Logitech is known for offering an array of high-quality PC peripherals and accessories for casual, gaming, and business users. We got a chance to try out the Logitech Brio 505, a 1080p webcam for business and casual users, and here are our thoughts about the camera.
Design
The Brio 505 is one of the best-selling Full HD webcams from Logitech, designed to make video meetings easy at home or in offices. Its easy-to-setup, plug-and-play capability, and support for major video conferencing applications are a bonus for business users who want to quickly connect and use the device. With the mounting clip and webcam connected together, the device weighs only 121g. The dimensions of the webcam are 31.5mm height, 110mm width, and 31.5mm depth.
The mounting clip is easy to set up and features a magnetic connector to attach the webcam. The magnetic connector of the mount is actually movable to change the angle, in case the user wants to face the webcam downward toward the surface (it’s for a feature called Show Mode that we will talk about later in the review). The other end of the mount has a sticker to firmly attach the mount to a PC monitor. However, I think using a normal attachment would have been better, since I’m sure that users would end up switching the webcam positions or using it on different systems, such as a laptop.
The Brio 505 webcam comes with a 1.5m attached cable and is based on USB-C connectivity. The webcam features a dark-grey cylindrical chassis with a starry night sky-like design. The camera also comes with dual NC mics on the left and right sides facing forward. The Logi logo is also on the front, along with the main lens, and an LED indicator. Logitech mentions that the Brio 505 is made of post-consumer recycled plastic, which includes 68% Graphite and 59% Off-White Rose. The webcam is also a certified carbon-neutral device, reducing the carbon impact of the unit to zero.
The paper packaging comes from FSC-certified forests, and the contents of the little box include the Brio 505 webcam with the attached cable, the mounting clip, and user documentation.
Features
The Logitech Brio 505 is designed to work on operating systems, which include Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS. Of course, you will need a Windows system with Windows 8.1 or later, and MacOS with version 10.10 or later. The TAA Compliant-device is also certified and optimized to work with popular video conferencing apps such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.
The webcam video features a 4MP sensor and a wide-angle lens and can be adjusted between 65°, 78°, or 90° diagonal adjustable field of view (dFOV), along with 4x digital zoom. This can be adjusted using the Logi Tune application. The device can do 1080p 30fps and 720p 60fps videos. In my opinion, Logitech should have also added an option for 1080p 60fps. That said, the built-in dual-NC mics can pick up the noise to 1.22m. For those who are concerned about privacy, there is an integrated physical privacy shutter that can be closed or opened anytime.
With the Logi Tune app, you can perform firmware updates, adjust the settings, and activate certain features that help with video meetings. One of them is called the Right Sight 4 Auto-framing, when activated, keeps the camera’s view always centered while you stand or move around during meetings. While the auto-framing feature is useful, it does take 3-5 seconds for the camera to recognize the movements and adjust the frame accordingly. There were instances where the camera did not center the frame, and we had to disable and reenable Right Sight to get it to work.
There is also another interesting feature called Show Mode, where when the user tilts the webcam downwards towards the desk, the webcam automatically reverses the frame and focuses on the project that you wish to present. This is useful for both business and educational meetings. The video quality produced from the webcam at 1080p resolution is good and low-light capability is also decent.
Verdict
The Logitech Brio 505 webcam is a good choice for those looking to enhance their online business meetings and also concerned about privacy. The device features a mounting clip that can be easily connected to monitors and a magnetic attachment to hold the webcam. The circular design of the webcam also comes with a physical privacy shutter. The main 4MP sensor can be used for 1080p 30fps and 720p 60fps videos, along with support for dual NC mics.
With the Logi Tune app, you can customize different settings, and activate features such as Right Sight 4 Auto-framing which helps keep the frame centered when you move around during the meeting, and the Show Mode, which helps users present their work during the meeting, by simply tilting down the camera downwards towards your sketches or other ideas. The webcam has support for platforms such as Windows, MacOS, and ChromeOS. It’s also certified to work with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet.
