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Having a good webcam is key to any PC setup, especially if you’re looking to get into any form of content creation. The Streamplify Cam aims to provide that, and at an affordable price.
With an MSRP of $70 (opens in new tab)/£60 (opens in new tab), it sits directly against the likes of the legendary Logitech C922, otherwise known as one of the best webcams for most people, given how long it’s been around. This new entry from Streamplify, however, may just be out to steal Logitech’s big stately crown.
As affordable webcams go it feels pretty good, it being comprised of some textured plastics that don’t feel cheap to the touch. It’s got a bit of heft to it too, which is reflective of the fact this feels like quite a durable webcam. You also get plenty of options for adjustment here, with a full 360 degrees of swivel and some handy tilt, which is useful for getting your shot set up just right.
Also bundled in the box alongside the Streamplify Cam is a little screw on tripod that, by comparison to the Cam, does feel a little bit like a cheap afterthought. Whilst it’s a nice inclusion if you don’t want to stack the cam on top of your monitor and want to place it elsewhere, it isn’t the sturdiest stand by any means, given its composition of thin metal and some slightly rattly plastics. The ¼ inch thread on the webcam itself is compatible with any other ¼ inch headed tripods anyways, if you did want to pick something up that’s a little more premium to go with the webcam.
What’s particularly nice is that there’s a built in privacy slider, so when you’re not using the Cam, you can simply slide that over for extra piece of mind. No soul can peer in, not like they were probably looking anyways, but hey. When you have it open though, you’ll find there’s a glass lens, which should offer up a clearer picture than most webcams at this price, as others tend to use a piece of plastic, as opposed to glass.
On the point of handy features, this webcam does feature dual microphones that offer some decent pickup. Of course, they aren’t as good as any of these budget microphones, but for internal ones, I don’t have any complaints. They’re sure to suffice for a day’s work and any calls you happen to be on, put it that way, and are a decent stopgap until you pick up a dedicated microphone, be it XLR or USB.
For the actual video output, the Streamplify Cam outputs at 1080p/60fps, which sits well against webcams a little higher in price. Most others at this price bracket tend to stick with 30fps, and doubling that frame rate gives you smoother output, which is why 60fps webcams are such a big draw for content creators.
It translates to decent all round output, in most lighting environments, as you’ll see from the sample video below. Colours are perhaps a little flatter than some of the more premium webcams out there, but its 2MP sensor does offer some pretty clear images, if you do want to take some stills. In some lighting environments though, those still images can look a tad grainy.
Its auto light adjustment feature does a good job to compensate for any darkness, as you’ll see from the gallery of images (even if I do look like a halfwit in the process), although sometimes images can look a little underexposed and pale. There’s also a wide angle 90 degree lens that gives you the opportunity to show off what you’ve got in the background, as much as yourself, which is good if there’s something specific you desperately want to get into frame.
You won’t find any additional software here, as the Streamplify Cam is a simple plug and play solution. With that being said though, it plays nicely with any big streaming software such as OBS and shows up in your devices list as soon as it’s plugged in. On the point of plugging things in, the cable here sits at 2 metres in length, making it rather long, and means you can use the Cam wherever you please. Do note, it is fixed, so if you do accidentally end up breaking your cable it will be game over, unfortunately.
The Streamplify Cam is a pretty good webcam for the price, offering you a durable build, 1080p/60fps output with good colours, some handy dual stereo microphones, and extra creature comforts. Whilst you may not find any additional software with it, as plug and play solutions go to get you up and running in no time at all, this looks like a great choice for budding content creators.
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