Elgato Facecam 4K: Review, Pros & Cons

Summary

A fixed-focus, no-microphone webcam for creators who want manual control without a camera body, built on a 1/1.8-inch Sony STARVIS 2 sensor and a 49 mm filter thread. Check your accessories before buying: there is no built-in microphone and no privacy shutter, and the cap is a separate purchase.

Strengths

4K60 output over USB 3.0 from a 1/1.8-inch sensor, which is large for a webcam.
The 49 mm thread takes standard screw-on filters, a rarity on webcams.
Fixed focus removes autofocus hunting and keeps the frame sharp edge to edge.
Camera Hub exposes manual ISO, shutter, white balance, LUT and PTZ control, and settings stick.
Plug-and-play UVC on Windows 11, macOS 13 and iPadOS 17.
A bright activity LED makes it obvious when the camera is live.

Weaknesses

There is no built-in microphone, so you need a separate mic.
There is no privacy shutter, and the cap costs extra.
4K60 runs only in MJPG, and a USB 2.0 port caps the camera at 1080p60.
HDR stops at 4K30, not 4K60.
The Elgato Virtual Camera tops out at 1080p60, which hurts multi-app 4K workflows.
Fixed focus means no optical background blur, and the image stays flat.

Verified specifications

Model	Elgato Facecam 4K, SKU 10WAF9901.
Sensor	Sony STARVIS 2 CMOS, 1/1.8 inch.
Lens	Elgato Prime, fixed focus, f/4.0, 21 mm full-frame-equivalent focal length.
Field of view	90 degrees.
Focus range	30–120 cm (11.8–47.2 in) at 4K; 25 cm to infinity at 1080p.
Max video	2160p60 (MJPG only) over USB 3.0; 2160p30 in NV12 or MJPG; HDR up to 2160p30.
USB 2.0 fallback	up to 1080p60, MJPG only.
Encoding	YUY2, NV12 and MJPG.
Connection	USB Type-C, UVC 1.5; works on USB 2.0, Thunderbolt 3 or later.
Built-in microphone	none.
Privacy shutter	none built in; the cap is a separate accessory.
Filter thread	49 mm, which Elgato calls a first for webcams.
On-device memory	settings save to the camera’s flash memory.
Software	Elgato Camera Hub, free, on Windows 11, macOS 13 and iPadOS 17; NVIDIA RTX background effects need an RTX GPU.
In the box	webcam, monitor mount and a detachable 2 m USB-C-to-USB-C 3.0 cable; no USB-C-to-A adapter and no privacy cap.
Dimensions	4.1 × 2.1 × 2.0 in (104 × 54 × 52 mm) without the mount; 112 g (0.25 lb) without mount and cable.
Power	bus-powered over USB-C, no separate supply.

Full research notes and sources

How it handles light and focus

The 1/1.8-inch Sony STARVIS 2 sensor is the main draw. TweakTown recorded a 4K60 sample and judged quality “extremely good for a webcam, but still not on par with an expensive DSLR”, with visible noise on close inspection. CravingTech compared it against a laptop’s built-in camera in changing sunlight and called it one of the best-looking webcams they had tested, with useful white-balance and dynamic-range controls. Owners on Reddit ask whether low-light noise is a real problem. Nobody has published measured noise or sharpness numbers, so treat the image as strong but not lab-verified.

Microphone, privacy and background blur

The camera has no microphone at all, which is unusual for a webcam and means a separate mic is part of the cost. There is no built-in privacy shutter either; a cap is a separate accessory. Because the lens is fixed focus and tuned for 30–120 cm at 4K, everything from near to far stays sharp, and you get no optical background blur the way a DSLR or a phone would give you. TweakTown lists that flat image as the review’s only con.

4K60, HDR and the Virtual Camera

The headline 4K60 mode is MJPG only; uncompressed YUY2 and NV12 stop at 4K30 or 1080p60. On a USB 2.0 port the camera drops to 1080p60, so the port matters. HDR works up to 4K30. The camera feeds one application at a time, so running it in OBS while Camera Hub’s preview is open shows nothing unless you route through the Elgato Virtual Camera. Owners report that path is limited to 1080p60 and slightly laggy, which undercuts the 4K60 pitch for multi-app setups.

Value and running costs

TweakTown’s December 2025 review put it at $249, and Elgato’s store and authorized Australian retailers listed it at A$289 in September 2025. Beyond the camera, budget for a separate microphone, and expect to buy 49 mm filters and a privacy cap if you want them. Elgato has given away a free CPL filter with Facecam 4K orders through its webstore. At $249 the sensor, filter thread and Camera Hub control are the case for it, but competitors offer autofocus, privacy shutters and built-in mics for less; above $250 the value weakens.

Which model this is

This page covers the Elgato Facecam 4K, SKU 10WAF9901, sold in Black, Carbon, Pine and White with identical published hardware specs. The Amazon listing for this model is ASIN B0DVZG36J8.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Elgato Facecam 4K