September 7, 2024 02:32 PM
Himanshu Sharma
The Logitech Brio 100 is not the most stylish or luxurious webcam out there. However, it is the company’s least expensive model in a series of releases that have updated its webcam portfolio within the past several months.
It was launched after Logitech masked premium choices such as Brio 300 and Brio 500 in the previous months leaving the Brio 100 mid-range within the company’s pipeline.
It has a good set of specs and some very interesting features for the price but is it one of the better Webcams on the market today?
Design and Features:
- Familiar, oval design
- Sturdy mounting clip
- Useful additional software
Unlike the non-top-end Brio range to provides an even more left-field shape or design akin to that possessed by its pricier brethren, the Brio 100 takes its visual cues from another of Logitech’s prior, value-for-money webcams, the C505 HD. This one also has the same oval front that is typical with the C505 HD and it comes in the same grey shade as the later model. If placed side by side, one would rarely be able to distinguish between them.
If you look closer, however, you’ll see that there are some differences nonetheless. To bring out this change, the Logitech logo is no longer engraved right on the main body of the Brio 100 and instead, it is on this small webcam cover that fits over the front side. The lettering, which previously mentioned the 720p output, has been switched to reflect the Brio 100’s ability to record in 1080p.
Otherwise, it is a small shell that can easily fit almost any other device including laptops and monitors. It was fast and easy to screw the Brio 100 into the base of the main 27-inch monitor and the small 16-inch MacBook Pro. The ‘legs’ or support which is used to mount it at the top of screens is quite stable to hold and folds flat when not in use. However, it cannot be removed and there is no hole for mounting the tripod if one does not wish to use a clip on the Brio 100.
The Brio 100 is also wirelessly portable, or ‘plug-and-play’ as we might now more accurately call it, which is very convenient and it has a USB-A connector so it will work with almost any device. There is some additional software which can be downloaded in the form of Logitech’s excellent Options+ suite. It has surprised me in the past when coupled with some of the brand’s heavyweights as far as keyboards and mice are concerned, and while it provides reasonable levels of customization with the Brio 100.
It does not have a live preview of the feed sourced from the camera like in some of Logitech’s higher-end models but it at least offers the opportunity to adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness settings, along with toggling Auto White Balance, Auto Exposure and Low Light Compensation. While these do come in handy in what might be considered not very well lit conditions and a hand that makes the Brio 100 a good contender.
It is also worth pointing out that the Brio 100 in this Graphite colorway is also relatively environmentally friendly as 77% of it is made from PCR plastics. Regarding its packaging, Logitech also of this using FSC-certified paper which, to my surprise, the front of the Brio 100 comes in plastic.
Performance and Video Quality:
- Decent video quality
- Tight FOV
- Reasonably clear microphone
Like the Brio 300, Logitech’s budget Brio webcam streams at 1080p/30fps. This is especially nice to see especially because more entry-level and affordable webcams settle for the equivalent of the HD-ready 720p resolution. In a well-lit environment the Brio 100 offers good output for its price point, good colors and contrast, while the auto-light balancing is excellent. At times though, it failed to handle light coming in from my bedroom window very well, resulting to some images tend to be over exposed.
The low light performance is reasonable as well and even though there was apparent grain in some of the areas of the photograph, the Brio 100 does stage a good comeback to the low light. The annoying factor, however, is that this webcam has a slightly narrower 58-degree field of view regardless of lighting conditions. It was very constraining at times as I had to twist myself to fit into the frame, it is a fixed FOV and you cannot change it on the computer.
A slightly positive note with regards to the Brio 100 is its omnidirectional microphone that provides decent pickup and clarity for its price. It sounds a bit thin, which is always the case with cheaper webcam microphones, but for the purpose of video calls it’s quite adequate. People I talked to using Discord hardly have anything adverse to say about it; neither do I after my experience.
Final Thoughts:
For those who are not looking for a top-of-the-range 1080p webcam but something basic that will work out of the box the Logitech Brio 100 is perfect. It comes with good build quality and it can easily be fixed on a monitor or laptop screen and is also small enough not to be an eye sore. It has a flexible length of the cable that will allow it to be easily positioned where needs be, and the USB A end has an almost limitless compatibility.
For the price range, the resolution of 1080p combined with the frame rate of 30 fps is sufficient enough especially for the intended use of the Brio 100 which is in the video conferencing. Of course, for those who are going to spend a lot of time streaming, they may want to spend the extra cash on a 60fps webcam such as the Logitech StreamCam.
However, what you get here is quite decent for the sub ₹2,779/- (₹3270 On Amazon) webcam that Logitech offers is quite impressive. A move up in the Logitech line to the Brio 300 will earn you better image quality as well as more app options But this comes at a certain level above in terms of price as compared to the Brio 100 model. Bad news for though, for most people the Brio 100 will be more than satisfactory.
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