Meeting Owl 5 Pro Review: A High-End Conference Camera
The Meeting Owl 5 Pro is a powerful, AI-driven 360-degree conference camera offering 4K video and enhanced audio, but its high price and weight target
The Meeting Owl 5 Pro conference camera costs $2,599. It is a more powerful version of the portable huddle camera, featuring improved 64MP optics and AI that zooms in on active speakers.
According to a review by Digital Camera World, the device uses a single fisheye lens to see 360 degrees around a room. An array of eight microphones detects who is speaking. The system then crops and focuses the video feed on that person for platforms like Zoom and Google Meet.
Build and Design
The device has a strong build with a wide base, contributing to its significant 2-kilogram weight. This heft makes it better suited for a fixed location than frequent movement. A distinctive stylistic feature is the appearance of animated "owl eyes" from behind the speaker grille when the camera is active, accompanied by a startup sound that mimics an owl's call.
Buttons for mute, volume, and a customizable view selector are located at the base. A red light encircles the device to indicate when the microphone is muted. The review noted that the maximum speaker volume was less impressive than expected. However, the system effectively lowered the speaker output when it detected speech in the room, ensuring conversations remained audible.
Performance and Image Quality
The video performance is notably better than the older Meeting Owl 3 model, benefiting from a more powerful image sensor. The AI had no trouble detecting participants in a room sized for six people. The camera can output a full 4K stream where supported, though the reviewer felt the images were not sharp enough for true 4K. Many conferencing platforms reduce video to 1080p regardless.
The system includes an optional 'whole room panorama' effect displayed at the bottom of the video feed. In testing, the camera struggled with dynamic range in a meeting room with mixed natural and artificial lighting. The review states the video quality beats everyone huddling around a single laptop camera but likely does not surpass a dedicated PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera for handling challenging light.
Price and Alternatives
The Meeting Owl 5 Pro carries a substantial price premium over other models in the range. For comparison, the source provides the following prices:
| Model | Price |
|---|---|
| Meeting Owl 3 | $999 |
| Meeting Owl 4+ | $1,999 |
| Meeting Owl 5 Pro | $2,599 / £2,399 |
Smaller or more mobile customers might prefer the more compact and less expensive non-'Pro' models. The review suggests the Meeting Owl 4+ as a lower-cost, still reasonably portable alternative that also offers 4K video.
Another alternative mentioned is the Kandao Meeting Pro. It uses dual back-to-back fisheye lenses, similar to a 360-degree consumer camera. The reviewer argues its results may be better, and it includes 64GB of onboard storage for recording meetings.
Features and Setup
Key features include a "One-Cable" docking system for straightforward setup and a daisy-chain option to connect multiple Owl units for larger meeting rooms. The necessity of routing a power cable to the middle of a table was noted as a potential drawback, leading to unsightly cables on tables without a central port. The customisable button at the base can be configured via an app but defaults to cycling through different video views.
The device successfully identifies the active speaker and delivers a clear audio feed. Its premium capabilities and processing power are aimed at enterprise environments and large conference rooms where portability is less critical. The review concludes that for a device intended to stay in one place with premium features like daisy-chaining, the Meeting Owl 5 Pro is a fine option.
