I’ve lost track of how many Logitech products I’ve used over the past 30+ years that I’ve been computing and gaming–mice, trackballs, keyboards, joysticks, microphones, headsets…and in virtually every respect along every product line I’ve tried, Logitech has routinely knocked it out of the park, especially with their budget-friendly offerings. Enter the Brio 100…another entry in Logitech’s value-oriented line of unassuming webcams with relatively little in the way of bells and whistles, and a bargain-basement price to match; and yet I was supremely impressed by the picture quality and noise rejection it offered for your run-of-the-mill video conferencing capabilities, even besting the video quality offered by a rival’s 2K webcam I recently auditioned.

As it should be, operation was totally plug and play; the webcam was instantly recognized by my Windows laptop, home PC, and even my work computer which is completely locked down for installation of any third-party applications or external devices that require a separate driver download. Windows recognized the options for 2.1MP 1920x1080 image capture or 1080p/30fps video. Construction is all plastic, but the tilt, sliding shutter, and monitor clamp actions are all reassuringly dampened with enough “bite” to ensure that the webcam and its mount will not slowly droop and slump out of place or shutter action become so loose that the shutter slides around without provocation.

A white, though thankfully not blindingly bright, activity LED lets you know when the camera is active; the sliding shutter is large enough to block out all image/video signals even if you don’t get placement precisely over the lens/aperture. Auto-exposure worked well to maintain a stable and pleasing image quality in low, moderate, and even bright lighting conditions. Picture quality was surprisingly solid for a webcam clocking in so cheaply with no obvious color banding, digital noise, or intrusive grain. Colors seemed natural and reds especially were not overblown the way I’ve seen some webcams produce fleshtones that always look a bit sunburned.

Audio quality is…good enough. It’s definitely not broadcast quality and there is just a hint of compression-related hollowness to voices, but it’s perfectly listenable and intelligible for the receivers provided you’re sitting at “normal” viewing distances from your monitor. While I was testing out the webcam doing some video and sound captures, my wife was busy in the chair across from me (about 4 feet away) separating out some vitamins and pills. She was shaking the pill bottles rather loudly when it occurred to me to see what kind of effect nearby background noise would have on audio quality during an active call. She shook the bottle for 30 seconds while I recorded my own voice speaking with her. When I played the clip back, I was surprised that I could BARELY make out the sound of the rattling pills at all. At least in my artificial testing setup, errant audio beyond the sides or to the back of the microphone had very little discernible impact on speaker audio quality. However, Logitech’s own specs indicate the mic is only good to about 3 feet anyway–clearly, the Brio 100 is designed for use primarily with a single speaker sitting at a desk or in front of a laptop; you would not want to use it for a larger conference room or open venue where the speaker was not already up-close-and-personal with the webcam.

It would have been fine if Logitech had stopped there, but if you elect to download Logitech’s Logi+ companion app, there are actually additional controls and settings opened up to you. A handy overview image of the Brio 100 is provided on the Logi+ landing page that indicates exposure status and all current image adjustment settings. Logi+ will check for any available firmware updates (none were ready as of this writing) and give you the option to set scanning frequency to match local powerline standards (50 or 60Hz) to reduce flicker in live video. But keep your eye on that firmware download option because the Logi+ app reported that features are “Coming soon” which will allow you to fine-tune exposure and tweak settings for shutter speed, ISO, and low light compensation. Immediately available however are image adjustment settings including a toggle for auto white balance as well as manual sliders for brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. A live video feed is provided on screen so you can see the results of your image adjustments in real time–nice!

Of course, there’s always room for improvement, and a few nice-to-haves would have made the Brio 100 even better. The captive USB-A cable is about 5 feet long…that’s fine if you’re using a laptop, but cable length may be an issue if your main PC sits WAY out of sight from your monitor…a detachable cable would allow for more flexibility, and would make it easier to use on laptops or tablets that only offer a USB-C port. The privacy slider is definitely appreciated in this day and age, but a flip-down shutter would have made it easier to see or remember if you had inadvertently left your webcam open for prying cyber eyes. The shutter also only covers the lens, it does not cover or mute the mic nor does it temporarily pause or deactivate the camera. The webcam is captive on the monitor clip and there are no threads provided for a tripod mount; however, you can fold the monitor clip under into a makeshift desk or shelf stand and the webcam will remain upright. Finally, although the profile is relatively slender, the front lip of the monitor clip and the shell of the webcam descend far enough into the screen that those of you with frameless or bezel-less monitors may lose just a little of screen image near the top (though this is not uncommon for virtually any monitor-mounted webcam).

