevitably stick with that, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many people who would benefit from this type of webcam - after all, many laptops have sub-par 720p webcams or no webcam whatsoever.

The Sony IMX582 RS sensor does a fantastic job of producing clean video with minimal noise, even in the shadows. Color replication is strong, with vibrant colors chosen over and above a flat profile. The image therefore pops nicely, which is exactly what you want when appearing in front of others at a meeting or when video-calling your parents.

The f/1.8 lens is made up of six elements and is able to let in a significant amount of light, something that is particularly noticeable when using it in low light. Unfortunately, the dynamic range that is supported by the lens and its sensor is not quite wide enough. It was a real shame that during my meetings I had to put up with bright backgrounds, such as windows, that were almost completely blown out. It’s understandable that cameras like this would struggle here, but the Tadpole struggled more than I would have liked to see.

In terms of resolution, the 48 MP image is binned to 1080p, which is more than enough for most laptops. For most people, there is little point in spending more on a 4K webcam when it will make almost no difference to the visual experience - that territory is more for professional online content creators.

As important, if not more so, is the quality of the audio. One of the biggest challenges to providing good audio from a webcam is that they’re often omnidirectional and therefore pick up way too much background noise. Some webcams overcome this by using noise filtering, but Opal has landed on a completely different solution. 

By using a directional microphone, the Tadpole captures only what is directly in front of the camera. The solution, in essence, creates a tunnel through which sound is funneled. As a result, any sound that doesn’t travel down this tunnel isn’t heard. It’s a genius little idea and puts the results in the hands of engineering rather than leaving it to programmers to work out.

This directional microphone does a pretty good job, with almost all low-to-medium level background noise removed. It didn’t work entirely in a crowded room but was certainly better than omnidirectional alternatives.

Another audio feature is the ability to mute calls with a single tap of the integrated capacitive button on the USB-C cable. This is a nice little feature to have, though I certainly wouldn’t buy the webcam because of it.

One of the biggest selling points of the Tadpole is its portability. It is small, lightweight, and packs neatly into a purpose-made carry case that looks like a yoyo. The case is built well and allows the cable to neatly protrude out the side, doubling up as a loop for carrying. Simply put, this is one of the best carry cases for a webcam that I’ve ever seen. The magnetic clip makes it quick and easy to take in and out, with just enough strength to ensure it doesn’t accidentally fall out.

The Opal Tadpole is one of the best options in the mid-range webcam space. It delivers better quality than the super-budget alternatives but lacks additional features that are seen in the more expensive and premium webcams. Video quality is more than good enough for most situations, although it does sometimes struggle to deal with bright light sources. The directional mic is a nice feature that does a good job of cutting out a reasonable amount of background noise. Overall, the Tadpole is a very capable webcam.

Opal Tadpole webcam: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $129 (about £105 / AU$200)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? US with worldwide shipping

At $129 (about £105 / AU$200), the Opal Tadpole sits in the middle between the super-budget Logitech HD Webcam C310 and the eye-wateringly pricy Elgato Facecam Pro. The former lacks good image quality and feels a bit cheap in the hand, whereas the latter delivers amazing 4K video at 60 fps - for a high price.

If you want to compare like for like in terms of price, then the Tadpole is only a little more expensive than the Logitech C920, which wins the status for 'best overall' webcam in our best webcams buying guide - though it lacks the unparalleled portability of the Tadpole. 

For the asking price here, you get decent video quality and some nice features, including single-tap muting. If you're after something a little better than the cheapest options on the market, then the Opal Tadpole is a respectable choice.

The Opal Tadpole ships worldwide, with associated shipping costs. For the UK, that is set at an additional $8. The yo-yo case also costs an additional $19, but it's worth the price in my opinion.

• Value: 4 / 5

Opal Tadpole webcam: Specs

Should you buy the Opal Tadpole webcam?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Opal Tadpole webcam: Also consider

How I tested the Opal Tadpole webcam

• I used the webcam for my video calls
• I tested its general performance as well as its special features
• I made sure to test it under a variety of lighting conditions

As soon as it came through the door, I was keen to get the Opal Tadpol webcam out of the box and hooked onto my laptop. Everything about the design and functionality oozes quality, so I wanted to get it setup as soon as I could.

After a few minutes of getting it up and running, I spent time in video calls to test it's many features. I also made sure to give it a good run around in different lighting conditions, including bright and low-lit rooms.

With a few neat features, I also checked those out so I could determine the degree to which I would use them on a regular basis. I also used the carry case to help me transport the webcam around. 

Read more about how we test

First reviewed April 2024

Obsbot Tiny 2: Two-minute review

If you want to see what a webcam of the future looks like, take a peek at the Obsbot Tiny 2. This webcam packs a serious punch, not just in performance but also – or more accurately, especially – in advanced features you won’t see elsewhere, making it the best webcam to buy right now.

If you have the money for it, that is.

But that’s how it's always worked, right? With great features comes an even greater price tag, and in the case of this aptly-named webcam (it really is tiny at just 47 x 44 x 62.02 mm), that means more than $300 / £250, which feels like a punch in the gut if you’re itching to get it. 

At least your wallet can rest in peace knowing it wasn't “unalived” for nothing because you get a whole lotta bang for your buck here.

Even in its design, you can already tell that this is no ordinary webcam. Touting an elegant, lightweight and pocket-friendly design, the Obsbot Tiny 2 looks and feels solidly built and premium. Made of magnesium alloy that feels luxurious to the touch, it’s clear that Obsbot spared no expense in building it. 

