Its a webcam. Most of them are b*llocks, and its safe to say they aren't the most exciting piece of hardware you will ever buy - but in this crazy world right now many of us need one to communicate.
Razer have released their new Kiyo Pro camera, and its a pretty remarkable product - supporting HDR capabilities and high quality audio. We didn't go into this review too excited, but by the end we left very impressed. It's not without problems, and might not be for everyone, but Andrew explains the pros and cons in our review today.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Start
00:15 Introduction and pricing
01:21 What is the Kiyo Pro about? Unboxing
02:05 DSLR killer - Razer’s aim, technical details
05:11 Some positive points including detachable cable
06:05 Size comparison with other webcams
06:29 Swivel. Not you, the camera
06:40 Build quality discussion and some design decisions
07:16 Microphones Test
08:06 Lens and HDR specifics
09:26 Razers claims and testing comparisons
12:31 HDR on and HDR off comparison
12:50 Andy’s take on image quality
14:34 Autofocus issues - set manual to rectify
15:11 Razer Synapse software options
16:12 Field of View options
16:36 More Software options
17:15 Closing Thoughts
Check out KITGURU MERCH over here: teespring.com/en-GB/stores/ki....
Discord invite link: / discord
Steam Community steamcommunity.com/groups/kit...
Be sure to support us on PATREON / kitgurutech and read our MANTRA on HONEST REVIEWS Here: bit.ly/2BopnF9
KitGuru uses a variety of equipment to produce content:
As of May 2020:
Panasonic GH5 and GH5s Cameras
Panasonic GH4 Cameras
Panasonic G7 Cameras
DJI OSMO Pocket Cameras
Canon Cameras
Various PC builds
Final output - colour grading/titling etc:
iMac Pro 18 Core/Vega 64/128GB
iMac 2019 9900k Vega 48/64/1TB
Adobe Premiere Pro CC (PC)
Davinci Resolve Studio 14/15 (Mac)
iPad Pro 12.9 inch (2018) machines with LumaFusion
Final Cut Pro (Mac)
Visit our facebook page over here! / kitguru.net
Visit our Twitter page over here! twitter.com/kitgurupress?lang=en
#kiyopro #razer #bestwebcam
This is a very tempting product.... thanks for the quality review KitGuru!
This video popped up in my Google News feed, probably because I have researched webcams in the past. First time I've ever seen your channel and thought it was fantastic--super informative, well-produced, and right down to business with no fluff. You've earned a new subscriber.
Actually 2. 😊 I had an adveritise pop up with this Webcam. I was looking for a good review! I find it. 😊💪
thank you !
I watched this video, as I am waiting for my Kiyo Pro to arrive tomorrow. I'm much more informed before my unboxing, thanks to you. Excellent review!
Very thorough and analytical, clear concise tests.. Great Review. Thanks!
wow... amazing video and demonstration, thanks so much for the content. Subscribed :)
The Razer Kiyo is a nice webcam and the design is fine by me. Picture colour is quite good. However as stated below, the price 🤯 OUCH! And the C920 did do a vg job in comparison. Great in depth review once again by Kitguru 🥰👍🥳. Great work Andy!
this video just got me to get the kiyo pro thank you very much KitGuruTech
Razer: Here's our new Kiyo Pro. Auto Focus: Always has been.
very comprehensive review, going through all the flaws and features, thanks. just missing the shot of the webcam in action, i wanted to see the led incidator.
its just a lil white light thats barely noticeable.
I feel like the Aver media did a lil better with the bright blowout with HDR off, but the detail in the Kiyo was much better. Turn that HDR on and woah... it's no competition.
woa! i have not heard about this tech channel, glad I found it.
Great details, KitGuru! Quick check, after switching off AF, does it still have this issue?
It's a very interesting concept, speaking as someone who recently bought a DSLR for use as a webcam (though, I've since gotten into photography which you can't really do with this) Also, it doesn't seem like you can swap out the lenses, which some people won't care about, but it'll be limiting for others (especially from how it's marketed). Means there's no hardware focus, filters, or anything like that. As a plug and play device, it's great. Though, looking at the webcam market as a whole, it's not all that high of a bar to get above. I feel like there's not been any kind of real innovation in a long long time, so this will hopefully work to get everyone else's heads in the game.
