Opal's new webcam the C1 Tadpole, Lets talk about it
Here's a fun fact about Opal. Still, a reasonably new company manufactures webcams. Coincidentally, working from home became the norm then, making webcams necessary. Talk about impeccable timing. When the company produced its first webcam in 2020, the C1, I was blown away by its sleek, nontraditional design that’s different from many webcams on the market. Equally impressive is the quality of the DSLR sensor. As a follow-up to the C1, highly praised by the masses, Opal introduces their new webcam, the C1 Tadpole.
Regarding the design, the Opal C1 Tadpole is strikingly small, measuring just 1.25 inches in both dimensions. When it comes to the overall width of the device, it is about as thin as several sticks of gum stacked on top of each other. Yes, it’s that thin. Opal's reason for building such a small, compact webcam is they discovered C1 users would often connect the device to a laptop or MacBook. It’s worth noting many users, by request, wanted a more petite webcam. It seems Opal listened to all the requests coming from the consumers.
Of course, the most integral component is the camera itself, measuring just a half-inch; it contains a 48-megapixel mirrorless Sony IMX582 sensor, the same sensor found in the OnePlus 7 Pro or some Samsung A-series smartphones. It has a f/1.8 aperture lens that can capture video up to 4K. Interestingly, the sensor is bigger and better than C1. In comparison regarding overall performance, the C1 Tadpole is on par with the Insta360 Link, which is far more expensive camera.
The selling point feature ( you know how I am about my selling points) on the C1 Tadpole is the built-in mic, which Opal dubs the "VisiMic." How the VisiMic functions is Tadpole's microphones should only hear what the mic can see, canceling out as much ambient sound as possible. Users can also mute the mic by touching the capacitive pad on the USB plug.
The Opal C1 Tadpole is a significant improvement over the C1. On paper, it will perform better, and unlike its predecessor, the webcam is now compatible with MacOS and Windows computers. In addition, the webcam will activate immediately without needing Opal Composer software. In the PC world, we call that Plug-n-Play. The only issue I have with the C1 Tadpole webcam is that the adjustable clip in the back is explicitly made for laptops, not monitors.
The Opal C1 Tadpole comes in two color options, black and white, retailing for $175. You can order the webcam directly from Opal’s website.
