Obsbot’s new gimbal webcam doesn’t justify its $350 price tag

Webcam Company Obsbot recently launched two new gimbal-equipped webcams, namely $349 Small 3 and $199 Small 3 Lite. It claims the most expensive model is the smallest 4K pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) webcam ever, weighing 63 grams. Ironically, the Tiny 3 Lite is heavier and larger. I’ve been testing the Tiny 3 for two weeks, and here’s what you should know about it.

Compared to the new Insta360’s price of $249 Link 2 Prothe Tiny 3 has a slightly larger sensor and more AI-powered features, including voice control and audio tracking. It also has MEMS microphones, which are supposedly better than condenser microphones at filtering out unwanted noise, and Obsbot claims they’re as good as a dedicated microphone. I only have my Insta360 link from 2022 on hand to compare it to. And while the Tiny 3 can produce a sharper image than the Link, there’s no difference between night and day based on my testing with high-end retail devices.

You can manage both the Tiny 3 and Lite with preset questions (“Hi, Tiny” to turn on, “Sleep, Tiny” to turn off, “Track Me” to turn on AI face tracking, “Position 1” to snap to a saved camera position, etc.), but only the more expensive model has a desk mode that allows it to look down because the Lite’s base is too thick (the original Link has a desk mode, too). The Tiny 3 listens remarkably well, even when I fumble with commands. Although seeing it start tracking my face when I said the phrase “track me” during a meeting was weird enough that I turned off voice control. Both advertise 4K/30fps video capture and up to 120fps at 1080p. It also supports Switch 2, but requires the companion app to switch mode. Enabling this mode sets 1080p as the maximum resolution on your computer until you disable it.

The Tiny 3 has a slightly wider field of view, and its ISO can go higher (12,800 versus 6,400 maximum ISO) in dimly lit rooms. It has a 1/1.28-inch sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and an equivalent focal length of 24mm, which are improvements over the last generation model, but incremental. Larger sensors can capture more light and deliver images with less noise. These gains weren’t entirely noticeable during testing, but they may be noticeable to others, since everyone’s work area looks different.

4K/30fps video capture looks good on the Tiny 3 in video calls. It produces sharper shots than the Lite and Link, and as shown in the initial shots captured with the Obsbot, is better at resolving the shadows appearing in my wrinkled long-sleeve shirt. The shots should show how close they all are in terms of visual quality. There are differences in how contrast is handled, but I don’t think the $350 model is the clear winner in either sample. This is really noticeable considering my Insta360 link is about 3 years old.

As mentioned earlier, the company claims that the webcam’s array of MEMS microphones (one bidirectional, one omnidirectional) can rival the performance of a standalone microphone. It sounded good, but I couldn’t tell the difference until I picked up my guitar and started playing. I could hear individual plucks of guitar strings through the Tiny 3’s microphone better than through the connector I had on hand. The extra detail is nice, although if you’re using the Tiny 3 primarily for video calls, it’ll probably get compressed, unfortunately. Also, most people who care about how their voices or instruments sound likely have a standalone microphone.

I would be more impressed with the Tiny 3 if it were priced more competitively. But even then, I’d be hesitant to recommend it given the state of the app that comes with it. To put it simply, it’s a big mess to navigate, with useful features nested in hard-to-find places next to places you’ll likely never touch again.

I realize that webcams increasingly have a large number of features, and while I’m not arguing against more features to justify higher prices, it is up to these companies to make webcam features easy to use, especially when you’re in a rush before or during a call. Insta360 figured this out, but Obsbot didn’t.