All told, the Brio 100 is a fantastic upgrade for most built-in laptop webcams or those of you with regular Zoom or MS Teams meeting requirements but don’t want to break the bank. If your needs aren’t so modest, you are probably looking for something with heartier specs anyway…for the rest of you, the Brio 100 checks about all the boxes you’ll probably ever want or need at a surprisingly reasonable price point. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

My last stand-alone webcam (from Logitech) was spirited off to a college campus a few years ago, never to return. Luckily, every laptop, iPhone, and iPad comes with one, so those needs were fortunately covered throughout the pandemic period when video conferencing of various sorts were de rigueur for the times. Now, in an attempt to utilize a nice comfy chair in front of a speedy, new desktop computer that needn’t be concerned with a battery charge, like portable devices, the Brio 100, at less than half the cost of my previous camera and at the same resolution and relative size, can replace it. This newer, USB-A equipped camera also has a few new features like the auto brightness function and the manual privacy shutter to block the physical lens of the camera when not being used. Back in the days when a tin foil hat would suffice for all your privacy protection, a privacy shutter on a camera you point at yourself would have seemed rather counter-intuitive. But a privacy shutter that only shields video, but does not include audio, seems to be only a half-hearted attempt at thwarting the nefarious out there. I will probably just unplug it when I am not using it.
In use, the camera seems to be a little zoomed (it’s a good thing not a bad thing) compared to a new laptop from a major manufacturer that has a lower native resolution. Comparing that 720p camera to the 1080p resolution of the Brio 100 in normal household brightness, surprisingly did not result in that much of a noticeable difference in perceived quality. The foreground image is very much in the dark on the Brio, when there is a bright background like a window, in comparison to the laptop’s camera. However, when you move around in the frame, the automatic brightness adjustment in the Brio will salvage a good image, providing you can stay in that location within the frame. In a more ideal, normally lit environment, the Brio’s performance improves considerably. RightLight is the technical trade-name that Logitech has applied to its ability to brighten up or even up a normally darker image with shadow-brightening capabilities to make you look more evenly lit on your next video communication. If you want to touch up that image further, you can also manually adjust brightness, resolution, and other settings for both video and the camera function with the Logitech Logi Options+ app. The app also manages functions for a variety of Logitech’s other products such as webcams, keyboards, mice, and other products.
When perusing Logitech’s website to see how the Brio 100 fits into the product lineup, I was shocked to see the sheer quantity of webcam models on offer. Why so many? What makes them different enough to keep all of these models in the sales channel? I don’t know the answer beyond perhaps the physical attributes that allow certain models to fit in different physical locations. But, if I was again in the market for a webcam, I would probably buy the Brio 100, as it is relatively small, has good video performance, and has a reasonably low cost.

I got this for a very specific use-case: to mount on a TV connected to a desktop in our living room. I purchased this device because it has a narrow FOV, which I though would enable me to keep just the couch in view.

Unfortunately this being the cheaper end of the product spectrum really interfered with this plan.

Firstly, the cord is very short -- I thought it was 5', but apparently that's the Brio300 and this one is only 3'.

Secondly, the mounting is simply not good. On a thin monitor where the cord is under no tension it will probably be fine, but on a TV (which is flat panel, but definitely thicker than a monitor) and with limited cord length, I found myself trying to mount the webcam off-center using duct tape just to get it to work. And then

Thirdly, there is very little software support for this webcam. The higher end webcams in Logitech's line-up come with software that allows you to control basic webcam functions, like Zoom (even just crop). This webcam doesn't work with any of that, so you're just stuck with what you get out of the box.

If you need a cheap webcam for a normal use-case this is probably good for you, particularly if you want a narrower FOW. But I would recommend considering spending just $10-20 more for a C9xx series for the longer cable, better mounting, and broader software support.

Logitech has been known for their vast line of PC accessories for decades, and has been one of the best selling webcam manufacturers having released various HD webcams for both consumer & business. With the shift to “distributed working,” many professionals are now either traveling for work, or working from home more often. Having a standard built in webcam often leads to blurry or overly processed images that leave a lot to be desired.

Welcome the Logitech Brio 100 to the chat! In the box you’ll find the camera with attached (non-replicable) USB A cable, a privacy cover installed, and a simple warranty guide. The camera is plug & play, offers full HD resolution, and also includes a small LED light to let you know when it’s on. It works on both PC & Mac and doesn’t require any additional software to function

If you’d like to tweak the picture for the camera, you’ll need to install the Logitech Options+ software, which is free from Logitech directly. As of now, there are still some features “coming soon,” such as change to the auto-exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and eventually you’ll be able to adjust the low-light compensation. The app allows you to toggle the auto white balance (on by default), adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness. For those users that require it, you can also toggle between 50hz and 60hz (60 is default). You also have the benefit of using your Logi account to back up your device settings. The attached stand makes it easy to setup on your desk, or mounted above your monitor. I will say this lacks the threading on the stand, so you won’t be able to use some of those fancier camera mounts. However, hanging over my desktop monitor and on my laptop worked without issue, not once shifting around when I would bump into my desk.

This device has worked for Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and for those that use it for work Meta’s Workplace Chat application, all without any issues. When you first power the camera on with any of those apps, you’ll notice the camera image adjust automatically to the lighting environment. I did notice that in lower light settings, the camera would automatically adjust the picture to enhance the brightness. This worked well when I had a small key light on, but you’ll notice near black out if you’re in a dark environment. The microphone works extremely well, with others even commenting how clear I sound during conference calls. It worked so well, I made it the default mic, instead of using my headset mic.

Overall, the camera offers a great value, given the 1080P resolution, clear microphone, and the privacy slide attachment allowing you to block the camera when not in use. The small form factor makes this easy to stow and go in your every day carry back with your laptop, and the included cable is long enough for most applications. I do wish this offered a USB C option, as my laptop lacks a USB A port, but this was easy to rectify with a USB hub and/or a USB A to C adapter. This is a solid choice for the working professional!