Unlocking the True Potential of Webcams

Hi there, product developer here. Thanks for taking the time to not only review the product but buy it with your own hard earned cash to review it early. Hope the PR team can get you another unit for potential dual camera setups. Just some updates/points from your review.

1. Definitely agree regarding the colors, we went very conservative with the color balancing and didn't want to over saturate the image (lesson learnt from the kiyo pro tuning). I will see if the team can make tint available for tuning in Synapse via a future firmware update.

2. Regarding the Synapse control for resolutions - We only list the resolutions that are applicable to MJPEG adjustment - the processing tab is solely designed to adjust the amount of compression that the encoder on the camera does so that if people have machines that face latency issues they can adjust the compression to reduce latency and focus more on performance. NV12 is not listed in Synapse for the processing tab as there is no compression value to adjust.

3. We have another firmware and software update coming out at the end of January that will add presets for zoom values as well as improve performance in Synapse and auto focus in certain lighting tests we found post launch. We will continue to update Synapse and the firmware of the device moving forward based on feedback.

4. Will organize an internal review of your video so all the teams, eletronic engineering/mechanical engineering/firmware/software/image tuning can all take points for future products.

5. Longer term I am working with the team to adjust our camera architechture within Synapse so that users can adjust settings without the preview needing to be enabled. This is a sticking point but requires a lot of work internally - I can't give a date but know its on the roadmap for a future Synapse update.

6. Somewhat related we are working on an update for the original Kiyo Pro that will address some issues with color balancing/default values and will look to release it in Q2 of this year.

Maybe you can help me with this. I'm livestreaming Beyblade Tournaments, so I need a Webcam or maybe another Setup which can show the 60fps really good on Stream without blurring because of the fast movement. Right now I'm using the Logitech Streamcam, which is doing pretty alright, but it's still not the quality I want. Do you have any suggestions which Setup or Webcam I could try? I already have an elgato HD60 S Capture Card. Thanks in advance 😁

interesting video, you seem to have alot of different settings including iso and noise reduction and so on in the synapse,
that does not show in in synapse on the Kiyo Pro sadly :)
ime using the kiyo pro right now and sometimes experience noise and grains in darker arears. wich it seems you have none of , even though you have it alot darker
but that might be do to those extra settings that i sadly do not have.

i testet today and seems i get even more noise if i turn on HDR in synapse so i turned that off.

do you think the kiyo pro ultra is worth the money / upgrade, if i already got the kiyo pro ?

Lets say if i want to use this webcam to show my setup (my pc screen) and equipments..is that possible to focus the pc screen only? So while streaming my viewers can see what i’m doing on my pc screen

Just bought mine refurbished with warranty for $209 to replace my current Kiyo Pro.
So I have a question, I own a Evga Xr1 Pro capture card for my ps4 pro, can I utilize it into my streaming setup either with my standalone streaming rig (12700k/XTXH XFX 6900xt/32gb ddr5) or if I wanted to dual system stream would I be able to use my soon to be put on the market/sold 13500/3060ti/32gb ddr4 System I have on hand?

I'm so on the fence, if I should buy this camera (350€) or a Sony ZV1F (450€).
Until now, I used my phone for overhead Lego streams and I would like to upgrade.
The camera quality looks really nice, but I'm afraid of the software.
So, what would anyone here say, is it better to invest 100€ more and get an vlogger camera or get the Kiyo Pro Ultra?

I find it very weird how Elgato is the only one that sells this camera. You can't buy it anywhere else.
There are also dozens of "refurbished" ones being sold on ebay & some other refurbish sellers.

Razer would be nice if the software wouldn‘t be so shitty. I heard they don‘t even support mac os.

Just be aware that the software is still horrendous. Literally if you do a fresh install of Synapse and change the zoom without any other settings it crashes the app. It completely becomes unresponsive.

Also Razor support sucks. I have this webcam. Was moving a couple of things and took the webcam with its mount off the bracket except it broke on the first twist. I contacted Razor support and they said it was my fault and said I should invest in Razor care next time. They also then pointed me to remember to subscribe to their newsletter to save 10 percent on my next purchase. What type of idiotic PR crap is that.

Hey we don't honor our warranties unless you pay for an extra service, oh and it is because we just say its your fault. Oh by the way subscribe so you can save on your next purchase with us.

This is a $300 webcam. Not some cheapy. Looing online it looks like their support has become garbage over the last year or so. Even more so than it ever was. I guess I should of learned from my two Deathadders that died, my ten keyless keyboard from Razor that the switches developed double presses so bad it was unusable, the LED headphone stand with USB that got so bad right at the 13 month mark that it crashed Windows every few minutes or forced a reboot, I should of learned that their support isn't just bad so are their products most of the time.

Not only that the Viper wireless and Orochi V2 wireless along with every wireless device they have made are ridiculous when it comes to connecting to your computer. One port might work then stop working with connection. The Viper worked for a few months fine then all of a sudden no ports on the back of my computer worked. Then I tried a front port which in most cases would never work for something like this and it is the only port I can use my Viper wireless on now.

