Our editorial verdict, built on published evidence: the Elgato Facecam MK.2 is a genuinely creator-grade webcam — uncompressed 1080p60, excellent manual controls, and on-camera settings that no rival matches at this price. But the 3/5 scores from Tom's Hardware and PCMag are not wrong either: the HDR is inconsistent, the plastic build feels cheap, and the moment you don't need 1080p60, cheaper webcams with microphones close the image-quality gap. This is a specialist tool at a generalist's price. Streamers and recording creators should shortlist it; everyone else should buy a mic-equipped all-rounder. Check the current price on Amazon.
— THE VERDICT · JUDGEANY EDITORSElgato's second shot at the streamer webcam
The Elgato Facecam MK.2 launched in March 2024 at $149.99 as the successor to the original Facecam: 1080p60 uncompressed video, HDR, a Sony STARVIS sensor, a built-in privacy shutter, and settings that save directly to the camera. Windows Central reported it down to $119 during Prime Day in July 2024 — check the current price on Amazon before you buy. This review is built from published reviews, lab measurements, and owner feedback. We don't run a test lab: every measurement below belongs to the outlet that published it, and the score is our editorial judgment based on that public evidence.
Image quality: the reviews genuinely split
The reviews genuinely split on this product, and that split defines it. PC Gamer called the MK.2 "an outstanding webcam that deserves to be a hit for streamers and everyone else," praising an HDR mode that handles bright windows without blowing out and better low light than the original. Tom's Guide went similarly positive: best image quality at this price, excellent low-light performance. Then Tom's Hardware gave it 3/5, calling HDR underwhelming and concluding that when 1080p60 isn't required, the then-$88 Logitech Brio 500 matched it on image quality, and in some cases beat it. PCMag's review, per the alaTest aggregate, called it "a mediocre webcam overall" at 3/5. Same sensor, wildly different verdicts. The pattern: in good lighting with 1080p60 uncompressed output, the MK.2 genuinely shines; the moment you step off that exact setup, cheaper alternatives close the gap fast.
Software and controls: the real reason to buy it
If the image quality is contested, the software is not. Camera Hub gives DSLR-style manual control (ISO, shutter speed, white balance, exposure), plus HDR and noise reduction, and the settings save to the camera's onboard flash, so they follow the webcam to any PC without reconfiguring. Fixed focus from 30 to 120 cm means no autofocus hunting mid-stream, a detail streamers consistently praise. NVIDIA Broadcast integration adds AI background effects and eye contact, though it needs an RTX 2060 or better, which excludes AMD and Intel GPU owners. Tom's Hardware, PC Gamer, and Tom's Guide all list the software and the on-camera profiles among the clear pros.
The caveats, in order of annoyance
No built-in microphone — Elgato's position is that no creator wants a webcam mic, and every major outlet lists the missing mic as the main con for non-streamer buyers. The plastic chassis feels cheap for the price (Tom's Hardware's words), and the privacy shutter is stiff enough that a Thomann buyer warned about slipping a finger onto the glass and leaving fingerprints. HDR is disabled in some modes, including 720p120, and PC Gamer reported image flicker under office strip lighting regardless of the 50/60 Hz setting. The bundled cable is USB-A to USB-C, not C-to-C, a minor Tom's Guide gripe. None of these is a dealbreaker for a streamer with a key light and a separate mic; for a general-purpose video-call webcam, they add up.
Who should buy it
Buy the MK.2 if you stream or record at 1080p60 and want manual control without buying a mirrorless camera. The uncompressed 1080p60 pipeline, fixed focus, and on-camera settings are genuinely creator-grade at this price. Buy something else if you just need to look good on Zoom calls: the Brio 500 costs less, has a microphone and autofocus, and matches the MK.2's image quality in ordinary lighting per Tom's Hardware's head-to-head. The MK.2 is a specialist tool priced like a generalist.