Of course, being a premium piece of kit, you wouldn’t want to just toss this in your pocket or backpack, which is why Obsbot provides a robust case to protect it while you’re gallivanting around Asia or something. And you should protect it. After all, the camera is mounted on a gimbal, and you wouldn’t want anything heavy breaking it off the axis. That would then ruin the purpose of the whole webcam.

While it has a lot of features that most webcams on the market only wish they had, it’s got all the requisite ones too. A small light indicator up front lets you know which mode it’s in or if the gesture controls are working properly. There's a female tripod thread on the underside of the gimbal and a USB-C port for connecting the webcam to your PC or laptop. 

Naturally, it comes with a mount for your monitor. The cool thing about this mount, however, is that it’s magnetic, so the webcam just snaps onto it in a fraction of a second for convenience. If you want a bit more versatility, you can get extra accessories like a tripod, a remote control, and even a mic – for an extra cost, of course.

Where the Obsbot Tiny 2 really shines is in its feature set, a list that is pretty long for a webcam. The coolest of those features is its Dynamic Gesture Control, which has apparently been improved from its previous version. There are three gestures currently available – I’m really hoping Obsbot will add more with the firmware update – which can trigger the camera’s zoom, dynamic zoom, and subject tracking. It’s very responsive and works incredibly well, although you might have to practice a little before you get those gestures down.

Speaking of subject tracking, the AI Tracking with Auto Zoom is also incredibly responsive and works smoothly, thanks in large part to that built-in gimbal.

Tiny 2 also comes with Voice Control, which has nine different commands, letting you do things like wake the webcam, put it to sleep, adjust zoom, turn subject tracking on and off, and switch from one reset position to another. This, too, works beautifully, and you need not raise your voice for the webcam to hear your commands.

These three features can be used without having to download the Obsbot Webcam app, but if you do fancy expanding the webcam’s features, installing the app will let you do exactly that. With it, you can do things like change modes, manually adjust the view, change the field of view, and play with the exposure settings.

Then there’s Beauty Mode, which allows you to apply retouching effects and beauty filters, enabling you to do things like smoothing your skin, brightening your eyes, and even changing your body shape. Now, I don’t advocate for drastically changing one’s appearance on screen and in photos, as that’s one of the reasons we get body image disorders, but, if you need to make some minor adjustments to look your best on camera, go for it. We all use filters; there’s no judgment.

Bear in mind, though, that you have to turn on the Virtual Camera setting in the Obsbot Webcam app and then select the 'virtual camera' option as your webcam in whatever video app you’re using for these beauty effects to reflect in your feed or footage. Plus, the app has to remain open for it to work.

Though its sensor and aperture aren’t quite as big as that on the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, it does have a slightly bigger sensor than the Elgato Facecam Pro. On paper, that means it should offer a wider dynamic range than the latter as better noise handling. 

Sadly, overblown highlights and dark shadows are not uncommon on the Obsbot Tiny 2 because its dynamic range is not quite as wide. Not that there are considerable details lost, especially if you’re in a well- and evenly-lit room, but it’s still worth mentioning in case you’re planning to set up somewhere with uneven lighting or where it’s really dark. If you want to recover some of the details lost or maybe have a more creative exposure, you can adjust that, plus contrast, saturation, sharpness, hue, and white balance on the app as well – but only to a degree. 

In addition, its autofocus can sometimes be iffy. Most of the time, it’s reliable and responsive, but it has moments of sluggishness.

And since I’m on the subject, something is going on with the mic. During testing, there was no difference in volume, no matter how much I adjusted it. Plus, while I come out sounding audible, my voice does sound a little distorted and harsh. There’s also a lot of sibilance.

That said, there’s a lot to love about its performance. Again, its AI Tracking and Auto Zoom work smoothly and are very responsive. More importantly, the picture quality is fantastic, especially in 4K – it's sharp with fine grain or noise and good contrast. It also comes with what Obsbot calls PixGain HDR, which captures two images in the two native ISOs separately but simultaneously, then combines them to reduce motion blur, resulting in crisper picture quality.

Overall, you’re still getting great footage with this webcam – more than good enough for your business meetings or streaming content. That's especially true with its suite of extra features that help you have more professional-looking videos.

Obsbot Tiny 2: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $329 / £269 / AU$519 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, the UK, and Australia

At $329 / £269 / AU$519, the Obsbot Tiny 2 is expensive. How expensive exactly? It’s more expensive than the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, which outside of the Tiny 2 is the best webcam on the market if money is no object. It’s more expensive than the Elgato Facecam Pro, a premium option known for being the world’s first webcam that shoots in 4K at 60fps.

The Tiny 2 is outmatched by these two in dynamic range, autofocus, and, in the case of the Facecam Pro, 4K frame rate. However, it’s superior in terms of smart features. The question is, which aspects of a webcam are more important to you? And, is it worth that sizable hole in your wallet if it’s the latter?

Personally, I would say no, based on my daily webcam usage. But, if I had deeper pockets, I would probably buy it just to get all those wonderful features.

• Value: 3.5 / 5

Obsbot Tiny 2: Specs

Should you buy the Obsbot Tiny 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Obsbot Tiny 2: Also consider

How I tested the Obsbot Tiny 2

• I spent a couple of weeks testing the Tiny 2
• I used the webcam for my daily work meetings
• I tested its general performance as well as its special features

Spending at least two weeks with the Obsbot Tiny 2, I used it as my main webcam for daily work video calls, testing its picture quality and slew of extra features during those calls to see how well they worked. 

Of course, I also spent some time experimenting with those features, using the Obsbot Webcam app to play around with the gimbal as well as the camera's exposure and the beauty filters.

I’ve been reviewing webcams for TechRadar for a few months now. However, prior to this, I tested and reviewed a lot of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, giving me extensive experience in cameras. I’m also a film and digital photographer.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed October 2023