OBSBOT Tiny 3 Evaluation – The Webcam that punches manner above its weight class

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 is likely one of the smallest 4K PTZ webcams I’ve ever examined, and it’s exceptional how a lot functionality OBSBOT has packed into such a compact physique. At simply 37×37×49mm and weighing solely 63g, this factor is smaller than a regular pc mouse. However don’t let the dimensions idiot you – the Tiny 3 delivers professional-grade video high quality, surprisingly good audio, and AI options that truly work somewhat than feeling like advertising and marketing gimmicks.

It’s fairly a major improve from Tiny 2 (examine our assessment) as Tiny 3 has 37% bigger sensor, clearer audio, smarter AI monitoring, and better most ISO in comparison with Tiny 2.

Packaging Contents

Design and Construct High quality

The very first thing you discover concerning the Tiny 3 is simply how small it truly is. OBSBOT calls it the world’s smallest 4K PTZ webcam, and I imagine them. Regardless of its compact measurement, the construct high quality doesn’t really feel compromised. The aircraft-grade aluminium alloy physique feels strong and premium, with glorious warmth dissipation that retains it working cool.

The magnetised adjustable mount is a considerate contact. It snaps into place securely and gives beneficiant positioning choices on prime of my monitor. I can place it anyplace to get the very best angle with out worrying about it sliding round or dropping its grip. This flexibility makes an actual distinction once you’re looking for that good framing for calls or streams. Plus, the included lenghty cable helps.

If you’re not utilizing the webcam, it mechanically goes into sleep mode by tilting the lens downward. There’s no bodily shutter, however this privateness mode works effectively sufficient and offers you that peace of thoughts when the digicam’s not in use. Via the OBSBOT Middle software program, you possibly can even add a customized video clip or picture to show throughout livestreaming breaks, which provides a pleasant private contact.

Picture High quality That Rivals Devoted Cameras

The imaging system within the Tiny 3 is the place issues get actually spectacular. The 1/1.28″ CMOS sensor delivers 4K video at 30fps or 1080p at 120fps for silky clean slow-motion. The twin all-pixel PDAF autofocus system works rapidly and reliably in all lighting situations, which is essential for reside demos or displays the place you’re shifting round. With the assistance of AI and software program contact, the picture can additional be tweaked and optimised.

I exploit the Tiny 3 in my workplace that will get direct daylight by way of the home windows straight onto my face throughout sure occasions of day. With out enabling any AI or superior modes, the tough daylight is clearly seen throughout video calls and washes out my face fully. However as quickly as I allow Auto Publicity and tweak some settings in OBSBOT Middle, the tough daylight disappears. The DCG HDR does a superb job balancing highlights and shadows with out introducing movement blur, making it good for difficult lighting eventualities like mine.

The screenshot on the left is the precise situation in my workplace with the solar mild going straight in. The center one is after I flip Auto Publicity on (with International auto publicity) and the proper one is with Face auto publicity.

Past the Publicity controls, there are tons of different customisation choices accessible by way of the OBSBOT Middle software program. You’ll be able to modify Saturation, HDR depth, White Steadiness R Achieve and B Achieve for fine-tuned color rendering, and even use the Publicity Curve to independently management shadows, mid-tones, and highlights. This degree of management is usually reserved for devoted cameras, not webcams.

The ISO vary of 100-12800 offers glorious low-light flexibility, so even when pure mild fades within the night or you might be in a low lit room, the Tiny 3 maintains clear, usable footage with out extreme noise. On the left screenshot, I turned the Auto Publicity off and that just about exhibits the present nature of my bed room. As soon as I allow Auto Publicity, every thing shines amazingly. I used to be very impressed the second I noticed how good the picture was on this darker room.

Audio High quality That Truly Impresses

That is the primary time I’ve been completely satisfied utilizing the microphone inside a webcam – one thing I’ve often frowned upon. The Tiny 3 options an Clever Directional Mic System with three silicon MEMS microphones (one omnidirectional and two directional). The audio is kind of clear and noticeably higher than utilizing my Dell XPS 13 work laptop computer’s built-in microphone.

The technical specs again up what I’m listening to: 24-bit sampling precision, 130 dB SPL functionality, 69 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and 50Hz-20kHz frequency response. These are specs you’d count on from high-end TWS earbuds or skilled audio tools, not a webcam.

The Voice Monitoring characteristic is kind of intelligent too. It permits the gimbal to observe your voice path with two audio pickup modes relying in your recording setting. Omnidirectional Pickup detects sound from all instructions and strikes the gimbal towards the voice supply, good for group discussions. Ahead Pickup solely responds to voice coming from the entrance and filters out background or rear noise, which is good once you’ve acquired show audio system behind the digicam.

For creators who want even higher audio or need to transfer freely, the Tiny 3 helps pairing with the non-obligatory OBSBOT Vox SE wi-fi microphone. You’ll be able to bind as much as two Vox SE microphones through OBSBOT Middle, and as soon as certain, the Tiny 3 mechanically connects on power-up – all with no need an additional receiver.

AI Options That Truly Work

OBSBOT has been creating AI monitoring since their first Tiny webcam in 2020, and the AI Monitoring 2.0 system within the Tiny 3 represents years of refinement. I’ve tried varied monitoring modes and so they’ve all been flawless in my testing.

