Summary: A streaming camera is an essential tool for any serious gamer, vlogger, or even remote worker in general. We review NBPower’s mid-tier model.
If you’re a serious gamer, you’ve probably already leaped your standard-issue laptop or gaming PC camera – after all, you’ve put so much money into building your brand, no reason to skimp on the talent; it’s your face on that stream.
If you haven’t made the leap, you’re probably on the brink, and we don’t need to justify your decision further; the truth is: if you plan on being successful on services like Twitch, Youtube, or Facebook, you’ll need a good camera.
We review the NBPower Streaming Camera.
Price
The NBPower Streaming Camera (Streaming Webcam, 1080P/60FPS HD Gaming Webcam) comes in mid-tier for streaming cameras at $69.99. There are certainly less expensive cameras, but the great thing about NBPower’s Streaming Webcam is the features it comes with for the price.
Let’s talk about those.
Picture quality
Picture quality is one of the most important decisions to make in purchasing a camera. As a mid-tier streaming camera, the NBPower does not support 4K, but boasts an HD 1080P with fill light, a less powerful light that sits opposite the primary key light (which sits behind you).
The NBPower has four fill lights that can adjust for intensity.
With the proper configuration, streamers can reach video quality as high as 1920 x 1080p with ultra clear anti-reflective lenses for smooth and crisp video and autofocus.
Noise cancellation microphone
Another great thing about the NBPower streaming camera is the inclusion of a noise-canceling microphone. The truth is, of course, serious gamers are unlikely to use the microphone and have a preferred brand they are comfortable with, but the feature is a nice touch for beginners and particularly remote workers who spend enormous amounts of time on Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, or Google Meets. If you’ve worked remotely for any extended amount of time, you already know how frustrating audio problems can be, especially in low-bandwidth situations – and with most snow-ball style microphones costing $50 or more for entry-level devices, why not upgrade your camera and mic at the same time for $70?
The noise-canceling feature reduces ambient sound and can improve your ability to conference with crisp streams removing background noise.
Two mics for improved audio quality
Including two mics allows users to take advantage of directionality, which is used to focus on the source of the audio by using two points of reference. The dual microphones work simultaneously to identify where sound is coming from and process audio differently based on presets in settings.
360-degree rotation
Full-time streamers and regular online meeting participants will appreciate the NBPower’s rotation functionality, allowing users to customize the device’s viewport without moving it around so often. From an ergonomic perspective alone, having the ability to reach up and adjust the camera’s angle of view without restructuring their entire command center each time is a huge time-saver.
The NBPOWER streaming camera can be rotated to a full 360 degrees.
Compatibility
The NBPower is a plug-and-play device. It supports USB 2.0/3.0. All that is needed is to plug the device in, and the drivers will auto-install. It is compatible with Windows 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11.
It also supports Mac OS and Linux.
Summary
The NBPOWER streaming camera is a quality device for the price. At $69.99, you get a feature-rich camera with noise cancellation, dual microphones, and a 1080p quality picture. It is our favorite low-mid-tier streaming camera.
Already own a streaming camera? Moving to the photography phase of your content career? Check out our pick, Lumix FZ80 4K Digital Camera.
Related: Selecting the Right Gear for Twitch Streaming – Cameras