Usually, a webcam that tracks your movements is creepy, weird, and sets people on edge - and rightfully so. I'm big into my privacy features when it comes to new technology, so it's a little weird that one of my favorite 4K webcams is designed to follow your movements, and I actually really like that it does.
AI tracking features in webcams really experienced a boom during the days of the pandemic, because suddenly everyone needed a remote working setup for meetings and after-hours Zoom Quiz sessions. I didn't really think any brand nailed AI webcam tracking until I tested the Insta360 Link 4K webcam though, which is currently down from its pricey MSRP of $299 to just $179.99 at Amazon.
With $120 off, one of my biggest issues with recommending 4K webcams is snookered here. The majority of people just don't need to splash out on one, but in this deal, you can get one of the best webcams available for only $20 more than a solid 1080p one like the Elgato Facecam Mk.2, which is $149.
Controlled by hand gestures and clever software, this adorable little camera can pan, tilt, and zoom when you want it to, and it makes both work calls and content creation a bit easier than usual. If I'm streaming, for example, the Insta360 Link can take care of framing for me, and I don't need to worry about sitting rigidly in a tiny area where my camera can see me. I'm not prone to giving presentations through video calls for work, but if I did, a camera like the Insta360 would be the one I'd use for them.
Should you buy the Insta360 Link?
If you're shopping around for the best gear for streaming, I'm usually hesitant to recommend webcams like the Insta360 Link. Although this is a great webcam that's easy to recommend, its bag of fancy AI-controlled tricks does feel more geared toward professionals, rather than content creators. Not only that, but if you're just streaming a few nights a week on Twitch, there's next to no point in splashing out extra cash for a 4K webcam. Twitch still doesn't support streaming in 4K, so even if there are benefits to stretching around different resolutions in OBS, you're still going to need to dumb down the quality. When other bits of a streaming setup cost as much as they do, you're better off sticking to 1080p.
When one of the best 4K webcams I've tested is down to the price above though, it's harder to make those arguments. It's usually a case of recommending the Insta360 against the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, which doesn't exactly feel like a fair fight when you look at the size of their sensors. Still, when they're priced identically, you have to make that match-up. With this deal, why not take the futureproofing and extra versatility that 4K PTZ cameras can offer you if it's only $20 more than the current best 1080p option, the Elgato Facecam MK.2?
Your next best bet when it comes to AI PTZ webcams is OBSBOT's Tiny 2. That brand makes devices that are very similar to this, and its latest and most affordable option, the Tiny 2 Lite, is currently down to $149 at Amazon in a limited-time deal. It will give you the same AI tracking features as the Insta360, but in testing, we've found that its tracking isn't quite as reliable, and its hand gestures can frustratingly trigger when you don't want them to. I never had that problem with the Insta, and in testing alongside my trustee freelancer Fraser Porter (who reviewed the Tiny 2 Lite), we agreed the Insta boots out better image quality anyway.
For more streaming and content creation gear, check out the best microphones for streaming and gaming, the best streaming mixer, and the best capture cards.
