The Lumina Webcam is one of the latest
in a range of high quality webcams for video conferencing and streaming.
Luminous mission is to create an AI powered, elegant webcam that will replace
the need for more expensive DSLR or mirrorless cameras.
And they're hard at work delivering against that promise.
But it's not quite there yet.
Right
The new Lumina webcam is being positioned as a high quality
alternative to more expensive DSLR mirrorless cameras for streaming and video
conferencing requirements.
I've been using it for a few weeks now since launch
at the time of recording this video,
and I've had a chance to test it in depth in various everyday situations.
However, the camera is very much a work in progress.
Regular updates are ongoing
gradually increasing the functionality and quality of the device.
In this video, I have an in-depth look at the progress so far
with examples of performance and features that you care about.
The company behind
the Lumina has spent a lot of time thinking
about the experience of owning their webcam.
It starts with the packaging and the unboxing experience itself,
which feels more like opening a high end smartphone premium
feeling continues when you finally get a hold of the webcam in your hands.
The first thing you notice
is the compact size that is not much larger than the lipstick.
And the second thing you notice is the high quality aluminum housing.
Inside the box, you'll also find a metal calibration card,
two different length USB-C cables and the mount for perching the camera
on top of your monitor or laptop.
One of the really nice touch is a magnetic lens cap, which is great for those uses.
Consumer privacy.
L-shaped aluminum piece of metal
simply slides back and forth to fully cover the lens when not in use.
While it is possible to operate the aluminum webcam out of the box
to access all the features, you need to download the official Lumina app.
There are different versions for whether you're using Mac OS or Windows.
In this video, I'm looking at the aluminum webcam as a Windows user on a PC.
There are two ways to use the aluminum webcam.
Aluminum Raw is an unfiltered video and audio feed from the camera
without any of the processing from luminaires official software.
Aluminum Plus requires you to use the license key
you receive as part of your purchase of the webcam.
Now you have access to all the options that really set this webcam apart
from older generations of cameras.
In the main options, you can simply let the app choose
what it thinks will be the best settings for exposure.
White balance, red and blue tones and saturation with Lumina plus,
you can choose from three different zoom levels that use the air to keep in frame.
Should you want manual control over the zoom,
you can simply override the cameraman with the slider.
The final option in the main menu is the blur level.
Here you can choose a Bowker effect to blur your background from zero to heavy.
Another nice touch is the ability to save up to full presets.
All you have to do is select one of the presets
and then make your changes before saving them.
Now they will be available via a dropdown menu at the top.
In terms of the hardware, the Illumina features
some impressive specifications versus its direct competition in the same price
bracket as a large 24.84 millimeter.
Sony 8.3 megapixel sensor coupled with an F 2.0 aperture lens,
which seems ideal for low light performance, especially at night.
Unlike similar cameras, the Lumina also features an adjustable field of view
from 65 degrees to 95 degrees for either narrow or wide framing.
Another feature of the Lumina webcam is the dual microphone design.
Using the combination of microphones enables
the software to isolate the importance sounds your voice
and using air strip out any background noise to create greater clarity.
Like other webcams,
you can choose the Lumina webcam during a video call in the settings
Aluminum rule is available by default, but you'll need to open the Lumina
app to be able to select movement plus in the menu.
The video quality will be compressed
to different degrees, depending on which platform you're using
and what settings you have chosen.
However, as mentioned later in this video with Lumina Plus,
the app will eventually be able
to enhance the quality of the 4K camera input through processing
The end result will be an even better looking video feed for your contacts.
However, at the time of this video, this feature wasn't available for Windows
based PC users.
The other very impressive feature of the hardware's
noise canceling using the dual microphones in the aluminum.
In basic terms, what microphones focused on your voice and the other on identifying
any background noise that might interfere with the clarity the audio output.
This next part of the video
had some background noise, emulating being in an environment like a cafe.
The extra hardware is a
step on from the noise canceling performed by just software alone.
As you can hear, the Lumina does a great job of dampening
the extraneous sound to keep my voice clear and audible.
You don't have control over the feature, but providing you using the Lumina
Plus app, the noise canceling test operates automatically.
The Lumina is also going to be an attractive proposition
to streamers and vloggers looking for price
sensitive options when it comes to hardware.
The 4K output is going to be great for uploading videos to YouTube by default.
However, streamers on Twitch should benefit from the
AI processing resolution using the Lumina Plus,
even if the stream is capped at ten P when that feature is more widely available.
Just like the video conference software, you can easily find the aluminum
raw and plus options as video input on the webcams on XSplit.
While the microphone quality is probably a good level for video conferences,
I'd recommend using a dedicated microphone like the Samsung
G Pro for better clarity and quality for streaming and vlogging.
So far we've been impressed with the image quality,
which is a marked upgrade of my old Microsoft seven 20 p life cam.
The extra resolution is notably better during videoconferences
During remarks from the audience on the other side of the call.
However, in terms of overall performance and expectations right now, I personally
find the image produced is a little too desaturated and overexposed by default.
The image quality is definitely getting close to what a DSLR or mirrorless
camera can achieve, but there's just enough difference that it's noticeable.
Mainly tweaking the image options and tuning the output is easy enough,
and thankfully you're able to save all your tweaks
as one of the save slots in the app, so you don't have to redo your tweets
every single time.
I'm a big fan of the eight cameramen feature.
It's great for cropping out the wide angle of your environment.
This is ideal for professional meetings, or we'd like to hide the area behind you
for personal reasons.
Like most webcams and camera software using the artificial blur still show
some artifacts around the edges where processing gets confused.
It's one area where DSLR cameras will always be preferred for real depth
of field.
However, selecting a lower amount of the vocal
effect gives a much better realistic result.
Another minor area for improvement is the way that you can save
adjustments in the air.
It would be nice to be able to name each of the different presets.
This would be handy for differences between your daytime and nighttime
setups, for instance.
Finally, the microphone audio is not as good as some dedicated microphones.
It's a known issue for all webcams, where there's a large distance
between the user and the webcam when mounted on a computer monitor.
However, luminous microphone is still much better
than the last generation of cheaper webcams.
Overall, it's a case of so far, so good.
The Lumina webcam is very much a work
in progress, with the Lumina Company pushing out regular updates for the app.
To that end, I'd definitely recommend the camera for anyone
looking for an upgrade and also be making a point
to revisit the device in the future when there are more updates.
Thanks for watching
and as always,
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