Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra vs Elgato Facecam Pro
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Differences Summary
Specifications
Image Quality
Build and Mounting Options
Verdict
Differences Summary
The Kiyo Pro Ultra records at up to 4K 30 FPS. The Facecam Pro can do 4K 60 FPS; it’s the first webcam to ever do this.
The Kiyo Pro Ultra has superior optics with a larger sensor and wide aperture which combine for a better image.
The Kiyo Pro Ultra has an internal and standalone privacy cover. The Facecam Pro does not have one.
Only the Kiyo Pro Ultra has a mic, but it’s pretty terrible anyway.
Specifications
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra
Max resolution and frame rate: 4K 30 FPS, 1080p 60 FPS.
Video format: MJPEG, NV12 (4K 24 FPS and below), YUY2 (1080p 60 FPS and below).
Sensor size: 1/1.2”
Lens: 8.5 mm, f/1.7.
Connection type: USB 3.0. USB-C to USB-A cable included.
Elgato Facecam Pro
Max resolution and frame rate: 4K 60 FPS.
Video format: MJPEG, NV12 (1080p 60 FPS and below).
Sensor size: 1/1.8”
Lens: Focal length not listed (full frame equivalent is 21 mm). f/2.0.
Connection type: USB 3.0. USB-C to USB-C cable included.
Image Quality
4K. MJPEG.
1080p. Uncompressed.
The Kiyo Pro Ultra beats out the Facecam Pro’s image quality in a near clean sweep. This is thanks to the former’s optics that finally push the boundaries of what webcams have been limited by.
The clarity and detail is better in the Kiyo Pro Ultra with less grain. This is especially apparent in the low light shots below. Color accuracy is miles better as the Facecam Pro suffers from too much purple and a tinge of green where there should be red and brown.
However, Elgato is working on an improvement to their color science for the Facecam Pro and it looks very promising. Whenever that update is released, I’ll post some newer footage.
There’s also finally bokeh in a webcam for once thanks to the 8.5 mm focal length, 1/1.2” sensor and f/1.7 aperture of the Facecam Pro. It looks beautiful.
Neither device has good or reliable autofocus, and both have completely lost me for several minutes… The Kiyo Pro Ultra requires Razer Synapse to fine-tune it to actually focus on anything except for faces.
The only real downsides to the Kiyo Pro Ultra are the lens distortion (curved lines near the edges of the screen) and the slightly greenish tint when using auto white balance. The former can be fixed using Synapse, and I’ve been sticking to manual white balance to deal with the latter.
It’s also locked to 30 FPS at 4K, so it simply can’t match the smoothness of the Facecam Pro at the resolution. That’s very apparent whenever there’s movement on screen.
Build and Mounting Options
I’m very satisfied with the build of the Kiyo Pro Ultra. It has a similar all-plastic body to the original Kiyo Pro and it also has a lens cap. Additionally, there’s a privacy shutter inside the lens itself that you can twist open or closed. The biggest negative is the wire is only 5 ft which is way too short. I had to rearrange my entire desk setup since the webcam wouldn’t even reach otherwise.
A product manager from Razer mentioned (in the comments of my YouTube video actually) that they will be shipping with longer cables in the future and that’s awesome to hear.
The Facecam Pro is super bulky with a solid plastic body and a heat sink on the back. If you’re not putting this on your monitor, you’ll need any equally buff tripod or stand to keep it from tipping. Speaking of, both devices have tripod threading, but the Kiyo Pro Ultra actually has threading on the monitor clip and the webcam itself.
The Facecam Pro has a much longer cable at 6 ft, but it doesn’t come with a privacy cover at all which is pretty mind-blowing these days.
Verdict
I recommend the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra over the Elgato Facecam Pro. Both devices launched for $300 and I bought both at that price. The Facecam Pro is a slight step up from some of the sub-$150 options like the Logitech Brio, but that slight step up does not justify 2x the price.
In contrast, the Kiyo Pro Ultra looks ridiculously good and it can be used as a legitimate point and shoot camera replacement. I’ve already swapped out my Sony ZV-1 in favor of it, since it doesn’t require an HDMI out and a capture card to get the full quality out of it.
