EMEET SmartCam S800 in test: Excellent 4K streaming camera as a webcam and process camera on the move

1 - Introduction and technical data 2 - Webcam and audio test 3 - 4K prozess camera in my TIMA5 4 - Summyry and conclusion

Webcam test

So, in case anyone asks, I’m always looking at webcams and cameras like this. And thanks for the belated “Insert Coin” from a kind and generous forum member – next time I’ll look more agonizedly friendly. Guaranteed. But now let’s compare the footage from both cameras, whereby I’m deliberately limiting myself to a still image and even deliberately only running the EMEET SmartCam S800 in 1080p mode, because otherwise it would be even more unfair to compare it with the Logitech C930e. The reason for the still image is to be able to better examine the image details, which tend to blur during movement.

And what do we see on the Logitech C930e? A relatively distorted and partially completely overexposed, colorless image. Plus all the blurring… no, that’s nothing and I don’t feel particularly comfortable with such a display, as you can see from the expression on my face. The shirt looks like it’s been washed 100 times and Perwoll still has curd in the shop window. The entire background is blurred and you can’t get it any better.

The comparison with the EMEET SmartCam S800 could have come from a detergent advertisement and my skin tone also looks much healthier and no longer like a case for the internist. The picture is crisp and sharp, but I will probably have to clean up the background in the future, because you can see pretty much everything. And yes, it’s only 1080p mode, but it’s sharp and well adjusted. The 4k resolution would still allow a digital 4x zoom here, but I don’t want to shave myself.

Even here, the camera offers a strong performance overall, especially in view of its relatively low price-performance ratio, and is therefore a good choice for those looking for a high-quality streaming solution at an affordable price. Or want to come across a little crisper again. However, as I did without moving images, I will have to provide the sound separately. Incidentally, the room is a complete acoustic disaster, but you’ll hear that in a moment.

Audio test

I am now curious and test the cameras once in the near field and once further away from the depths of the rather reverberant office. After all, I can’t really do much with carpets in the heat-conducting paste blob paradise. There is smudge-proof laminate and hardly any absorbent surfaces, which you can unfortunately hear. The Logitech C930e has a microphone array, but will that help? Let’s just listen to one

Recording in the near field
I start in the near field and sit close to the cameras. The result is already very different here, as the lower audio resolution of the C930e is clearly noticeable. In addition, there is a slight post-processing free ex works and, interestingly, a residual reverb, despite the identical distance. However, there are also no system-side software features active, everything is as it is recorded:

The EMEET SmartCam S800 is still a long way from being a good podcast microphone, but it is certainly worth listening to:

Recording at a greater distance
I roll my swivel chair into a slightly more distant and very relaxed sitting position about 1.5m away from the microphone. Once again, I start with the Logitech C930e. Well, you don’t have to do that anymore, it sounds like a box in a cathedral:

The other camera manages this much better, even if the reverb is of course distracting. But it sounds less muffled and musty. Speech intelligibility is also much better.

First interim conclusion: The picture AND sound of the EMEET SmartCam S800 are significantly better and I would definitely not want to change it back. This also puts the price of just over 100 euros into perspective. The only drawback is the limitation to 30 Hz in Ultra HD, but I don’t want to use it to record YouTube videos or monitor high-speed technology. You can find out what I really intend to do after turning the page.