This will explain why the regular Kiyo has sold out everywhere lol Looks like I’ll be grabbing one of these!
The mic is really good! I wouldn't be able to tell that you were using a webcam mic if you used it in another video.
Comprehensive review. Thanks.
glad you enjoyed it!
The original Kiyo has the same issue with AF and they never fixed it lol
Yeah, first thing I noticed. The AF going crazy...
And no built-in light like the last gen Kiyo?
@@thirteen2k yea so seems worse lol. the best thing about this is the ring light
Thats because Synapse doesn't install firmware updates. You have to get them manually from the Razer firmware page. There is a recent update for the Kiyo Pro so there must be one for the Kiyo.
@@thirteen2k Kiyo Pro does't need the light because of the sensor it uses.
Awesome review, cheers
Surely the comparisons should be with webcams actually in the same price point or at least closer? Regardless of whether these other webcams are higher resolution, could just be tested at 1080p to show apples to apples what with Razor focusing on image quality and handling of light over resolution. Examples: Logitech C922 Stream - £94.99 Logitech StreamCam - £139.99 Logitech BRIO Stream - £219.99 AverMedia PW513 - £220 Would be interesting to hear your thoughts.
What about the focus distance range? One of the big problems with the C920 is without modding the lens anything more than about 50cm away from it was a shitty blurry mess. Doing the comparisons split screen instead of A/B/C made this hard to make out. I think for £200 I'd want an optical zoom of some kind too.
How do you think this compares to the Logitech Brio and the AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 513? Thanks for the thorough review!
What kind of cable is the "cable for the camera" and can u buy a longer one ... link if possible please
Now that the price has dropped and the firmware has been updated, what do you think? It was between this and the Elgato Facecam and I went with Razer, since all my hardware is already RGB synced with Synapse. The microphones are a plus but I probably wont use them.
Thanks fro this Very good Video.
nice vid Andy! Background music track is…?
If you go on Razer's website there is a firmware update that fixes the autofocus issues.
Nope, it does not.
@@GearObsession the firmware update fixed mine 🤷🏾♂️
I would love to know where that wallpaper came from on the monitor behind him? , thx :)
Great vid - cheers !
I have the original Kiyo I will continue using that thanks
saw this and picked one up for $87 thanks for the review
Go Kiyo. Thanks for the review.
Great video! I have a Logitech C920 and I am looking at improving Zoom call quality at home. Just ordered the Razer Kiyo with ring light direct from Razer based on the idea of not having to have a seperate lighting source. However I will not be ordering the Pro model after seeing your video. For sleekness and cost, do you recommend a single or pair Elgato key light air to go with the Kiyo Pro? They also make desk clamp stand for them.
Damn, I use the logi c920 myself and the Kiyo walks all over it quality wise, I'm impressed!
Great camera, let down by the software not running on Mac. Theres an app called Web Cam Settings, that works, but doesn’t allow you to engage the wide angle function, which is why I bought the camera. Found a fix. If you use Zoom, click the HD tab. Camera then goes to full wide angle. 👍
the razer kiyo pro seems to hunt for focus quite a bit. Is there a way to turn off the autofocus?
For DSLR killer, I was hoping for some depth of field from the lens...
Video (and surprisingly audio quality) is very damn good but that auto focus is out of control lol. I'd actually consider it if it were on sale for like 100 or 120 but 199 is too much.
get the normal kiyo then
Yeah seemed only marginally better than the Logitech at more than twice the cost. But It is a good market to go after--there's very little on the high end webcam market without getting into DLSR and advanced setups.
For 120, Logitech is better.
@@thirteen2k The Pro's image and audio are better than anything else on the market for a webcam. The audio is decent and the autofocus is defeatable. When properly set up like that with manual focus it is the clearly superior option to everything else, except a DSLR and dedicated microphone. But the latter will cost considerably more before you are up and running with it. So, when all other options are considered I'd get the Razer Kiyo Pro and be happy.
