GamesRadar+ Verdict
The Elgato Facecam MK2 fills a nice gap in the webcam market.
The Facecam MK2 brings HDR video along with new resolution options, all tucked inside a smaller form factor.
So, is the Elgato Facecam MK2 the new standard or are you better off looking elsewhere?
(Image credit: Future / Alex Berry)
Like the camera body, the mounting system has evolved while remaining familiar to its predecessor.
The original Elgato Facecam set a pretty high bar for streaming webcams.
The unique fixed-focus prime lens delivered great quality results but in 2024 it’s starting to show its age.
This remains a mid-range camera, however.
A shout-out to the product team at Elgato too for molding the transfer rate directly onto its USB cables.
More and more webcams are getting picky over cable speed these days.
We couldn’t use the same cable for theInsta360 Link webcamas for the Facecam Pro, for example.
Performance
Ive been on a journey with the Facecam MK2.
Colors were washy and there was no depth or punch to anything.
(Image credit: Future / Alex Berry)
Fortunately, the problems I encountered seemed to have more to do with firmware.
The Elgato Facecam MK2 is now able to generate some really quite impressive pictures for a webcam.
Certainly enough for you to be the talk of your next Teams meeting.
(Image credit: Future / Alex Berry)
Interestingly, I found the automatic and manual white balance modes seem to operate in different tonal spaces.
I wasnt able to replicate the color balance automatically produced by scrubbing through the entire temperature range.
Again, something Im sure can and will continue to be optimized moving forward.
The interface of the app is clean, and logically laid out and everything just works.
For streamers with a more controlled, fixed lighting setting these will likely be a one-off set-and-forget configuration.
Should you buy the Elgato Facecam MK2?
As far as webcams go, the Elgato Facecam MK2 Build is a pretty impressive one.
It might just take a little manual wrestling to get the best out of it for the time being.
To read more about the methods we use to test streaming gear, check out ourhardware policy.
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