My latest review is of the Logitech MX Brio Ultra HD 4K Webcam. Having been a long-standing fan of Logitech’s cameras, my expectations were high, especially with my trusted C910 still in use after 14 years.
The MX Brio, priced at $199 (compensated affiliate link), is undeniably a premium offering. For the price you get a nice heavy metal design and glass lens.
The camera attaches to its mounting bracket magnetically. When detached you’ll find a tripod mount on the bottom of the camera. To secure the heavy camera on the back of a laptop, the mounting bracket features a micro-suction adhesive that helps keep it in place. The adhesive does not leave a residue and can be easily swapped from one display to the other. If it gets dirty a little water will refresh it.
Connectivity is seamless for computers with a USB Type-C port, and the included cable matches the camera’s level of build quality. But there is no USB-A adapter, so you’ll need to get a USB-C to USB-A cable or use an adapter.
Upon setup, the MX Brio’s image quality immediately stands out, delivering a maximum of 4k at 30 frames per second. 60 frames per second can be reached with a 1080p resolution. However, I encountered a challenge with LED lighting. Despite efforts to minimize flicker, banding was noticeable under my LED household lights. Turning off the camera’s HDR setting improved the situation but reduced the overall image quality.
Particularly intriguing is the “show mode” for overhead demonstrations, an innovative feature for educators and presenters. When the camera is tilted down it flips the image to work as an overhead camera.
The microphones impress with crisp, clear audio that also have some noise reduction features. You can hear a demo of the microphones in my video above.
The Logitech Options and G Hub apps revealed a number of settings to fine-tune the webcam experience including exposure levels, white balance enhancement toggles and focus.
Despite its strengths, the MX Brio’s LED banding issue is a significant drawback for those in production. Yet, for Zoom meetings or casual use, it performs nicely, adjusting well to various lighting conditions. Logitech’s history of updates gives me hope for a firmware solution to the banding issue soon.