The Human Monitoring gives Single Mode, Group Mode, and an “Solely Me” precision mode. The “Solely Me” mode recognises and locks onto you particularly, retaining you centred always and considerably decreasing false positives or goal loss even when a number of individuals are in body.

After I swap to Desk mode and allow hand monitoring, the Tiny 3 tracks the motion of my hand with my mouse. That is good when you’re a streamer-gamer and need to showcase your swiping and aiming abilities. The Object Monitoring is equally helpful once you’re holding an merchandise and exhibiting it to viewers, shifting round with out worrying about manually zooming or repositioning the digicam to sure angles.

The Zone Monitoring characteristic offers clever spatial management. You’ll be able to set 4 gimbal angles to outline a monitoring zone, and once you go away that zone, the Tiny 3 returns to its preset angle. You too can designate as much as three Non-Monitoring Areas the place the webcam locks to the present composition once you enter them, then resumes monitoring once you go away. This degree of management is exceptional for a webcam.

Voice and gesture controls work reliably too. You’ll be able to say “Hello Tiny” to activate voice instructions like “Observe Me”, “Zoom In/Out”, or “Place One/Two/Three”. Gesture management allows you to increase your hand or make fast gestures to toggle monitoring, zoom, and entry key controls with out touching the gadget.

The Auto Zoom characteristic dynamically adjusts framing primarily based on scene wants, with choices for Shut-up, Higher Physique, Headless, Decrease Physique, or Full Physique framing throughout human monitoring. Face Framing mechanically detects which manner you’re wanting and adjusts composition accordingly, which is sensible for podcasts, interviews, and any state of affairs the place pure framing issues.

In fact, in case you are planning to only use Tiny 3 for conferences and such, these sensible monitoring can simply be turned off as auto-tracking may be felt like a distraction to the opposite assembly contributors.

Skilled Software program Controls

The OBSBOT Middle software program can flip your desktop into one thing resembling knowledgeable studio management panel. The Publicity Curve device allows you to fine-tune shadows, mid-tones, and highlights independently for exact mild distribution with out altering general publicity (when you don’t like setting stuff to Auto). Each body seems to be precisely as supposed.

White Steadiness controls embody handbook R Achieve and B Achieve adjustment for correct color rendering, plus an AWB Shift perform that fine-tunes mechanically calculated white stability. A optimistic offset creates a hotter tone, damaging creates a cooler tone.

The Magnificence Mode contains NVIDIA Maxine Eye Contact, which addresses the frequent awkwardness of wanting off-camera throughout video calls. The system detects your precise line of sight and subtly adjusts your eye path with AI, retaining your gaze directed on the digicam even once you look elsewhere. It does this all naturally, preserving genuine facial expressions and reasonable eye motion.

Background Blur and Substitute work easily with pure outcomes. You’ll be able to blur distractions for a cleaner look or swap in any picture to match your scene. You probably have an NVIDIA card, the Blur mode helps this and can present a significantly better blur expertise than Zoom or Huddle.

On the proper aspect (powered by NVIDIA), you possibly can clearly see how good it’s in comparison with the blur we used to get.

The Inexperienced Display Enhancement boosts keying precision for cleaner background alternative when activated by way of the Background Removing characteristic. That is nice for streamers.

Ecosystem and Compatibility

The Tiny 3 integrates seamlessly with OBSBOT’s broader ecosystem. It really works with the OBSBOT Tiny Sensible Distant 2 for bodily PTZ and zoom controls, OBSBOT Expertise for skilled multi-device reside streaming setups, and varied adapters for HDMI output or NDI conversion.

There’s additionally compatibility with Elgato Stream Deck collection for customised key features, Swap 2 Mode for in-game social interplay, and SDK/OSC assist for skilled customers who want in-depth customisation.

OBSBOT Tiny 3 Evaluation Conclusion

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 is palms down one of the vital spectacular webcams I’ve examined. What impresses me most is how small it’s, but the diploma of customisations, picture and audio high quality, and the non-gimmicky AI options are simply out of this world contemplating the dimensions. This isn’t simply advertising and marketing hype – the AI monitoring actually works, the audio high quality is legitimately good so you possibly can let go of your headset, and the picture high quality rivals devoted cameras in lots of eventualities.

I can’t discover something disappointing concerning the Tiny 3. It’s a really succesful webcam for content material creators due to all these AI options that truly serve a objective somewhat than present simply to tick packing containers on a spec sheet (and the spec sheet has a protracted checklist!). The monitoring is flawless, the audio is obvious, the construct high quality is strong, and the software program offers professional-level controls that allow you to fine-tune each facet of your picture.

For streamers, content material creators, distant employees in difficult lighting situations, or anybody who desires skilled video high quality with out the majority and complexity of a devoted digicam setup, the OBSBOT Tiny 3 delivers distinctive worth. It’s moveable sufficient to pack in your laptop computer bag for journey (you get a pleasant onerous case within the packaging), highly effective sufficient to function your major digicam for skilled work, and sensible sufficient to deal with complicated monitoring eventualities with out handbook intervention.

The OBSBOT Tiny 3 is a tiny webcam with titan efficiency. It’s accessible now to buy at A$549.

Disclosure: OBSBOT Tiny 3 assessment pattern was provided for reviewing