With the Brio 500, Logitech is launching a webcam that should also meet professional demands. Its resolution is not the highest at Full HD, but other qualities make it a very good choice.
At the beginning of the corona pandemic, it was not a problem if you participated in video conferences in the home office with a blurred, poorly exposed image. Development went very quickly, time to prepare was short, and the necessary technology was often sold out. So you used what was there. In the meantime, working from home is no longer an obligation, but an option. And there’s no longer any excuse for a crappy camera, you don’t necessarily have to finance it yourself. A really good idea is the new Logitech Brio 500, which proved to be quite adaptable in the test.
The design is simple but clever. The housing, made of partially recycled plastic, is an 11 centimeter wide cylinder with side surfaces measuring 3.15 millimeters in diameter. It docks magnetically to a holder that is fixed to the monitor with an adhesive surface. The lens sits recessed in the body and disappears behind a cover of a different color when you turn the right side. Stereo microphones and a light are located in narrow slits to the left and right of the lens, which shows when the camera is active.
The Brio 500 is extremely flexible. It can be rotated 360 degrees in the magnetic mount, and since the base has an additional joint, it can also be tilted forward 180 degrees. When removed from the mount, a cap appears that reveals a tripod thread when unscrewed.
The cable, which is only 1.5 meters long, is unfortunately not that versatile. It’s firmly attached to the case, so it can’t be pulled off. It has a USB-C connector. If the computer only has USB-A ports, you have to buy an adapter, Logitech does not supply one.
In principle, the Logitech Brio 500 is immediately ready for use after you have plugged it in. To have all the options, you need the free software Logi Tune. Among other things, it makes optimal use of the camera’s ultra-wide-angle lens. You can present yourself in a 65-, 78- or 90-degree image, or use a slider to continuously zoom four times. Depending on the requirements, a group or just your own head fits into the frame.
If the angle is less than 90 degrees, you can move your own position in the picture. With the RightSight AI function, the camera should also be able to follow users independently. That means you can move, but still remain in the center of the picture. A corresponding update was announced for the end of September, but so far ntv.de has not been able to try it out, the function is not currently available either under Windows 11 or MacOS Monterey.
On the other hand, RightLight, which automatically adjusts the brightness, works very well. The Brio 500 did a good job in the test both in low light and in very bright light. With HDR enabled, complicated, mixed lighting conditions aren’t a major problem for the camera either. Nevertheless, one should not necessarily sit in front of a window through which the sun shines. Likewise, the Brio 500 cannot replace a lamp in the dark.
The camera reproduces colors naturally, and the automatic white balance rarely shows a slight color cast. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can also switch off the automatic mode and set exposure and white balance as well as sharpness and contrast yourself.
The autofocus also does a good job, even if you move, the picture stays sharp. The fact that the resolution is only Full HD is not noticeable as long as a higher resolution is not really required. At 30 frames per second (fps), however, hectic movements should be avoided.
A useful extra is the show mode. It can be used to present documents or graphics by flipping the camera down. The image is mirrored. For example, you can make notes that the viewers can follow directly.
The mode works perfectly, but the joint is so stiff that you pry the Brio 500 out of the magnetic holder if you move it too quickly. In addition, the distance has to be big enough. You shouldn’t expect to be able to present an A4 sheet of paper on the keyboard of a notebook with a 13-inch monitor.
The small stereo directional microphones are surprisingly good. Up to a distance of about 1.20 meters, your own voice sounds quite natural and full to the person you are talking to. The camera also filters out disruptive background noise.
All in all, the Logitech Brio 500 is a small but very fine webcam that greatly improves self-expression in video conferences and chats. Although it is quite expensive at just under 140 euros, with the camera you can sometimes save yourself additional lighting and a headset with microphone. In addition, the price should drop a bit in the coming weeks, you can get the camera online for 10 euros cheaper.