Hey man i have this webcam and im looking for a longer cable. Any ones you suggest? Can you link me one?
Can this camera be connected via HDMI? this camera has a USB-C output, but there are devices to which you need to connect the camera via HDMI ... Can you use an adapter then?
That was a very good video of the new pro camera. On my current Kiyo Camera that I bought 2 weeks ago I cant seem to adjust HDR at all but I can access everything else. Thankfully when I exit the Synapse it remains with the same settings when I record a quick voice over video using Wondershare Filmora 9. Pretty happy with it. My only complaint about my current camera is that it doesn't fit on top of the Raptor 27 monitor that well. It takes like 3/8" of an inch from the center of the screen like a notch. The pro version shown here is smaller from that L shape notch and does NOT block the screen so I will definitely pick it up maybe for Black Friday if the price drops a bit lol! I won't pay $199.99 for it.
My experience with the microphone test was very different, the microphone being very quiet. The picture quality isn't fantastic either, creating noise, some blurry image around edges, while also having some edges really looking like anti-aliasing is needed.
For those unfamiliar with the Canon utility, it works well but comes with some serious caveats. Such as not using the inbuilt microphone, clashing with other canon utility software and being of limited use unless you have a DC power cable for your camera ( which is often quite expensive ).
I use a canon dslr and it's a ballache with the battery length ect. Great quality but there are limiting factors and most people want a plug and play webcam current year considering (2020's have been great so far lmao)
Theres actually a razer camera not much people know about. The Razer Kiyo X. I've seen a couple of reviews and the quality is pretty damn good. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.
That autofocus is a killer.
You can easily turn it off lol
Wait a min, are those ads at the start?
when its in focus it kills the others. and since it has manual focus that wouldnt be an issue with someone like myself. manual focus is better anyways in most cases.
Right!
"BuT It's rAzEr sO It MuSt bE RubBiSh"... Few comments complaining about auto focus, doesn't this have a manual option, i'm sure it does. For MOST applications the auto focus isn't a big enough problem ie zoom calls, now whatsapp video on desktop and *insert medium here*. People love shitting on things because it doesn't fit their exact needs, so buy a different one then lmao. And how many people are actually streaming games and not using these for video/conference calling with friends or work ect? I'm biased cause i use my dslr but tbh it's big and bulky, might consider this webcam if the price drops on a sale.
@@dodo19923 ive bought my first Razer keyboard a couple months ago and its been great. Think it was 80is dollars at walmart. its my first mechanical keyboard. Im not a fan of the "clicky clicky" sounds,but over all,its been great so far.
@@mikieson Yeah, people complain way too much about razer... tis' the state of the internet i'm afraid... Give's people the ability to bitch and moan about everything they could ever dream of, which in turn only makes them worse. I have a gen 1 razer phone and it's an absolute tank, battery still gives me a day or more, not slowed down a single bit, no build issues whatsoever and i've had it since release date.. weird how taking care of things means they last eh?
Is there a way to mirro or flip the output video horizontally?
Looks good
The constant autofocus is a deal killer for me...
If you don't like it, you have the manual focus
Just turn it off its a OPTION not a Must have on all the time lol.
@@alemora420 or get something that actually works.. Is 2021 not 1995
@@shaolin95 1995 shots in your head, it is the best webcam so far and for the simple fact of being Razer they look for the slightest problem to be able to criticize it.
I tend to use manual focus anyway but I wish he'd addressed the AF issue earlier in the video then turned it off for all the tests.
For something that chunky you might as well put in a micro 4/3 sensor with pancake lens.
i just ordered the Logitech streamercam and was about to cancel my order because of other reviewers saying its better, and your video made me change my mind again and keep my order. The camera looks nice but the software with razer doesnt seem as good and the auto focus is totally out of whack. Logitech is very reliable and this video made me feel more comfortable with the purchase decision.
the recent firmware update fixes the autofocus. its good now
My kiyo pro freezes when I get out of my chair. Any known fixes?
