{"id":23299,"date":"2026-09-09T08:03:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T08:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/?p=23299"},"modified":"2026-09-09T08:03:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T08:03:16","slug":"yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/","title":{"rendered":"YoloCam S3 &amp; S7 vs NearStream VM20: Which Do You Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Put these cameras next to each other in a search listing and they look like the same product. Both are 4K. Both are all-in-one streaming cameras. Both sit in the $200\u2013300 range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One spec separates them, and most listings don&#8217;t lead with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NearStream VM20 spends its budget on a <strong>10x optical zoom<\/strong>. The YoloCam S3 spends its budget on <strong>roughly three and a half times the sensor area<\/strong> \u2014 and costs $70 less. In a body this size at this price you cannot have both, so the real question isn&#8217;t which camera is better. It&#8217;s whether your camera needs to reach across a room or look good three feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_46 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"ez-toc-toggle-icon-1\"><label for=\"item-6ab3d9ecf138c\" aria-label=\"Table of Content\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-6ab3d9ecf138c\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Quick_answer\" title=\"Quick answer\">Quick answer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Specs_side_by_side\" title=\"Specs side by side\">Specs side by side<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Where_the_YoloCam_cameras_win\" title=\"Where the YoloCam cameras win\">Where the YoloCam cameras win<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#What_optical_zoom_buys_you\" title=\"What optical zoom buys you\">What optical zoom buys you<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Why_you_cant_have_both\" title=\"Why you can&#8217;t have both\">Why you can&#8217;t have both<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#By_scenario\" title=\"By scenario\">By scenario<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#The_short_version\" title=\"The short version\">The short version<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/yolocam-s3-s7-vs-nearstream-vm20-which-do-you-need\/#Related_reading\" title=\"Related reading\">Related reading<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_answer\"><\/span>Quick answer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If your camera points at a person sitting a few feet away<\/strong> \u2014 podcasting, streaming, course recording, calls \u2014 buy for sensor size. At that distance you set the framing once and never change it, so zoom range is capability you pay for and never use. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/yolocam-s3\">YoloCam S3<\/a> at $199 has about 3.5\u00d7 the sensor area; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/yolocam-s7\">YoloCam S7<\/a> has about 11\u00d7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If your camera has to cover a space from a distance<\/strong> \u2014 a hall, a classroom, a large meeting room \u2014 buy for zoom. The YoloCam line has no optical zoom and doesn&#8217;t address that job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"570\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-1024x570.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-150x83.png 150w, https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-768x427.png 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6-585x326.png 585w, https:\/\/wordpress.yololiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-6.png 1150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specs_side_by_side\"><\/span>Specs side by side<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th><\/th><th><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nearstream.us\/4k-wired-streaming-camera-vm20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VM20<\/a><\/th><th>VM20 Pro<\/th><th><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/YOLOLIV-Streaming-Autofocus-Uncompressed-Podcasters\/dp\/B0FQ5NRQ8M\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YoloCam S3<\/a><\/th><th>YoloCam S7<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Price<\/strong><\/td><td>~$270<\/td><td>Higher<\/td><td><strong>$199<\/strong><\/td><td>$699 \/ $799 with lens<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Sensor<\/strong><\/td><td>1\/2.8&#8243; (5MP)<\/td><td>1\/2&#8243; (50MP)<\/td><td><strong>1\/1.3&#8243;<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Micro Four Thirds<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Sensor area<\/strong><\/td><td>~20 mm\u00b2<\/td><td>~31 mm\u00b2<\/td><td><strong>~69 mm\u00b2<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>225 mm\u00b2<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Relative area<\/strong><\/td><td>1\u00d7<\/td><td>1.6\u00d7<\/td><td><strong>~3.5\u00d7<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>~11\u00d7<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Background blur<\/strong><\/td><td>Minimal \u2014 deep depth of field<\/td><td>Minimal<\/td><td><strong>Optical<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Optical<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Optical zoom<\/strong><\/td><td>10x<\/td><td>10x<\/td><td>None<\/td><td>None (interchangeable lens)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Lens<\/strong><\/td><td>Fixed zoom<\/td><td>Fixed zoom<\/td><td>Fixed f\/1.85<\/td><td><strong>Interchangeable M4\/3<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>USB output<\/strong><\/td><td>4K<\/td><td>4K<\/td><td>4K<\/td><td><strong>4K60<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>HDMI output<\/strong><\/td><td>1080p<\/td><td>1080p<\/td><td>\u2014<\/td><td><strong>4K60<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Network (RJ45)<\/strong><\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><td>No<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Specs from manufacturer and retailer listings. Sensor areas calculated from standard format dimensions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_the_YoloCam_cameras_win\"><\/span>Where the YoloCam cameras win<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sensor area, by a wide margin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the axis a zoom camera gives up, and the gap is much larger than the price difference suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The standard VM20 uses a 1\/2.8&#8243; sensor, roughly 20mm\u00b2. The S3 uses a 1\/1.3&#8243; sensor at about 69mm\u00b2 \u2014 <strong>around three and a half times the light-gathering area, for $70 less<\/strong>. The S7&#8217;s Micro Four Thirds sensor is 225mm\u00b2, roughly eleven times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even the Pro model&#8217;s 1\/2&#8243; sensor, at about 31mm\u00b2, sits well