Elgato Facecam Not Compatible with New M1 MacBook Pro

Mark H
Dec 20, 2021
Hello!  I had hoped to upgrade my camera setup while Joseph is on Christmas Break.  One of the planned upgrades was to try an Elgato Facecam with a new M1 MacBook Pro.  The Facecam brings some potential advantages in that one can control several camera settings including exposure, frame rate, white balance, and some picture variables.  Unfortunately I found the video unstable.  Per tech support at Elgato, there is a known compatibility issue between the Facecam and the new M1 Macbooks with no short-term resolution in sight.  I plan to go back to my Logitech Brio, which is a fine camera that offers little user control over settings.  Hopefully the Elgato issues will eventually be resolved.  For anyone considering a similar setup, the Elgato Facecam/M1 MacBook Pro combination does not seem an option for now though.  

5 comments

Timothy Luchetti
Dec 21, 2021
FWIW every software I’ve had issues with has been updated to support M1 chip MacBooks within 3-6 months of me wanting the product.  Haven’t had any hardware compatibility issues but I also don’t use any hardware with my laptop other than a 7 way dongle off the usb C.  Hope yours gets fixed! Happy holidays!  
Mark H
Dec 21, 2021
Hi Timothy!  Thank you for sharing your experience. Knowing the timeframe you have seen helps me.  Something else that might be helpful is Logitech has an app called Logi Tune (https://www.logitech.com/en-us/video-collaboration/software/logi-tune-software.html) that now offers some basic control of the Brio camera including zoom/FOV, color adjustment, exposure, and focus.  Hoping for user control of those variables is what led me to try the Elgato Facecam to begin with.  The Logi Tune app greatly improves the Logitech Brio experience from my perspective.  I wish you and your family happy holidays also!
Joseph @ Flex Lessons
Dec 22, 2021
I did test the Elgato Facecam on my M1 Mac mini, and I felt that it worked well (although I do believe that I needed to updated the firmware). I'm sorry it didn't work out for you!! How's the camera on the new MacBook Pro itself? 
Joseph @ Flex Lessons
Dec 27, 2021
I haven't tried messing with the Brio's exposure setting using the new Logi Tune software. However, in older software, adjusting the exposure manually disabled the "right light" feature, and the frame rate performance of the camera became much worse. We shall see how it works out for you!