eMeet Piko+ 4K webcam: Excellent 4K video for hundreds less than an ultrapremium model

Can you live without a laptop mount, though.

- BY MARK HACHMAN

Not all of us prefer or have the opportunity to work in a spacious, well-lit office. And if you don’t, you'll need a webcam that compensates for that. eMeet's Piko+ 4K webcam does, and does so marvelously.

It was a cold, dark February day when I unboxed the Piko+ webcam. I bought my home in California for many reasons, but none of them included the amount of light in the spare bedroom that serves as my office. In winter, not a whole lot of sunlight reaches my desk. Add rain to the equation, and my office was just plain gloomy. But when I plugged in the Piko+, I actually swore. This 4K webcam's capabilities, especially in low light, are revelatory. I just wish it came a traditional webcam clip.

But at about $90, wow! That's a fantastic price for everything that the Piko+ gives you. And if that’s too much, you can opt for the basic Piko, a $69.99 version (fave.co/4bU8HW1) of the 4K camera with a smaller 1/2.8-inch sensor.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

eMeet's Piko+ boasts not one but two sensors: a 1/2.55-inch 4K sensor that rivals those in midrange smartphones, and a second, portrait sensor. This second sensor is designed to help the camera quickly autofocus, but especially to detect and compensate for low light. Both work in unison, similar to how smartphone cameras can assist one another.

eMeet mounts the two sensors next to each other, like two eyes; The zoomorphic design is deliberate, and complemented by the magnetic webcam cover that has the appearance of a panda's face. A small blue LED lights up, like a small mouth, when the camera is in use. While that didn’t make an impression on me, my wife told me she found it adorable.