YOLOLIV YoloCam S3 | The Best Webcam in Years with one Flaw…
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Quick Summary
The YOLOLIV YoloCam S3 is the best looking webcam I’ve used in years. However, it has a few shortcomings and one massive flaw that keeps me from recommending it outright.
Unlike other reviewers of this webcam that got it for free, I paid for this (and all my products) out of pocket, so I can say things others won’t.
Specifications
Max frame rate and resolution: 4K 30 FPS or 1080p 60 FPS.
Video format: MJPEG, NV12, and H.264 at 4K 30 FPS. YUY2 available at 1080p and below.
Sensor size: 1/1.3”.
Aperture: f/1.85.
Focal length: not listed, but it’s 24 mm full frame equivalent.
Field of view: 84 degrees.
Image Quality
While most other brands have been cheaping out on optics, YOLOLIV put some legit parts into the YoloCam S3 and it shows.
In short, the image quality is excellent. I haven't seen a webcam this good since the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra. That said, it definitely needs some tweaking to look its best, and it requires the software to do so.
The YoloCam S3 has razor sharp detail and clarity. In fact, I think it's been over sharpened, so I turned mine down to its minimum, because otherwise it makes every pore and fine line stand out unnaturally.
The bokeh is superb. It’s even stronger than what you get on the Kiyo Pro Ultra. This is true shallow depth of field due to the lens itself, not a software effect. So you don't have to worry about random parts of your hair or chair getting distorted with random software artifacts.
Unfortunately, the contrast is very strong which makes shadows and fine lines stand out. Reflections from studio lights also pop as you can see in the above image. I just look sweaty and shiny all the time.
Ultra low light
The YoloCam S3 has phase detection autofocus which is very fast. It's like having product showcase mode on the Sony ZV-1. There's no manual focus. However, when using cameras with such a narrow plane of focus, it's very impractical to actually use the manual focus unless you're taking still pictures.
The large sensor even lets this be usable in ultra low light scenarios. When there is adequate light, there’s very little grain.
Here’s a quick comparison of the image with some of the other top webcams on the market. Honestly, you’ll need to watch my video to truly see the differences.
Image Quality Summary
While the YoloCam excels in detail, autofocus, and bokeh, it has too much contrast for my preference and the colors require a massive amount of tweaking in the software to look good.
One other issue is the 60 FPS function is bugged out the box, so you need a firmware update to fix it. Fortunately, YOLOLIV seems to be very active with fixing bugs and issues through software.
I’d place the YoloCam S3 at #2 best on the market in terms of overall image quality, but we still haven’t gotten to that major flaw yet…
Software
In the YOLOLIV Compose software, you can control many basic and advanced webcam settings. The S3 is very reliant on the software and you cannot even change the shutter speed without it.
You can set the camera’s orientation to vertical or horizontal here. You physically rotate the device to accommodate this. The color settings took me several days to really lock in, but those are the best for my setup if you want to copy them.
I don’t believe the S3 has a microphone inside. If it does, my computer didn’t detect it.
Build
First, the good.
The S3 is very compact. The magnetism on the monitor mount is very strong. You can utilize this to swivel the device, and the monitor mount can be tilted up and down. This feels very sturdy on a monitor unlike the OBSBOT Meet 2.
You can snap it on in either the vertical or horizontal orientation because there are magnets on two sides. There's 1/4 inch threading on the bottom of the mount.
Now for the bad. The cable is very short at 60 inches. It’s USB-C to A and it comes with an adapter (that part’s not bad).
This next part is the reason I ultimately cannot recommend the YoloCam S3.
This activation light on the front never turns off. The reason it doesn't turn off is because the webcam itself never turns off. I found this out on accident by setting it to face focus mode in YOLOLIV Compose, and then I closed all my apps.
As I was recording B-roll, I kept hearing this clicking sound. That was the optics of the webcam trying to autofocus as I walked in and out of frame. To make matters worse, there is no privacy shutter internally and there is no external privacy cover included.
That's a deal breaker for me, but if that doesn't bother you, it’s all good.
Verdict
The YoloCam S3 is an exceptional webcam. From a purely optics standpoint, the only thing that outright beats this is the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra.
However, the webcam being active 24/7 even with all webcam software closed while having no privacy cover really just aren't my thing. I’m sure this will get patched out in firmware, but as of this article, I only recommend it if privacy is of no concern.
