Review
A webcam with 4K capture, autofocus and infrared authentication support, reviewed from the recorded resolution, focus and infrared specifications.
A 4K webcam with autofocus, adjustable field of view and infrared support for platform authentication.
Full product researchThe Logitech Brio 4K is a 4K webcam with autofocus, adjustable field of view and infrared support for platform authentication. It covers more of the range than the Elgato Facecam: more resolution, an autofocus mechanism, and a sensor feature that the Facecam does not record at all.
This review is built from the specifications recorded against the product, each with its source and a verification state that is currently partial. We have not handled this camera, so there is nothing here about image quality, a focus distance or a low light result. The recorded resolution, focus mode, field of view and infrared support are what this page works through.
The recorded resolution is up to 4K at 30 fps, and 1080p at 60 fps. The two figures sit together in one line, and they describe two different jobs. A 60 fps workflow runs at 1080p rather than at 4K, so the resolution you buy for is the resolution you get when you are also chasing smooth motion.
That is the bargain of a 4K webcam, and it is why the Elgato Facecam can be the better answer for a 1080p 60 stream.
The recorded focus is Autofocus. This is the specification that changes day to day behaviour, because the camera can follow a subject rather than hold a single focal plane. For a fixed desk and a fixed seat, autofocus solves a problem you would not have had. For a camera that moves between rooms, or a presenter who stands up, it removes the need to reframe.
The Facecam records a fixed-focus prime lens, which is the opposite decision and a defensible one.
The recorded infrared support value is Yes, and infrared authentication support is the only entry in the recorded feature list. This is the feature with the narrowest audience and the clearest use: signing in to a computer that expects an infrared camera to confirm that a real person is present. No other webcam in the catalogue records it.
The recorded field of view is Adjustable, without the software qualifier that the Facecam records. In practice that means framing can be changed, though the recorded data does not say how much of the range is available.
The Brio suits someone who needs 4K capture for a high resolution recording, or who signs in to a machine with infrared authentication, and who is willing to pay for it. It is a poor fit for a buyer who wants a manual exposure workflow, because no manual exposure control is recorded here, and for a 1080p 60 stream that wants to stay at 1080p.
The Elgato Facecam is the alternative: 1080p at 60 fps, a fixed-focus prime lens, a field of view adjustable in software, manual exposure control and a monitor mount with a tripod thread. Choose the Brio for resolution range, autofocus and infrared. Choose the Facecam for a manually controlled 1080p frame.
Methodology
How the products below were evaluated and chosen.
What we checked
The recorded resolutions and the frame rate each one runs at, the recorded focus mode, the recorded field of view adjustment and the recorded infrared support. Each value comes from the recorded specification and carries its source and verification state.
Products
Why it is here: Records 1080p at 60 fps, a fixed-focus prime lens, a field of view adjustable in software and manual exposure control, so it wins where a repeatable manual frame matters and this camera does not.
Resolution: 1080p at 60 fps
Why it is here: The subject of this review. Its recorded 4K at 30 fps output, autofocus and infrared support make it the camera to consider when resolution range or platform authentication matters.
Resolution: Up to 4K at 30 fps, 1080p at 60 fps
Trade-offs
Published per product so you can see which side of the comparison each point belongs to.
Advantages
Limitations
Fit
Each product is matched to the reader who should pick it, and to the reader who should not.
Choose it if
Look elsewhere if
FAQ
The recorded resolution is up to 4K at 30 fps, with 1080p at 60 fps recorded alongside it. The two figures cover different workflows rather than a single setting.
Source:Logitech official site
Yes. The recorded focus is Autofocus, so the camera can follow a subject instead of holding a single fixed focal plane the way the Elgato Facecam does.
Source:Logitech official site
Yes. Infrared support is recorded as Yes, and infrared authentication support appears in the recorded feature list, which is what a machine expects when it checks a login with an infrared camera.
Source:Logitech official site
Yes. The recorded field of view is adjustable, though the recorded data does not specify how much of the range is available or how the adjustment is made.
Source:Logitech official site
That is not recorded. The recorded feature list for this webcam contains infrared authentication support only, and no manual exposure entry appears for it.
Source:Logitech official site
Keep researching
The recorded alternative to the Logitech Brio 4K is the Elgato Facecam, a 1080p 60 fps camera with a fixed focus prime lens, software adjustable field.
The Logitech Brio 4K records infrared support, which is the hardware Windows Hello relies on.
