Insta360, a company mostly known for 360-degree action cams, has dropped a brand new product for your work life. Called the Link, it is the company’s first ever dedicated webcam that can be fitted to your computer and elevate your video-conferencing game.
The Insta360 Link is a 4K-capable webcam that sits on top of your display and is equipped with a variety of AI features. It uses a 1/2″ sensor that the company claims allows the webcam to capture a good image even in a dark room and it also has an HDR mode, though it is only supported for 1080p and 720p resolutions.
While it boasts an impressive image quality for a webcam, the main selling point of the Link is the three-axis gimbal that allows the lens to physically move around to track your movement. The camera will automatically zoom in and out to keep you in the centre of the frame, just like Apple’s Center Stage feature. Unlike Apple’s iteration though, it can’t keep multiple people in frame at the same time, as pointed by The Verge’s Cameron Faulkner.
The Insta360 Link is also capable of another Apple tool that hasn’t even officially been released yet: desktop view. With this feature, it will automatically adjust and rotate the image to perfectly show whatever you may be working on your tabletop. Of course, you could mount the webcam on an adjustable stand and the overhead mode will still automatically crop the frame to the tabletop.
In addition, the gimbal webcam can square off any whiteboard it detects to give a clearer view and it is capable of shooting videos in portrait mode by rotating. To top it off, users can manually zoom in and out without touching anything by just using hand gestures.
Lastly, the plug-and-play Link webcam also features noise cancellation, autofocus, and is compatible with both macOS and Windows through a USB-C connection. It can be bought via the official Insta360 website and starts from US$339.99 (~RM1,515) for the standalone product, while the tripod kit costs US$371.99 (~RM1,657). The device’s availability in Malaysia has not been determined at this time.
(Source: Insta360)
