Logitech has announced a new webcam and articulating stand combination — the Logitech Reach. It’s designed to make it easy for you to reposition your camera to show other content during a livestream.
Camera
The camera that comes as part of the Logitech Reach is the Logitech Streamcam. It’s a popular and highly regarded webcam that’s capable of 1080p 60fps video. The Streamcam has a focal length of 3.7 mm which delivers a field of view of 78 degrees. It also features autofocus with a close focus distance under four inches (10 cm). In addition, the omnidirectional microphone has a noise reduction filter. The Logitech Reach is a plug and play solution over USB and will work with most computers and conferencing or streaming platforms straight out of the box.
Articulating arm
The main feature of the Logitech Reach is its articulating stand which is designed to be easily adjusted with just one hand. You can move the camera in the horizontal plane by simply holding the camera ring and pulling it to where you need it. The product’s promotional video also shows how this can be used to create a tracking shot over your subject material. In addition, you have a full range of vertical movement with the press of a button. The Logitech Reach comes with a desktop base and a clamp to attach to your desk.
Range of movement
The vertical part of the Logitech reach can rotate a full 360 degrees on the base which gives you a good range of motion. You can also fully rotate the camera to aim it towards your chosen subject. In addition, the camera mount has a yellow which you hold while moving the camera to ensure that your video image always remains the right way up. Logitech says that the range of vertical movement effectively delivers a 4.3x lossless zoom. The top down subject area changes from 12 inches by 21.5 inches at its widest to 2.75 inches by 5 inches for close ups.
What we think
The marketing for the Logitech Reach shows it as a solution to the difficulties of sharing paper documents and other objects during a video call. Had this product been available during the pandemic when everyone was working from home, no doubt it would have been a huge success. However, there are still a lot of businesses making use of remote working. In addition, the Logitech Reach is great if you run online tuition but don’t want to invest in a multi-camera streaming solution. You can quickly switch between a view of your face to a close up of your hands all with just a single camera.
Pricing and availability
Logitech is going to initially deliver the Logitech Reach via the Indiegogo Enterprise platform. You can sign up online to be notified when the product goes on sale. Logitech is also running a consultation with those who sign up to find out more about how people will use the camera and which features are most important. The company hasn’t confirmed pricing yet, but the online questionnaire hints that it will be $399 with a launch offer of $299 for those who preorder.
