If there is one object that has become essential in the last year, it is the webcam. The need to show themselves in video for conferences, meetings, distance learning and the need to do so clearly have made these objects almost impossible to find in the first months of 2020, objects that among other things until recently were not updated that much. and only recently have they started to show interesting news.
Razer Kyio Pro is the latest addition to the high-end webcam segment but aims to become a great favorite for those who need optimal visual performance even in poor conditions and do not want to prepare a setup with mirrorless camera and connection card, which remains the preferred choice of many professional and semi-professional streamers. It costs 200 euros, which is not cheap, but it offers excellent image quality in many conditions, even with some defects that we will see.
First of all, this Kyio Pro would like to be the evolution of the Kyio of a few years ago, a webcam with a built-in ring light that allowed to illuminate the face of the speaker even where it was not possible to have a direct light source. It was a good idea that made the webcam stand out from the crowd, but unfortunately we do not find in this new model, probably Razer preferred to focus on a sensor capable of capturing more light and on the implementation of Starvis, a technology normally used in cameras of surveillance that greatly improves the image performance in low light and backlight situations.
The final result is excellent, in some situations almost comparable with a mirrorless connected in webcam mode. In particular, the rendering of the image with a window behind it is surprising and will help a lot in all those cases where the computer station necessarily receives light behind the user.
Another interesting aspect of the Razer Kyio Pro is its field of view, which can be 80, 90 and 103 degrees. although in the latter case, although it is ideal for showing more people at the same time, there is an evident fisheye effect that curves the corners of the image. The audio performance is good in situations of low noise and in environments with little reverberation, but we always recommend the use of integrated microphones in the headphones and separate for a better performance and before audio returns or other annoyances.
To work, the Kyio Pro requires Synapse, the software with which all Razer devices are managed: it has a somewhat cumbersome and dated design, but it is absolutely necessary to get the best out of the webcam. Each situation is in fact different and, although the image quality is already good out of the box, it is always good to balance contrast, brightness and color correction to get the most out of it. Also within Synapse you can choose whether or not to activate HDR, which will increase the workload for the computer but will make the color contrast sharper and less washed out. But be careful with HDR enabled it will not be possible to use 60 fps when streaming or recording a video. Furthermore, although it is now a standard even in phones, it is not possible to record videos in 4K.
Razer Kyio Pro is undoubtedly the most advanced webcam currently in circulation, able to offer excellent visual quality in situations where the others return dark or overexposed images. The design is solid and the support extremely versatile, although if you want you can attach it to a photo tripod. The microphone is also acceptable. Obviously we are not yet at the level of a camera connected to the computer, but it is probably the webcam that comes closest to you. Really a pity that the integrated Ring Light was abandoned, because together with the Starvis technology it could have made sparks.
The problem is that it costs around 200 euros, which is at least double the average for a good quality webcam, without offering such incredibly superior performance. In many cases it may be too much for your needs, but it is undoubtedly the ideal choice for high-quality streaming, webinars or online presentations – to get even higher quality, you need equipment that can cost more than double.