When the pandemic first hit in early 2020, not a few people had to switch to an online or hybrid work system. The presence of accessories such as webcams is important, especially for old school computers & PCs, for example. One of the premium options (which is quite old) is the Logitech Brio 4K.
Although it is still relatively new in Asia, this premium Logitech webcam has actually been launched since 2017. Yup, when in that year maybe some computer vendors still underestimated the need for a quality webcam, Logitech has presented a solution that sounds overkill. Just imagine, it has a 4K sensor, an infrared sensor to an omni-directional microphone.
It’s only natural that Logitech Brio 4K is still very relevant today, even though Logitech has also presented a more modern webcam option. With a fairly high price tag, this one business class webcam actually has a lot of potential, if the vendor continues to provide updates. Here’s the review.
Design
When I first opened the box and looked at the contents, my initial impression was that the Logitech Brio 4K was the most premium-designed webcam I’ve ever seen. The body feels solid, the design is modern with relatively compact dimensions (but wide), and the front surface seems to have a piano black finish, aka glossy black.
It looks premium, it has rounded accents around the main camera sensor, but it’s also not too flashy because the entire surface is black. In the sales package, it includes an attached clip, camera sensor cover, a long USB-C to USB-A cable (approximately 2 meters), and a travel bag to store everything when you want to carry it. It’s quite complete.
Attaching a Logitech Brio 4K to a monitor including a laptop is quite easy, and is classified as adjustable, aka it can be easily adjusted the tilt angle (including folding when you want to store). Monitors with very thin bezels are fine. Want to attach to a tripod? You can, too, as the integrated clip can be removed to “reveal” a mount that fits a standard camera tripod.
It’s just that the process of removing it requires high physical pressure, as if you want to damage the body of the Logitech Brio 4K. Because the front is glossy, it’s easy to leave fingerprints. But, yes, during use, the camera sensor is almost never touched. So it will continue to look clean.
Feature
Okay, we know that the Logitech Brio 4K has a superior camera sensor. The question is, what can be offered or processed from the capabilities of these sensors? Yes, this webcam is plug-and-play, just plug it into a PC and you can use it right away. However, to adjust the display of images and others, you need to download additional applications.
Remembering the experience of downloading applications for Mi Smart Band 7 , Logitech has prepared more than one application to access Logitech Brio 4K features. What I found was the Logitech G Hub, but there are also other options like Logi Tune and Logitech Capture. Through a number of these applications, the firmware update process and others can be carried out.
All I could find were manual settings like contrast, brightness and more—though in the end I left it set to auto. Even more interesting, users can change the viewing angle of the Logitech Brio 4K in up to three different options; 65°, 78°, or the widest option at 90°. So you can choose whether you want to focus on your own face or display the background more broadly.
There is also an option to set automatic exposure, to manual focus settings, aka turning off autofocus. The Logitech Brio 4K camera can also be used as an automatic screen unlock option via Windows Hello. Because in addition to the camera, there are also other sensors needed, including infrared sensors. No wonder the design is a bit wide.
Camera
Of course, this piece has to be perfect because there is a high price that consumers pay when buying a Logitech Brio 4K. As the name implies, this webcam can record or stream video up to 4K 30fps resolution. Are there other options? Of course, namely 1080p 30/60fps and 720p 30/60/90fps. You could say it is quite flexible, you can choose it according to your needs.
The Logitech Brio 4K is also supported with autofocus, which was sometimes… a bit difficult to detect my face, especially in indoor lighting conditions. Rarely, really, the rest is effective in prioritizing the face to focus on other objects. What I find impressive is the HDR quality and the exposure level of the camera to make faces look bright to the right degree.
When I use it with my back to the light source, the face can still look clear and bright—of course the back will be over. No problem, considering that this device does have a task to focus on the face only. If you blur the background alias background, of course it’s not a problem.
When used in dark conditions, the camera seems to increase the ISO, making faces remain bright and clear, but with high noise. This approach was chosen by Logitech Brio 4K, instead of removing noise which in the end makes the face very smooth.
What I expected to be available in the Logitech Brio 4K was the auto-framing feature. With a very wide sensor, it would be more fitting to have features such as Center Stage belonging to the latest Apple device cameras. Maybe because it’s an old release, but I hope that features like this can come through a software update.
Microphone
In addition to the camera sensor, Logitech Brio 4K is also supported by two omni-directional microphones that support noise reduction. In the product fact sheet, it is written that this microphone can provide audio performance that is equivalent to the needs of business class. In fact? Maybe yes for the past few years.
The quality is okay, the sound is quite clear with controlled noise. But when compared to the microphone on today’s modern laptops, it’s still a bit lacking. Unless you’re on a PC and want a webcam accessory with a handy microphone in one device, the Logitech Brio 4K will feel like a better fit.
Conclusion
With the features it brings, of course the Logitech Brio 4K deserves to be called a premium accessory that meets business standards. The camera can really produce quality photos and videos, especially the HDR effect and precise facial brightness, aka on-point. Easy to use, doesn’t even need an app (unless you want to change the camera angle).
But Logitech also presents another new webcam solution that is no less interesting. The Brio 500 series, for example, has a physical camera cover that looks hidden, and supports auto framing with the new RingSight. It’s limited to 1080p, yes, but also not everyone needs a 4K sensor for video calls.