below the S3&#8217;s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sensor area drives light collection, which drives noise, which drives how much noise reduction runs, which drives how much real detail survives. In bright light the gap narrows. In an ordinary room \u2014 where nearly all podcasting and streaming happens \u2014 it&#8217;s the difference between skin texture that survives and skin texture that gets smoothed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Real optical background blur<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A large sensor behind a fast lens produces genuine shallow depth of field. The S3 pairs its 1\/1.3&#8243; sensor with an f\/1.85 lens; the S7 ships with an 18mm f\/1.4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is optical blur \u2014 physics, not software drawing a mask around your outline thirty times a second. It falls off gradually with distance and renders hair, glasses and headset arms correctly, because it isn&#8217;t making decisions. Software blur fails in recognizable ways: halos around hair, background bleeding through when you lean forward, hard edges on glasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A small sensor behind a long zoom lens produces very deep depth of field \u2014 everything in focus at once. That&#8217;s exactly right for a room and exactly wrong for a face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4K60 over HDMI, which decides your multi-camera build<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Easy to miss in a spec list, and decisive if you&#8217;ll ever run more than one camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The VM20 does 4K over USB-C and RJ45, but <strong>its HDMI output caps at 1080p<\/strong>. Most multi-camera podcast and streaming setups are built around a hardware switcher taking HDMI \u2014 so on that route you&#8217;d be switching 1080p regardless of what the sensor captured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The S7 outputs 4K60 over both USB and HDMI. Several of them feed a switcher directly at full resolution, with no capture cards anywhere in the chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The S3 costs less<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>$199 against roughly $270. Unusual for the camera with the substantially larger sensor to also be the cheaper one \u2014 and a direct consequence of the tradeoff. No zoom mechanism, no network stack, no onboard recording. That money went into the sensor and the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_optical_zoom_buys_you\"><\/span>What optical zoom buys you<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Worth being clear about this, because it&#8217;s a real capability and no YoloCam has it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Optical zoom \u2014 as opposed to digital cropping \u2014 lets you reframe from wide to tight with no loss of quality, from a camera that never moves. For a fixed installation covering a room, that matters: a camera at the back of a hall can hold a wide shot and then push in on whoever is speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cameras in this class typically pair the zoom with network output over Ethernet, which runs much further than USB or HDMI and is already in the walls of most venues, plus onboard recording and a physical remote so the camera can be operated without a computer in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s a coherent design for one job. It just isn&#8217;t the same job as pointing a camera at someone at a desk \u2014 and, as the next section explains, you can&#8217;t buy both in one body at this price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_you_cant_have_both\"><\/span>Why you can&#8217;t have both<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the part worth understanding, because it explains every camera in this category rather than just these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A zoom lens has to project a usable image circle across its entire focal range, and the longer the range, the harder that becomes. Doing it over a larger sensor requires a physically much larger lens \u2014 more glass, more elements, more precision, more cost, more size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So a compact, affordable camera with 10x optical zoom is essentially required to use a small sensor. That&#8217;s not a corner cut; it&#8217;s the only way that product exists at that size and price. The same physics caps webcams at roughly 1\/1.8&#8243;: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/camera-sensor-sizes-explained\/\">a sensor can&#8217;t be larger than the image circle its lens projects<\/a>, and the form factor caps the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conversely, a camera built around a large sensor at a consumer price gives up zoom range. The S3 has a fixed lens. The S7 has an interchangeable mount \u2014 a different focal length whenever you want, by changing glass rather than turning a ring mid-stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The practical test:<\/strong> does the distance between your camera and your subject ever change during a session? If yes, zoom isn&#8217;t optional. If your subject is a person at a fixed distance from a fixed camera \u2014 which describes almost all podcasting, streaming, course recording and calls \u2014 then zoom range is capability you&#8217;ll set once and never touch, and you&#8217;re paying for it in sensor area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"By_scenario\"><\/span>By scenario<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Solo podcast or stream at a desk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S3 at $199, or S7 if the picture is the product.<\/strong> You&#8217;re three feet from the camera and the framing never changes, so zoom does nothing. The sensor is doing all the work \u2014 and the S3 has about 3.5\u00d7 the area at a lower price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two-person podcast with a switcher<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S7.<\/strong> The 4K60 HDMI output is the deciding spec: several cameras into a switcher at full resolution, no capture cards. A build around a camera whose HDMI caps at 1080p is a 1080p build unless you route everything over the network instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Course recording<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S7, or S3 on a budget.<\/strong> Seated, fixed framing, long sessions. Sensor area and consistent settings across months are what matter; zoom range isn&#8217;t part of the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video calls where you&#8217;re the main subject<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>S3.<\/strong> One person, fixed distance, and you want to look like a person rather than a webcam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Covering a hall, classroom or large meeting room<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A zoom camera, not a YoloCam.