First Impressions: The New Logitech Rally Camera
Conference cam powerhouses Logitech are continuing to shape the industry with higher quality cameras and innovative tech designed to make video meetings feel more life-like.
Their previous release, the PTZ Pro 2 camera, set a new bar for USB conference cams with advanced optics and premium performance that made video meetings feel more like sitting face-to-face in the same room. The new Rally camera has stepped the game up even further, setting a new standard for USB cameras with its advanced automatic framing technology that seamlessly creates the perfect shot, every time.
The Rally offers a noticeable upgrade to the PTZ Pro 2 (as reflected in the price tag) but the two appeal to a very different use case. Nevertheless, the similar form factors do invite a comparison to understand exactly what additional improvements Logitech have packed into this sleek little camera.
Look and Feel
The most obvious difference between the Rally and the PTZ Pro 2 is the size. While the physical design of the Rally is a lot different to the PTZ Pro 2, the overall size cannot be ignored. Not only is the Rally larger in stature, but perhaps even more notably in weight. The lens area of the Rally is around 10mm larger than the PTZ Pro 2, and while this is a small change it does seem like a bigger difference when the two are side by side and may offer better performance in low light conditions.
Overall, the Rally boasts a sleeker look and feel with noticeably higher quality materials. The cleaner appearance is helped by the neat under-mount box which neatly houses the power adaptor box. This not only looks sleeker but makes accessing the power box much easier for any maintenance requirements. This really is a feature designed for more permanent installations or where the unit is wall mounted.
Logitech also brought the design a step forward with the remote control. The design has been completely streamlined with a new eight-way directional touchpad, with buttons to zoom, mute and access camera pre-sets. The design of the remote resembles a slightly larger and heavier version of the widely recognised Apple TV remote and feels every bit as quality with metals rather than plastics used for the front case.
User Experience
The Rally really performs in terms of user experience, and it’s designed to be as intuitive as possible to use. Logitech have come forward with a new technological offering in RightSense™, a suite of proactive technologies that automatically detect zoom, framing and lighting conditions to ensure your meetings are perfectly in focus and well lit. In theory, users should be spending less time fiddling with camera settings, so that meetings can be dedicated to the important stuff. The Rally is also compatible with virtually any video conferencing application right out of the box.
Combine this with further improvements to the remote control, which now uses an RF connection (as opposed to the IR used on the PTZ Pro 2.) This not only offers better range than the more primitive IR, but will work regardless of where you are pointing the remote, whether or not you are in direct line-of-sight of the device. Logitech continue to have the user in mind with clutter-free cabling, USB-C 3.0 connection and additional features such as camera pre-sets and privacy assurance.
Recommended Use Case
The Rally’s intuitive technology packs a punch with a little more design finesse for those with more ambitious conferencing requirements.
Logitech has claimed that the Rally is designed for wall mount or inverted near the ceiling. The cabling and hardware provided allow for a neat and sturdy wall or inverted near-ceiling mount. The supplied hardware does not allow the Rally Camera to be ceiling mounted, however, it will work normally while inverted.
A good rule of thumb would be to suggest this camera be mounted on or at least in close proximity to a wall meaning that all or most of the room will be accessible to the panning range of the Rally.
The Logitech Rally Camera is now in stock at Video Conferencing Australia.
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