The only thing it has a top notch Sony sensor and a glass lens assembly, with f/1.8
equivalent aperture.
It'll have no bokeh or low light sensitivity of an FF or APS-C camera. Also, Sony A7 (first generation) comparison is rigged. Get an A7-III, A7C for $2000, and install latest webcam drivers. Its colors and fidelity will blow Opal out of water, even without trying (both have 6K sensors, too).
The only alleged improvement of Opal is microphone array however, Apple is already good at this. When Zoom & Google's noise cancellation technology is added on top, everything is more than satisfactory, for most scenarios. On this front, I'm not sure that stereo mics of a true mirrorless system would be that behind in focusing sound (if webcam driver can stream the location of the prominent face to the driver, a more advanced sound filtering can be done with a pair of mics, too).
If you're too inclined, you can just throw in a Yeti in a mix and, sound issue will be solved for once and for all.
All in all, it's a good webcam, but they're picking wrong competitors. A modern mirrorless is too powerful for them, and MacBook's pinhole webcam is too good for its size. They need better marketing and targeting IMHO.
It'll have no bokeh or low light sensitivity of an FF or APS-C camera. Also, Sony A7 (first generation) comparison is rigged. Get an A7-III, A7C for $2000, and install latest webcam drivers. Its colors and fidelity will blow Opal out of water, even without trying (both have 6K sensors, too).
The only alleged improvement of Opal is microphone array however, Apple is already good at this. When Zoom & Google's noise cancellation technology is added on top, everything is more than satisfactory, for most scenarios. On this front, I'm not sure that stereo mics of a true mirrorless system would be that behind in focusing sound (if webcam driver can stream the location of the prominent face to the driver, a more advanced sound filtering can be done with a pair of mics, too).
If you're too inclined, you can just throw in a Yeti in a mix and, sound issue will be solved for once and for all.
All in all, it's a good webcam, but they're picking wrong competitors. A modern mirrorless is too powerful for them, and MacBook's pinhole webcam is too good for its size. They need better marketing and targeting IMHO.