How the heck can you actually record directly to my windows pc????? I found the built in camera app-it does record, but not at 60fps, and cannot find the customize video on synapse anywhere now....
What is the best camera in this class that works on MacBook Pro? They state that this one requires Windows for full support 🥺🤬
This or Avermedia PW513 and why?
What is your speaker? Thanks
does it have a zoom feature for close ups
I wonder if the hdr works in OBS.
The video quality was easily the best, but the AF was unusable on the Kiyo examples. I’d be miffed if I spent that much on a webcam only to have to meddle with the manual focus on a regular basis.
Alright so I’m having some issues with mine. I plug it up but it’s not showing in synapses. But when I activate obs to record or stream the camera does work. I just can’t adjust some settings on it since it requires synapse.
What device r u on? Synapse only works on pc not Mac or anything else. Just pc
Good video, but not convinced by by the Kiyo pro, yes image quality is better than those it was compared to. However, it suffer from what most webcams suffer from skin tones are poorly reproduced and looks like beautify has been applied from a first generation selfie camera implementation of the feature. It is probably just low clarity but it is very annoying.
Auto focus is not an issue anymore they firmware updated it and most new models should already be fixed.
I setup my device today, it lasted 45 minutes before the manual and auto focus stopped working, so know ability to focus at all, from research this seems to be a known issue, Razor recently issued a firmware update for focus issues, that's been pulled due to it bricking the device. Razor support wanted me to collect logs before sending me a firmware update, that's not unexpected but it's not worth the effort and inconvenience, I've returned my day old device and requested a refund.
Brio 4K still looks to be the best. The c920 is holding up well but it would have been nice to see this against the c922 and brio 4k
Damn better products always come right after you buy one or previous model lol 😂 got the c920 with security cover eh it’s ok When u see the comparison c920 isn’t bad at all
Nope, never buying another Kiyo again! I had two of the original Kiyo, both broke after a year. Both had major build defects in the hinge design where the plastic area around the hinge broke, and the LED light on one started flickering after about a year of use. I now use Logitech C922 and I’ve been very satisfied ever since.
Watching this in 2022, happy I got it for $100 👌🏻
Finally a webcam a 1080p with 60 fps
Those auto-focus jitters are so annoying. I had similar problems with Logitech C920 but the BRIO seems to fix that.
microphone actually sounds pretty good, autofocus is just abysmal though and for that alone i wouldnt even consider it
Can you turn off the auto focus
Could you imagine buying any camera with a bunch of auto features which is completely normal but then being told to make it work you have to use it manually? Could you imagine buying a brand new Samsung Galaxy S21 ultra but then only be able to take manual photos? Lol.
Its a shame Razer did not sort out there RAZER STARGAZER, a lot of us got ripped off with that cam, IT NEVER WORKED.
👍
At this price it should be possible to put on an uv-filter.....
I picked this cam up today for $40. Let’s test it out and see how it does
Damn Razer
the autofocus issue is a dealbreaker tbh
I got this cam... using it with obs studios, on a hp pavilion Tg01-0023w and a Geforce GTX 1650 super GPU and I still cant get it to look as nice as everyone else's 🤔😫
Try adding a ring light behind the webcam. I heard it helps
Where can I buy it? UK... ? Google shows nothing... lol
Oh nope... autofocus
"Key - yo"
Can u green screen with the Kiyo Pro?
You can green screen with any camera, it's normally done in software.
Tha auto focus is a little annoying, but the overall image is better than the Logitech camera.
Could u just use manual focus?
I cant see a dslr killer, image quality seems pretty much close. But kinda expensive
how do i stop this webcam from drawing power even when not in use? i haven't seen any info on the net on how to like just keep on a possible power saving mode when not actually being used at all the only obvious solution is to unplug it from the USB port when you don't need to use it and then rreconnect back to whichever USB port is free which obviously means me just getting, moving up a bit closer to my 7000D case and then doing a bend over just whenever i need to turn the webcam on or off and the joke is on use with that light indicator to know if the webcam is on or off cause if the the light is off, it still draws power no matter what they say.. less you were to turn off your desktop or laptop completely AND NOTHING!! WE BELONG TO RAZER NOW.. EVEN IF WE BELONG TO NOBODY..
