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Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

opalcamera.com

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Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#71

Post by rfwhyte »

TD-Linux wrote: post #56

This is not a "mirrorless camera sensor", at least how it's meant to be interpreted. While technically mirrorless like all webcams, the sensor is under a quarter of the area of the smallest Sony mirrorless intechangeable-lens cameras.

Came to say basically the same thing. Not to mention they also refer to their F1.8 "Glass" when their own technical specs list the lens elements as plastic.

It's basically a $10 sensor, a $5 mic, $5 of miscellaneous plastic and circuitry, and yet they want $175 for what?

I might have given all their typical startup BS and hyperbole a pass if it was like $79 or something reasonable, but at $175 it just seems like a scam.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#72

Post by CharlesW »

wmf wrote: post #67
Modified3019 wrote: post #49

>THE TADPOLE IS JUST A TAD TALLER THAN A GUMMY BEAR. For clarification, this device is 1.75x2.25x1 international haribo gummy bear heights.

I assume an American gummi bear is much larger than an international one.

Americans also consider Haribo Goldbears an international unit.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#73

Post by hummusFiend »

AlexAltea wrote: post #57

These guys have spammed me three times today via SMS, even after unsubscribing from all their notifications. I'm sorry but I cannot take them seriously. Who in hell thought this is normal or acceptable?

Same here, as if an unsolicited SMS with attachments will be effective. I also unsubscribed a while back after reading about issues similar to what's mentioned in other comments here.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#74

Post by lazzlazzlazz »

I don't normally participate in this threads but need to share: my Opal C1 is great. I've used it for more than a year now with only one software problem that was solved in a matter of weeks. It really does look far better than the built-in webcam with minimal inconvenience.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#75

Post by calvinmorrison »

hummusFiend wrote: post #73
AlexAltea wrote: post #57

These guys have spammed me three times today via SMS, even after unsubscribing from all their notifications. I'm sorry but I cannot take them seriously. Who in hell thought this is normal or acceptable?

Same here, as if an unsolicited SMS with attachments will be effective. I also unsubscribed a while back after reading about issues similar to what's mentioned in other comments here.

They are. Our marketing campaigns are most successful via SMS because consumers haven't yet filtered out sms as potential spam yet and actually read and click. If

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#77

Post by callumprentice »

eclipxe wrote: post #60
callumprentice wrote: post #40

I use the Camo software that turns my phone into a webcam and the quality is astounding but it still suffers from the "appear to be looking elsewhere" issue. I have sketched out a design for a bracket that dangles your phone upside down, in front of the screen and turns the phone front camera into a webcam that's much closer to where you are typically looking. The interesting bit is that software on the phone display…

The hardware exists - PlexiCam ( https://www.amazon.com/PlexiCam-Pro-Position-Anywhere-Deskto... ) I use https://snakeclamp.com/ - you can build a custom arm setup. I use a magsafe attachment and mount a phone running Camo on it. Works wonderfully and easy to move out of the way when it's blocking my screen. Edit: Sorry didn't see the part about the part that projects your screen portion to the area that is occluded.…

Thanks for the links - I was actually looking for a new Camo stand and those look handy.

The idea is that the desktop would send the content of the rectangle occluded by the phone screen and the phone displays it, appropriately tweaked, tinted etc. I have no idea if it would work well enough to be useful but seems like a fun experiment.

I find myself using the Camo setup with the phone in front of the screen and I just "look around it" - I dislike the "looking into space" on calls more than the inconvenience of moving my windows a bit I guess.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#78

Post by j45 »

rfwhyte wrote: post #71
TD-Linux wrote: post #56

This is not a "mirrorless camera sensor", at least how it's meant to be interpreted. While technically mirrorless like all webcams, the sensor is under a quarter of the area of the smallest Sony mirrorless intechangeable-lens cameras.

Came to say basically the same thing. Not to mention they also refer to their F1.8 "Glass" when their own technical specs list the lens elements as plastic. It's basically a $10 sensor, a $5 mic, $5 of miscellaneous plastic and circuitry, and yet they want $175 for what? I might have given all their typical startup BS and hyperbole a pass if it was like $79 or something reasonable, but at $175 it just seems like a sc…

I’d love to learn how to build one of my own from you since it’s that easy?

The form factor here is ideal. Also unclear if it’s 4K (can help with brightness in less than ideal lighting.

My understanding is the same components still have to be driven well to work together by custom software for high quality?

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#79

Post by j45 »

callumprentice wrote: post #40

I use the Camo software that turns my phone into a webcam and the quality is astounding but it still suffers from the "appear to be looking elsewhere" issue. I have sketched out a design for a bracket that dangles your phone upside down, in front of the screen and turns the phone front camera into a webcam that's much closer to where you are typically looking. The interesting bit is that software on the phone display…

Agreed, eye height is critical and hard to ignore once experienced.

Re: Opal Tadpole – A webcam for laptops

#80

Post by j45 »

callumprentice wrote: post #77
eclipxe wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hardware exists - PlexiCam ( https://www.amazon.com/PlexiCam-Pro-Position-Anywhere-Deskto... ) I use https://snakeclamp.com/ - you can build a custom arm setup. I use a magsafe attachment and mount a phone running Camo on it. Works wonderfully and easy to move out of the way when it's blocking my screen. Edit: Sorry didn't see the part about the part that projects your screen portion to the area that is occluded.…

Thanks for the links - I was actually looking for a new Camo stand and those look handy. The idea is that the desktop would send the content of the rectangle occluded by the phone screen and the phone displays it, appropriately tweaked, tinted etc. I have no idea if it would work well enough to be useful but seems like a fun experiment. I find myself using the Camo setup with the phone in front of the screen and I ju…

This is also a great way to not pick up your phone too many times an hour.
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