Corsair's Elgato Facecam 4K Promises Pro-Grade Video At A Mainstream Price
Elgato, a subsidiary of Corsair, unveiled its new Facecam 4K, which promises to bring some of the best features from its flagship Facecam Pro in a more affordable package. The Facecam 4K claims "DSLR-level" 4K60 video quality, more granular creative control, and professional-grade features at $200, making it more accessible for content creators and streamers. It also follows the launch of Elgato's Came Capture 4K S, another affordable gadget for streamers.
The Facecam 4K is not just any webcam; Elgato designed it with a more professional imaging focus (pun intended). The camera sports a Sony Starvis 2 CMOS sensor, a proprietary image processor, and a f/4.0 prime lens (with 90 degrees field-of-view). According to the press release, this combo enables the Facecam 4K to capture "ultra-smooth, uncompressed Ultra HD footage with cinematic flexibility" similar in essence to certain high-end camera setups.
Thi La, CEO of Corsair declared that with the Facecam 4K, "we're bringing pro-level 4K60 quality within reach for a broader audience, eliminating the complexity and prohibitive costs typically associated with such performance."
Claimed to be an industry first, the Facecam 4K also supports 49-millimeter lens filters, which would allow creators to achieve professional-style effects directly through their webcam, such as starbursts or soft diffusion. If users want, they can add cinematic blur to their backgrounds, reduce reflections from glasses (via CPL filters) or mitigate harsh lighting with a simple filter attachment. Moreover, the camera accepts both Elgato's optional teleprompter shroud (i.e. the Prompter) or any other custom 3D-printed backplates that creators might have.
Connectivity is via USB-C and the camera is relatively light at 0.26 pounds. For additional customization, users can use the Camera Hub software, which provides manual controls over essential settings, including ISO, exposure, shutter speed, pan, tilt, and zoom. Manual exposure (shutter speed, ISO, etc.) control is also available, with tint control coming in a later update.
One nice touch is that the camera works with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Elgato's Stream Deck, opening up some nice hardware support for streamers and gaming enthusiasts. Thi explains, "As the creator economy evolves, we see opportunities to expand what a streaming webcam can do, especially through software, filters, and deeper app integrations."
The Elgato Facecam 4K is available to order now for $199.99. There's also a new Amazon listing for the camera right now as well.
