PlexiCam® Pro
Summary
PlexiCam is an acrylic platform for a mountable webcam that allows people to put the webcam in the right orientation to the person on the screen and at eye level for the owner. Helps you focus and look focused. Not as great for large calls, demonstrations, or shared screens.
PlexiCam Pro Review
I wanted to use my PlexiCam Pro more. When I used it, I liked it. It offers simple way for me to peer into my computer’s camera directly, so the person on the other end of the Internet knew I was paying attention; I was talking to them.
So why don’t I use PlexiCam more? Because most of my video calls involve many people and a lot of screen sharing. While PlexiCam may focus on me in these situations, it also obscures my screen, which may include spreadsheets, presentations, and demonstrations. It became clear very quickly that moving around the PlexiCam durnig a call took focus away from the work.
Just because PlexiCam doesn’t fit most of my use cases, it doesn’t mean it won’t meet yours. If you record videos, read from a display as a teleprompter, or hold one-on-one calls, then PlexiCam will be an invaluable addition to your tech arsenal, all without adding any more tech than formed acrylic and a screw. My version does not include any electronics, though PlexiCam does sell kits with LED lights for personal illumination.
When PlexiCam isn’t in use, it needs a home. It’s not enough to just push it to the side. Most of the time, the PlexiCam needs to come off of the monitor and add to the cluster around its base. Unfortunately, my monitor is not flat enough to hang PlexiCam over its back.
What we like
PlexiCam is a simple product. It consists of some formed clear acrylic that fits together into a camera mount that hangs over a monitor.
The kit comes in a small box with a bag for storing the PlexiCam for travel. Outside of the standard UNC 20 .25″ threaded screw to attach the camera to its shelf, PlexiCam requires no hardware. The camera shelf simply pushes onto the clear bracket that hangs over the monitor. PlexiCam relies on gravity and friction. There should be no issue with people figuring out how to make this camera mount work on the 15 to 27″ display.
For those leveraging a phone as a camera, the PlexiCam fully supports any standard tripod mountable device, so a phone squeezed into a tripod mount adapter works. It isn’t made to handle heavy devices, however, like a large DSLR. (Note: PlexiCam does sell a “Max” version for heavier devices.)
PlexiCam Pro provides a simple solution to a common challenge. It just hangs there and puts your webcam at eye level.
What could be improved
Some complain PlexiCam isn’t worth its $65 price tag. I would say those people don’t understand design, packaging, marketing, and the other elements that go into pricing. I’m sure PlexiCam is making some money, but $65 is not unreasonable. That said, its biggest competition comes from Gooseneck, with standard mounting screws, that run less than $20 on Amazon. But not every desk has a place to mount a Gooseneck stand.
I would also appreciate a small level on the camera mount to ensure a plumb video feed.
PlexiCam Pro: The Bottom Line
My PlexiCam Pro hangs dutifully from a secondary monitor. I use it on occasion, but not very often. Most of my calls consist of multiple faces, a lot of screen shares, and frequent demos. I just can’t work with a camera suspended before me when I need to pay attention to details across the entire display.
Other versions of PlexiCam are designed for laptops (the mini), and additional kits, including lights that mount to a stand, can be purchased on the PlexiCam site.
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PlexiCam provided the PlexiCam Pro for review (we paid for shipping). Images courtesy of PlexiCam.
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Hi Daniel – thanks for your review of PlexiCam. I’m very thankful for you providing a more thorough review than often happens.
Design/pricing, totally agree with your take. Creating a single PlexiCam-like device is very different from scaling up a company to handle tens of thousands of customers.
I was cleaning up some of my miscellaneous camera gear this morning, and found a pile of goosenecks that I’d been testing to compare against PlexiCam. They’re either way too loose, or far, far too hard to bend. If I wanted a work-out, I’d go to the gym instead of wrestle with a gooseneck!
There is an amazingly large range of monitor designs, and I’d never realized how oddly designed the backs of monitors can be. It’s a shame your monitor isn’t flat-backed so you can flip your PlexiCam around to the back.
I have 3 cameras on PlexiCams hanging off of the back of my Lenovo 27″ (roughly 5 years old). Works fantastically, aside from having to untangle the cables of so many cameras. 🙂 Occupational hazard as co-founder of PlexiCam. I need to test cameras and screens on a regular basis, which most people are unlikely to have to deal with.
What’s the make and model of your screen? It’s very useful for us to know what screens have problematic design issues for regular use or for storage while not using. Feel free to shoot a message to me thru support at plexicam dot com if you prefer.
Thank you for the engaged feedback, especially since it’s your product. I’m sure my readers will appreciate your thoughts. Here is my monitor: https://www.seriousinsights.net/viewsonic-vp2768a-review/. Thick and a big curve on the backplane–but a very nice monitor.
Daniel – thanks for the pointer to your monitor.
Finally found a side photo from the full listing from Viewsonic, and wow, quite a bulge out from the top of the case down to the stand!
Looks like a fine monitor otherwise, and I’m starting to hear from more clients who like to rotate 90 degrees for a vertical orientation, which that monitor can handle and then some.
Fascinating how trends in monitor designs/usage morph over time.
Thanks again for your review of PlexiCam, and keep up the good work!
/Dan