Opal Tadpole Teenie-Tiny Latptop Camera
- Logitech C270 HD Webcam - $19.88
- Lumina 4K Webcam - $150.00
- Razer Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam - $70.87
- PlexiCam Pro - Center Screen Webcam Holder/Mount - $85.00
- Vitade 4K Webcam with AI-Powered Framing - $138.99
Opal says their new Tadpole is "the smallest webcam ever built." ... But it's only for your laptop. ... Which likely already came with a webcam. ... One already built into it that you don't have to carry around separately in a stylized transparent round case.
Hmmm. I think, Opal, if you want to convince me this Tadpole isn't just another frog in the making, it better have something to offer in addition to teenie-tininess, laptop-specific use, and portability as an accessory you gotta remember to take with you. What say you?
"With a category-first directional microphone, a mirrorless Sony sensor, and the easiest way to mute your call with a tap it's the perfect webcam to take with you everywhere."
Shrug. OK, let's talk Tadpole a little more, starting with this directional microphone business.
Tadpole's VisiMic is a microphone that, by the power of physics, captures the sounds only within the range of what the camera can see. In other words, it's able to keep any noises outside the webcam's vision out of your video call. So, no barking dogs, no kids screaming for their cookies and milk, and no porn playing on the monitor next to you disrupt your presentation to the SVPs unless they also sneak in front of the Tadpole's Sony IMX582 RS sensor and f1.8 six element glass lens.
Which brings us to our next teenie-tiny Tadpole-specific feature, a mirrorless Sony sensor Opal says produces colors as beautiful and true as a mouthful of psilocybin.
The last of the webcam's braggin' rights is its Tap To Mute (a trademarked phrase!) capabilities. A capacitive button on the Tadpole's USB-C plug allows users to mute and unmute their end of a video call with a touch or a swipe.
The Tadpole webcam is designed to fit PC and Mac laptops running Windows 7 or later, and Mac OS X Mountain Lion or later. Its cable length accommodates most screens up to 16" in size, and the mounting clip opens to a width of 7mm.
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