ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Obsbot Tiny 3 offers 4K video streaming that beats native setups.
• Its ultraportable design makes it ideal for traveling.
• I just wish it wasn’t so expensive at $350.

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Obsbot has had a nice run with PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) cameras. I previously discussed how well its Tail 2 PTZ worked for most creative workflows and streamers, with a thoughtful feature set that’s, most importantly, practical to use. 

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That’s why I was excited to check out the latest PTZ webcam, the Tiny 3, which I’ve quickly found to be more than just a traditional webcam. Let’s take a deeper look at the camera’s design and performance, and see why it’s effectively replaced the native solutions that I’ve used in the past.

The Tiny 3 PTZ’s tech specs are fairly brief, but there are some notable details. First, it’s a webcam with spatial audio support and great noise reduction, both of which come in handy in busy office spaces or cafes. The camera shoots in up to UHD (4K) resolution and at 120 fps, so you can tailor the image quality as needed. I’ve personally kept it at 4K for crisp output.

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The 1/1.28” CMOS sensor really performs well, especially if you have adequate lighting in your space. From what I’ve seen, the image quality is top-notch, and the autofocus is snappy, useful when you’re moving in and out of the camera or presenting a product.

Tiny, but mighty

The Tiny 3 is unbelievably small. In all seriousness, when I received the package, I thought there was a mistake until I opened it and saw that an actual webcam was inside. It’s not much larger than a US quarter coin. Yet it packs a lot of processing power to handle snappy auto focus, spatial audio, and great image quality. 

AI features that are actually useful

Part of the Tiny 3’s autofocus prowess is due to the Obsbot AI, which was trained not only to lock on to focus but also to motion-track humans or objects. So if you’re sitting at your desk and slightly shift, the camera will follow you. But even better, if your workstation is a standing desk and you’d like to move even more freely, you can. 

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The AI tracks and follows you easily as the camera can pan, tilt, and zoom for optimal image framing. Obsbot’s AI also supports gesture and voice control. This isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it’s available. Of course, background blur or replacement is available thanks to the AI. Here’s an example.

I like that the background blur can be dialed in to fit the scene. So many users over-blur, and the image just looks cheesy. But what’s offered here is quite nice. Granted, I have great lighting to make it easier on the AI.

The webcam comes with a desktop application that offers more control over your PTZ webcam. Again, this isn’t anything new in webcam technology, but the software is impressive. I enjoyed the idea of truly dialing in the image quality by utilizing tools to color correct or even adjust the luminance curve for great contrast and highlight control.

Where the Tiny 3 can improve

Obsbot mentions that AI is used for spatial audio capture and voice control. In my experience (after updating to the latest firmware) I was unable to utilize the mic array on the Tiny 3. I’m not sure why. 

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I’m a professional creator, so I know how to turn on a microphone, but for whatever reason, the mic wasn’t recognized by OBS, Slack, FaceTime, or Zoom. Within the Obsbot control center software, you can toggle the mic, but nothing worked for me.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Obsbot Tiny 3 is a pretty dynamic PTZ webcam and is available online for $349. It offers great image quality and tools to help you really dial in your image. 

I’d recommend this camera if you’re someone who does a lot of presentations and you’re looking for the flexibility to pace on screen while going through your discussion points, but if you’re just doing Zoom calls a few hours a week, I suggest spending less money on a stationary webcam that will still provide adequate image quality.