The Logitech MX Brio is recommended as the ideal choice for use in video calls and filming thanks to its excellent quality.
Announced on Wednesday, the Logitech MX Brio is an ultra-clear Ultra HD 4K webcam that can be easily mounted on a MacBook Pro for video calls, or also mounted on a tripod for shooting. If you've only used the webcam on your MacBook Pro, the new Logitech MX Brio will impress you. Once you take it out of the box, it offers a picture that's clearer than Apple's in low light and also wider.
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It's hard not to feel like you're now on a widescreen video call. And it's also easy to imagine using it for video recording. The Logitech MX Brio is a webcam in a short, thick housing that also features two beam-forming microphones and a small light. The unit is 1.7 inches (44mm) tall and 3.9 inches (98mm) wide. Just off the casing, both in that it protrudes from the front and in that it's slightly taller than it, is the camera lens. It has a circular control that allows you to open and close a privacy shield, effectively blocking the camera when necessary.
This means that sometimes you look at Zoom wondering why the screen is blank. But it's quick to open and slides smoothly. The housing and lens controls come in a variety of colors - Light Gray, Graffiti and Black - and all look rugged without being heavy. It's a sturdy device, despite the lens extending above and below the housing, and it just looks well made.
On the back of the case is a USB-C port. And the webcam has a 1.5m (about 5 feet) USB-C to USB-C cable for data and power. In normal use with the camera on top of the MacBook Pro, the USB-C 3.0 cable is a little long. It's also heavy enough that you need to position it carefully or else the camera will drag sideways.
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If the camera is used for video recording and is therefore mounted on a tripod, it is sufficient, but not a generous length. For both tripod and normal use, it works well, but you may end up buying different cables for different tasks. To attach the MX Brio to the top of, say, a MacBook Pro monitor, there's a sturdy but fairly complicated stand. The main part of it folds up on two axes, and the very top part that connects to the camera can move as well.
This means that regardless of the depth of the screen depth of the your laptop, the camera base is well connected. It takes a bit of testing to get it right and be sure that the fairly heavy cable will not pull the camera sideways.
Logitech MX Brio Review - Camera placement
When properly balanced, it is also possible to easily tilt the camera down. This is intended for presenters who need to talk directly to the camera, but in some cases, show what they are working on instead.
A particularly good Feature for the mounting system, however, is where this mount attaches to the camera body. It's a simple magnetic connection, but inside is a standard tripod screw.
Thus, the camera can be quickly mounted on any standard tripod. Given this convenience and the fact that this is a 4K webcam that shoots at 30fps, it's immediately tempting to use the Logitech MX Brio for much more than just Zoom calls.
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It is intended primarily for video calls, however, and there are specific features intended to enhance these calls Zoom and Teams. In addition to the 4K default, the camera can be switched to 1080p at 60fps.
Logitech also reports that this MX Brio has 70% larger pixels than the previous Brio 4K. The lens is wide-angle with a Sony Starvis sensor. Compared to the older Brio 4K model, the MX Brio claims to have twice the image resolution in low light and twice the face exposure in high contrast environments.
Logitech MX Brio Review - Real world use in video calls
Beyond the specs and test measurements, what you see using it in even quite dark situations seems to confirm the proclamations.
The image quality immediately feels brighter and more natural than other webcams. It also has good detail, especially compared to the built-in one on the MacBook Pro.
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The camera can be connected directly to any conferencing or video application, but there is a configuration application. Through this application Logitech G Hub, it is possible to manually adjust options from exposure to hue, vividness and also field of view.
When you use the app to zoom the camera, you have arrow icons that allow you to adjust the composition. So while by default it's a wide-angle webcam, you can set it up to hide the mess in your office.
Then, while you don't have to use the app, it is necessary to have it because under certain office lighting conditions, the MX Brio showed a faint blue tint when not adjusted.
Logitech MX Brio Review - Software
In AppleInsider's tests, the sound from the two camera microphones was clear and loud. There's no way to adjust it through the Logitech G Hub, but it's still very audibleIt is said to use AI to minimise background noise.
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The Logitech G Hub software is the only weak point of the device. It's very similar to Windows, in that it offers no menu except for the Apple and a frivolous Treatment. In addition, it seems to present a lot of options in a small space, but it doesn't include the normal Hide function of the Mac app. It responds well to Hide Others, however, and if it looks like a Windows app, at least it has comprehensive controls.
There seems to be no way to influence the webcam analysis. It's hard to imagine why anyone would want to reduce it, since all video calling applications allow for quality reduction in case of bandwidth issues.
Although Logitech sells the MX Brio on its own, it is part of the company's MX Master series, which also includes the MX Keys 5 keyboard and a mouse.
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Both are set up to control the camera during video calls. The MX Master series also includes a webcam light called Litra Beam, which is a wide, thin LED light with various settings for temperature and brightness levels.
There is no connection between the Litra Beam and the MX Brio, so the webcam cannot know to turn off its own small light when the larger one is on. However, in practice, the Litra Beam was strong enough to outperform the MX Brio's light, causing a uniform lighting.
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The optional Litra Beam costs $99.99 direct from the manufacturer, as does the MX Master 3S mouse. The MX Keys 5 keyboard costs $109.
Source of information: appleinsider.com
