Today a package arrived, I now have an Insta360 Link 4k 3-axis gimbal AI-controlled webcam. The thing is tiny, the attachment shows it in position beside my iPhone 13 Mini. As the webcam isn't detecting any recording/streaming app running, the vertical axis had lowered the lens to its "park" position with the lens facing downwards.
One interesting feature is the auto tracking, which follows faces (and attached bodies) as they move in front of the camera, far and away more effectively than Apple's Center Stage. Auto focus is fast and effective: used in Zoom meetings, I can hold something up to the camera as close as three inches and it will come into focus. Other modes are overhead and deskview modes. when used with a tripod it points the lens down at 90º to show documents or items. deskview works in a similar manner, dropping the camera to a 45º angle and inverting the image.
Whiteboard mode is really neat, I doubt I'll ever use that. Included in the package are four corner stickers, place at each corner of a physical whiteboard. When Whiteboard mode is chosen the camera actively seeks out , locates and reframes the image to show only the whiteboard. There are two microphones on the camera but I've found that at regular webcam distances, the sound level is way too high. I'll keep using my USB boom-mounted microphone instead.
