Elgato Facecam vs Facecam Pro
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Specifications
Build and Design
Image Quality
Verdict
Specifications
Elgato Facecam
Max Resolution and Frame Rate: 1080p 60 FPS.
Video Format: UYVY.
Sensor 1/2.5” Sony STARVIS CMOS.
Lens: Fixed focus, f/2.4, 24 mm (full frame equivalent). True focal length is unlisted.
Connection Type: USB 3.0. USB-C to USB-A cable included.
Elgato Facecam Pro
Max Resolution and Frame Rate: 4K 60 FPS.
Video format: MJPEG. (NV12 at 1080p 60 FPS and lower).
Sensor: 1/1.8” Sony STARVIS CMOS.
Lens: Autofocus, f/2, 21 mm (full frame equivalent). True focal length is unlisted.
Connection Type: USB 3.0. USB-C to USB-C cable included.
Build and Design
The original Facecam is made of plastic, but it’s hard to tell exactly how much of the Facecam Pro is or plastic or metal. There’s a heat sink on the back of the latter that has a bulky chassis around it, but I’m not sure what the material is. Either way, the Facecam Pro is much heavier and bulkier (240g) than the original Facecam (103g).
Both devices come with a monitor mount and can be tilted up and down or rotated left and right. However, the method of doing so is more intuitive on the Facecam Pro. There’s a knob you can twist at the bottom for tightening or loosening the Facecam Pro. On the original Facecam, you have to screw the mount on in a very precise way to get it to move.
Tripods not included.
Both devices have 1/4” tripod threading, but the Facecam Pro will need a pretty big and sturdy tripod or stand to keep it in place. From what I measured, Facecam’s wire is 79 inches and the Facecam Pro’s wire is about 71.5 inches.
Image Quality
Full webcam controls are available using Camera Hub.
Both webcams were recorded with manual settings set in Elgato Camera Hub. The lighting includes two ring lights, a key light, and a light for illuminating the background.
Sharpness
As suggested by the specs, the Facecam Pro is far sharper than the Facecam. Textures are cleaner and the gritty, pixelated effect seen on the original Facecam is gone.
Color Accuracy and Dynamic Range
At 4K60, the Facecam Pro’s colors are better, but it still suffers from extra magenta in the reds like my lips and eyelids. Skin is also desaturated. Boosting the saturation makes the magenta effect even worse.
The original Facecam has lots of unnatural red in skin tones, but also there’s a green tint to everything. You can trade this for an amber tint if you change the white balance slider, but there’s no middle ground.
When the Facecam Pro is set to 1080p 60 FPS, it can switch over to uncompressed NV12 footage. At NV12, the colors blow out the Facecam’s easily and they’re well above average compared to other webcams on the market.
Both devices are great when it comes to dynamic range. With the right settings, it’s easy to keep them from getting overexposed while also showing good detail in dark colors.
However, the advantage goes to the Facecam Pro, because it’s able to do this with far less grain in the image due to its larger sensor. This is most apparent when these webcams are viewed in motion at full screen on a 4K or higher resolution monitor.
Verdict
The Facecam Pro is sharper than the original Facecam, it has better colors, and it’s able to do all of this at 4K 60 FPS. So the Facecam Pro is clearly the better device. And there are multiple sub-$200 options better than the original Facecam, so that one is an easy pass.
As a buyer, the real question is does the Facecam Pro justify costing $130 more than its predecessor? The Facecam launched for $200 before having its price cut on Elgato’s website to $170. The Facecam Pro launched for $300.
I don’t think any webcam is worth $300 since at that price, you’re over halfway to buying a “real” mirrorless camera like the Sony ZV-1F or the Canon M200. I’d either save the money and get a cheaper (but still high quality) webcam like the Logitech Brio or Nexigo N970P or keep saving for a mirrorless camera that can give you better colors, sharpness, and a shallow depth of field.
Sony ZV-1 mirrorless camera.