This is the first time I see a camera that will stop working after 7-8 months
So, how would a Linux user set the camera's mode?
Kind of like: 4930-8-257839201-4839021-8349238593428935789302178230597238.
Stop torturing yourself and get Win10.
@@basshead. Running Windows. Now THAT would be torture.
@@Blacksadify Are you having a seizure? Should I call the paramedics?
@@CathyInBlue Nope, Windows is freedom. Windows is like a Swiss Army knife, it can run everything.
That focus hunting is insanely bad from Razer’s “Pro” here. Logitech’s years-old Brio (untested here) still seems superior with 1080p@60 and for a similar price, you get Windows Hello, too.
If you don't like it, you have the manual focus, the Brio doesn't have HDR support and has a worse color representation, it's a very good camera, don't try to discredit it.
@@alemora420We’d need to see a bead-to-head, but I imagine the Brio will walk away with it. To me, the Kiyo Pro is DOA because of focus failures. Razer never fixed focus issues on the Kiyo, so I’m not wasting my money on an alpha product. Better sensors can get you better dynamic range without halving your frame rate (!). Razer’s choice here make their product discredit itself, unfortunately. 🤷
I’ll stick to Elgato’s EpocCam
lol $200 I will buy some DSLR camera and put it with a cam link at least I will have 2 in one with the freedom of changing the lens and for far away better image quality. for the test I see that the avermedia pw313 is better than all of them for quality vs budget.
The cam link alone is what $100? Then go and find a dslr for $100 that will allow you to use a cam link with it and not turn off or overheat after 30 min. When you do let me know because that's when I'll see pigs flying
so when i use it as a camera and not a webcam ... hmmmmm
Will this work plugged into an Xbox Series X?
No
Not with a PFP like that, lmao.
I just invested on this and it doesn’t work on the Xbox series X. Ls!
It would be cool if it somehow works with iPads.
Ah yes, because the professional market is just clamoring for better webcam support. If you want peripherals to work, buy a real computer.
@@dial2616 take it easy. I was just saying. If it works for iPad that's a bonus. Some folks don't have the luxury to buy computer when and if an iPad is all they need.
@@ripp3rjak934 I do 90% of my dev work on an $80 Thinkpad, if that's not affordable then I don't know what is.
@@dial2616 well there we go don’t see the harm is having mic support for ipad
Video quality is good, mic audio is ok, autofocus is terrible, software has nice customization and i like the variation of different angle you can change manually but $200 price tag... 😁no thanks. Calling it a dslr killer is overrated
Just get an old Canon T3i with a 50mm 1.8f and will bit any webcam.
now i can show my pipi in hdr and 4k :O Waaaaaaau
DSLR killer ? It's not even simple smartfon camera killer :)
when you were being a camera I wish you actually would just record the entire video with that camera versus going and switching back to your high-end camera constantly personally that would be better because then we can really see it for longer than just a few seconds that you show it
Oh don't be silly. The quality is not good enough. It's hunting for focus every 5 seconds. People would bitch. I like to see a proper camera for these videos. Shows the differences too.
Comparing the c920 instead of the Brio (correct price bracket for comparison) is apples to oranges. Brio also has detachable usb-c cable. Logitech sells privacy covers for both the c920 and the Brio. I shake my head at this review.
Also AF issues seen clearly in this video on the Razer make it a non-starter. Yikes.
Andy mentioned the auto focus problems and explained about the manual settings. Did you miss that bit ? Seems he went through a lot of tests and I got what I needed from it myself - was very in-depth compared to some of the shit mic reviews I’ve seen in the last year. Always a good way to prove you don’t agree is to do it ‘better’ yourself. Means you won’t kill too many brain cells ‘shaking your head’ as well. Be sure to share your own. I’m sure Andy would be taking notes.