<\/strong> Camera far from subject, and you need to reframe during the session. Optical zoom and Ethernet are requirements here, and the YoloCam line doesn&#8217;t address this scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the NearStream VM20 good for podcasting?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It works, but it&#8217;s optimized for a different problem. Its budget goes into a 10x optical zoom for covering a room from a distance. Podcasting is the opposite situation \u2014 you sit a fixed distance from a fixed camera, so zoom range goes unused, and the small sensor it requires (1\/2.8&#8243;, roughly 20mm\u00b2) becomes the limiting factor on how you look. A camera built for desk distance puts that money into sensor area instead: the YoloCam S3 at $199 has about 3.5\u00d7 the sensor area for $70 less, and produces real optical background blur where a small sensor behind a zoom lens can&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What sensor does the NearStream VM20 use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The standard model uses a 5MP 1\/2.8&#8243; CMOS sensor, approximately 20mm\u00b2 of light-gathering area. The Pro model uses a 50MP 1\/2&#8243; sensor, approximately 31mm\u00b2. Both are small by necessity \u2014 a compact camera with 10x optical zoom requires a small sensor, because covering that zoom range over a larger one needs a physically much bigger, more expensive lens. For comparison, the YoloCam S3 uses a 1\/1.3&#8243; sensor at roughly 69mm\u00b2 and the S7 uses Micro Four Thirds at 225mm\u00b2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does the NearStream VM20 output 4K over HDMI?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. It outputs 4K over USB-C and RJ45, but the HDMI output caps at 1080p. That matters for multi-camera setups, since most hardware switchers take HDMI \u2014 you&#8217;d be switching 1080p regardless of what the sensor captured, unless you route over the network instead. The YoloCam S7 outputs 4K60 over both USB and HDMI, so several feed a switcher directly at full resolution with no capture cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NearStream VM20 or YoloCam S3?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The S3 for anything at desk distance \u2014 it costs $70 less and has roughly 3.5\u00d7 the sensor area, which is what determines image quality when zoom range isn&#8217;t being used. It also produces optical background blur, which a small sensor behind a zoom lens can&#8217;t. Choose the zoom camera only if your camera has to cover a space from a distance and reframe during the session. They look like competitors in a listing and are built for different distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does a $270 camera have a smaller sensor than a $199 one?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of the zoom. A zoom lens must project a usable image circle across its whole focal range, and doing that over a larger sensor requires a physically much larger, more expensive lens. A compact camera with 10x optical zoom is effectively forced to pair it with a small sensor \u2014 that&#8217;s the tradeoff that lets the product exist at that size and price. A camera with no zoom mechanism, no network stack and no onboard recording can spend the same budget on the sensor and lens instead, which is why the YoloCam S3 is both cheaper and substantially larger-sensored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I need optical zoom for streaming?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Only if you reframe from a distance during a session. For a fixed camera pointed at someone at a desk \u2014 most podcasting, streaming, course recording and calls \u2014 you set the framing once and never change it, so zoom range is capability you pay for and don&#8217;t use. For a camera covering a room, a stage or a classroom, optical zoom isn&#8217;t optional and should drive your choice. The honest test is whether the camera-to-subject distance ever changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s the best all-in-one streaming camera?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;All-in-one&#8221; covers two jobs that trade directly against each other, so decide which one you have first. For covering a space from a distance you want optical zoom and network output, and you accept the small sensor that combination requires. For a person at a desk none of that applies and sensor area determines how you look \u2014 which is what the YoloCam S3 at $199 and S7 at $799 with lens are built around, at roughly 3.5\u00d7 and 11\u00d7 the sensor area of a typical zoom camera in this class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_short_version\"><\/span>The short version<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sensor or zoom \u2014 you&#8217;re choosing one.<\/strong> In a body this size at this price, they trade directly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S3 is cheaper and has ~3.5\u00d7 the sensor area.<\/strong> $199 vs ~$270, because it spends nothing on zoom, network or onboard recording.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>S7 has ~11\u00d7<\/strong>, plus an interchangeable lens mount.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Only the YoloCams produce optical background blur.<\/strong> A small sensor behind a long zoom gives you deep focus \u2014 right for a room, wrong for a face.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The VM20&#8217;s HDMI caps at 1080p.<\/strong> Decisive if you&#8217;re building multi-camera around a switcher; the S7&#8217;s is 4K60.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Zoom is the right buy if your camera covers a space.<\/strong> The YoloCam line doesn&#8217;t do that job.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The deciding question:<\/strong> does the distance between camera and subject ever change? If no, buy sensor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_reading\"><\/span>Related reading<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/camera-sensor-sizes-explained\/\">Camera Sensor Sizes Explained<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yololiv.com\/blog\/podcast-camera-kit-complete-setups\/\">The Podcast Video Kit \u2014 Complete Setups, Priced Out<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"23299\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;482&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;4&nbsp;views today<\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Put these cameras next to each other in a search listing and they look like the&hellip;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"pvc_stats all \" data-element-id=\"23299\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> &nbsp;482&nbsp;total views, &nbsp;4&nbsp;views today<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":23302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>YoloCam S3 &amp; S7 vs NearStream VM20: Which Do You Need? 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