Logitech MX Brio

Logitech's Brio webcam may not have been a revolution, but the fact that they were able to produce a relatively competitively priced 4K camera at a time when it really wasn't the norm, well, that's impressive. Since then, we've gone through a pandemic that really required us to be able to take our meetings from home, and with that came a need for better webcams in general. In other words, Brio has had plenty of competition.

So now Logitech has responded with a new name for their new Brio webcam - it's now called "MX Brio", and if you know Logi lingo, you'll know that "MX" is the name they only use for their most rugged, tested and luxurious office gear - see MX Master for reference.

So what does this MX Brio do? Well, inside we find another Sony STARVIS sensor, this time at 8.5 megapixels. These have been popular for a while even though they started out being developed for the security sector, but it's finding focus in low light conditions that is the focus, so these have become popular and rightly so. The FOV is 90 degrees, which is quite reasonable and doesn't give that fish-eye look that some more expensive competitors favour. There's also a 4x digital zoom, which doesn't seem particularly impressive, but I reckon few people will actually use it. There are plenty of tools for creative framing without having to use a lot of zoom.

Not that it's particularly important, but the MX Brio is both quite well designed, and no doubt created in line with MX Master and MX Keys, but it's also solidly constructed. The entire unit is aluminium with a detachable USB-C cable, but the balance of the construction is also sublime, making it a breeze to place on the edge of a monitor.

There are two beamforming microphones, and while Logitech introduces both noise cancellation and increased separation of sound layers, it's the least impressive part of the overall package. Make no mistake, it's still better than the one built into your computer (unless you have a MacBook Pro), but there are better ones out there.

The image quality, on the other hand, is fantastic. For comparison, we've used an Elgato Facecam Ultra, and the MX Brio proves that it's through smart processing and the sequence of specifications on the lens that the magic happens. Brio is better at finding light, better at framing and maintaining focus. And even though the MX Brio "only" runs at 4K/30fps versus the Ultra's 4K/60fps, it feels more fluid. But it's only £220, and you can add another £80 for a Facecam Ultra.

There are better deals among webcams than the MX Brio, no doubt, but Logitech's latest addition is pretty easy to recommend at the end of the day. Yes, the microphones disappoint, but other than that, this is a sublime package.