The Razer Kiyo Pro webcam features 1080p resolution at up to 60fps with FoV of 103°, 90° and 80°. Initially priced at $199.99, the Kiyo Pro is currently listed at the time of this review for $99.99 on Razer’s website and through third-party resellers.
The Kiyo Pro used in this
review was purchased by the lab through a third-party reseller. This is not a
sponsored review.
Image Source: UC Test Lab
In the retail packaging the camera ships with a 1.5 meter
braided cable that has a USB-C connector on the camera end and USB-A on the
computer end, a robust mount that is removable, a lens cap that is also
removeable and quick start guide. The bottom of the mount has a ¼-20 thread. In
addition, the mount can be removed revealing another ¼-20 thread on the bottom
of the camera. We appreciate this attention to detail, allowing users multiple
mounting options. While attached to the mount, there is the ability to both
tilt the camera up and down and rotate it left and right.
When the camera is connected to a computer, a pop up appears
notifying the user to install Razer’s Synapse software package. The Synapse
software contains all the controls and settings for the camera.
Our only complaint about the Synapse software is that
settings cannot be changed while the camera is in use by a third-party
application like OBS or a meeting service. To modify any of the camera settings
while using OBS, the camera needs deactivated in OBS, then the “Preview” needs
toggled on in Synapse. Then the user can make changes. When finished, the
preview needs to be disabled and the camera reactivated in OBS. The camera
needs to be muted in a meeting service before any settings can be changed.
Overall, this is a clumsy exercise if needed to be performed in a meeting or
while recording content. We feel it is important to adjust any settings prior
to using the camera, which is a good habit to have anyway.
There are “advanced settings” available in the Synapse
software that unlocks a few additional adjustments, most notably the ability to
digitally zoom and pan.
Image Source: UC Test Lab
We appreciate the amount of control the camera has, but in
general usage we found the camera performs very well at default settings, with
the exception of the FoV which is defaulted to Wide.
The image at Wide FoV, and to a lesser extent on Medium,
shows distortion both horizontally and vertically. While this may not bother
some people, it is hard for us to ignore. In the Lab the Wide FoV is considered
unusable with far too much distortion. When set to Medium some distortion is
present but not to the point where we think it is unusable. For our purpose, we
find the Narrow FoV provided the best overall image with the least amount of
distortion.
The following pictures
show the three fields of view selectable in Synapse.
Wide at 103°
Medium at 90°
Narrow at 80°
All images: UC Test Lab
Bryan’s Take
I’ve been using the Kiyo Pro for a couple of weeks in video
calls and video creation with OBS and have been impressed. Other than at its
widest FoV, which has substantial distortion, the image quality is excellent. When
the camera was tested in low light and typical home office lighting scenes, it
handled each capably. While I typically don’t advocate using the internal microphone
of any webcam, I found the audio capture to be impressive and better than that
of most webcams I’ve tested in video meetings. The capture is clear and
replicates voices well where often webcam and laptop mics make voices sound
tinny or hollow. However, if you’re intending to use the Kiyo Pro for content creation,
I would suggest investing in a high-quality microphone to make your audio as
good or better than the video quality available from the Kiyo Pro. Overall, the
Kiyo Pro makes for an excellent dual-use camera for content creation and video
meetings when the FoV is set to Narrow.
About the
UC Test Lab
The UC Test Lab’s primary focus is on the thorough testing
and evaluation of products and services that fall in the Unified Communications
or A/V genres. Our hands-on, objective testing methodology ensures consistency
and accuracy in results. www.uctestlab.com
About the
Author
Bryan Hellard is the Owner and Lead Researcher at UC
Test Lab. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry across several
roles, including product engineering and management, R&D, and end user
consulting. Prior to UC Test Lab, he managed the Wainhouse Research Evaluation
Lab providing testing of products and services. Bryan also has prior experience
as a developer of video conferencing related products and as a consultant to
both end users and industry vendors. He can be contacted at: Bryan@uctestlab.com.
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