Razor is a joke. People need to stop recommending them. Regardless if their product is good for a month of testing. It sucks long term and their support sucks and doesn't honor warranties.

have anybody ever tested those best webcams with latenvyMon? what drivers latency impact that makes to system overall?

sounds like the razer one sucks cuz it doesnt remember the stuff u did to set it up

Heyho! I think you mentioned you are not that much into reviewing webcams. But I wanted to check if you got any videos on the horizon or you can tell about any upcoming releases - or you think the "Kiyo Pro Ultra" is possibly as good as it gets for the next months.

Just wondering since it’s been a few months, have there been some improvements with Razer Synapse? I’m primarily concerned about settings not properly saving or carrying over to OBS. Thanks!

The software is the biggest make or break for me. At this point, I have resigned myself to having to use CamooZ + task scheduler to force settings to load on my webcam. If a webcam can't figure out how to get that right without third-party utilities, then I have no interest in upgrading. Webcams should be more convenient than DSLRs, not less.

Edit: I did actually pick up this webcam and the software has been just fine. Settings save to the camera and I don't need Synapse running.

why cant i find the facecam pro anywhere?

Synapse has been hot garbage software for several plus years now. Until Synapse gets a major over haul I won't even consider Razer hardware.

I think you sold me an Insta360 haha

Fantastic review, thanks!!!

Have they fixed the problem with the software not changing between OBS and synapse?

Im looking forward for insta360 link with APS-C sensor.

Is this camera 50 fps?

Pretty cool! Thank you for this, as always.

Hey @epos thank you for this review!

I’m returning and getting a refund on my opal since they won’t work on a windows version anytime soon or even at all. What would you recommend for pc and Mac?

Great vid, very helpful! I hope RAZER listens to your gripes...I get it, we software guys can only do so much in a given time. LOTS of updates to the firmware will generate huge confidence! Hear me RAZER? Be well!

ok now make it 100 bucks please and asp-c and 1080p 120hz--2025 ? can we do 2025? I can wait that long.

estaría gracioso que analizará la cámara web de steren de 2k

A couple of days ago Razer tried to semi-auto install their mouse software for controlling movement and RGB lights, just only 500MB and permanently running service :D This camera costs 300 bucks, I assume it's better to find decent smartphone 150-250 dollars that can record in 4K

So, you're saying 1 inch is enough :D

Does the webcam already not exist anymore? Because the link to their website gives a 404.

In the old days, the maximum for webcams was 640×480 with around 25 FPS and the amount of image compression was different between cameras. Wow, things are changing radically over time...

Continuity cam = still better

"Be kind, rewind!"?
That's kinda dated nowadays, isn't it?

I am genuinely impressed. Webcams have indeed come a long way from the slideshow-like frame rate, "count the pixels" potatocam days of yore. Even in 2022, when supposedly people could have learned how to do video at least a little bit better, I still witnessed all too many online sessions with shitty camera angles, crappy lighting and pixely, washed out images. If only more people outside the streaming community knew or cared about the possibilities... It is not rocket science, really.

During the pandemic I have used one of my Sony mirrorless cameras together with an Elgato capture card (and later a Blackmagic Atem) to do all of my meetings, speaking engagements and 1-on-1 sessions and everybody was impressed with the video quality. The setup only takes a little bit of dialing in. You can do so much to improve video beside buying a new camera. Lighting can do wonders, so can sound. Usable and decent sounding condenser mics can be had for as cheap as 50 bucks.

I still dont get why the sensor is STILL so small, the Lumia 1020 FROM 2013 has a 1/1.5″ inch sensor

While webcams are getting better, the elephant in the room about DSLR's is that you can take them out of the studio and do many other things with them. Webcams are one act ponies, no matter how sharp they are.

349,99 Euro for the Razer-users in Europe.

What if there is just a Full sensor to usb converter and let our PC do the processing via the software. that would be a cheaper way :D

really helpful video. im in need of a new camera.

Now, let's wait for 1" sensor with tracking like instalink360

instead of using a5100 i use the a5000, both are cool but a5000 was cheaper for me

It actually sucks donkey ballz, yeah the background blur is better but at the same time the color aberrations are just ridiculous and the artificial sharpness is not good for faces... It's not a great leap ahead, I don't even see it as a big improvement. Only thing it does really well is let more light in for poorly lit environments.

I thought he was Linus then the video played 😂 I was like wait a minute

I didn't go through the whole video so this might have been covered, but all share this anyway.


Nvidia broadcast has direct control of webcam's image settings (iso/gain, shutter speed, white balance, framerate, resolution) but it is annoying that once I exit that settings window, everything reverts to back to auto. I've tested this with a logi streamcam.


So...
Use Nvidia broadcast instead of your webcam as the input for better settings. And leave the settings window open on a different screen or desktop.

Very important parameters to control when you're dealing with green/bluescreen content streaming.

Btw, link for the Razer is bad. Can obviously just search for it, but still.

The remote control Keyboard shortcut for rewinding is zero (0)

Epsvox can u do a review of mwin flagship capture 90 dollars and has hdr 10 4k 60 pass through but has all the bells and whistles

Its not even a 1 inch sensor. How is that game changing?

Sony a7c

fuji and olympus have webcam apps, obviously not 300$ but at least its not wasted on a very limited product :D