Cameras have been a great way to measure how far along we’ve come in the world of tech, and have been getting smaller and smaller since the first personal cameras hit the scene in the ‘80s. Sure, smaller tech is impressive, but the real achievement with these portable devices is the image quality they can provide now. The webcam is a great example; it used to be one of the choppiest options, but now that you can FaceTime and take selfies in HD with an impressively small camera. The team over at Opal is offering their take on the tech, with one of the smallest portable webcams: The Tadpole, featuring a Sony sensor and a clip that can fit on most laptops.
This little camera (45mm wide and weighing 35 grams) packs a 48MP Sony IMX582 RS sensor and a f1.8 lens to give you an impressive 1080p resolution at 30 FPS. It also comes with the label’s directional VisiMic, a mic designed only to capture what the camera sees by passing sound waves through a sonic tunnel built into it (it’s good at blocking background noise, too). To make muting easier, Opal added a button at one end of the USB cable that allows you to mute/unmute yourself with a simple tap.
On top of the impressive specs, this nifty camera also comes with an adjustable woven cable strap so you can wrap it around your wrist (or your bag) and take it with you on the go. The silicone clip on the back is designed to fit pretty much any laptop, too, so there’s no need to worry about swapping between devices.
The Opal Tadpole is available now in the White Edition and Black Edition colorways for $175, with the option to add a protective Yoyo-inspired case for an extra $25.
