Stream Tech Reviews is known for a strict policy: the channel buys everything out of pocket. While other creators received the YoloCam S3 free, he paid $200 and describes his video as the first review by an actual consumer. That independence makes his conclusion worth reading carefully. He calls the S3 “the best webcam I’ve used in years” on optics, ranks it second only to the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra for image quality, and then explains two issues that stopped him from recommending it at the time. This article presents both sides.
Specs That Explain the Image
He credits the S3’s look to real optics rather than post-processing. The sensor is 1/1.3-inch, second only to the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s 1/1.2-inch among webcams he knows of. The aperture is f/1.85, and the full-frame-equivalent focal length is 24mm, roughly an 84-degree field of view. Output modes include MJPEG, NV12 and H.264 at up to 4K 30 or 1080p 60. He found H.264 laggy and NV12/YUY2 hard to color-correct, so he recommends MJPEG.
Image Quality: Oversharpened by Default, Natural Bokeh
His headline: image quality is excellent, but it needs tweaking in the software to look its best. He found the default too sharp, making pores and fine lines pop unnaturally, and dropped sharpness to the minimum (-10).
The bokeh earned unreserved praise. It is optical, not a software effect, so there is no artifacting when you move. He showed background text that was legible on the Kiyo Pro Ultra but blurred further on the S3, demonstrating stronger background separation even than Razer’s flagship.
Autofocus: “Only the Sony ZV1 Is This Fast”
The phase-detection autofocus impressed him. In center mode it was extremely snappy, matching the only camera he has used with this speed and consistency, the Sony ZV1. He keeps it on face mode so slight movements do not fall out of focus. He addressed a complaint from another reviewer about the lack of manual focus: with a plane of focus this shallow, manual focus would leave you blurry the moment you lean, so he thinks good autofocus matters more. He called the autofocus “a huge step up” from the Kiyo Pro Ultra, which locks onto the face but is slow to reacquire.
Head-to-Head: Kiyo Pro Ultra, OBSBOT Meet 2, Elgato Facecam 4K
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra ($300 to $400): still his top pick for colors and dynamic range, but double the price and with a fisheye distortion that requires a removal filter. The S3 has no such distortion.
OBSBOT Meet 2: similar price range and similar image, but less sharp, weaker background separation, more grain, and purples rendered too deep.
Elgato Facecam 4K: the weakest optics, no background separation, noticeable grain, but the only option besides Elgato’s Facecam Pro offering 4K 60.
He noted the S3 has very little grain compared with the Facecam 4K and Meet 2, and in an ultra-low-light test lit only by monitors it stayed bright, which he attributed to the lens and sensor.
The Criticisms: Color Defaults and Dynamic Range
Auto color produced a yellow, brown cast he disliked, and it took him a long time to dial in a manual white balance (he settled around 4750K). His bigger issue was dynamic range: hot spots from his lights reflected on his skin and shadows went very deep, which combined with the sharp image looked “gritty” and oily to him. The contrast slider (default 50, he used 47) quickly turned the whole image gray rather than taming highlights, and the DR slider (he used 33 instead of 50) helped but did not fully solve it. He hopes YoloLiv tunes the out-of-box colors and contrast or gives finer dynamic range control.
He also reported that 1080p 60 in MJPEG appeared to deliver 30 fps when stepped frame by frame, which he suspects is a bug, and that his computer did not detect a microphone (the S3 does not include one).
YoloLiv Compose Walkthrough
He is generally not a fan of webcams requiring software for basic settings, but documented the Compose features: 16:9 or 9:16 with correct orientation when the camera is flipped, sharpness/contrast/saturation, the DR slider, lens shading correction (he was surprised how strong the lens’s natural vignette is), focus modes, exact ISO and shutter control (he uses 1/60), manual white balance, and the Fast color grading tool, which he liked for adjusting skin tones.
Build: Strong Magnet, Short Cable
Positives: compact size, a monitor magnet far stronger than the Meet 2’s, vertical or horizontal mounting, and a 1/4-inch thread on the mount. Negative: the USB-C to USB-A cable is only 60 inches long.
The Dealbreaker for Him: Always On, No Privacy Shutter
His reason for not recommending the S3 at the time of filming: the activity light never turns off because the camera never powers down. With OBS and Compose closed and his other webcams off, he could still hear the S3’s autofocus clicking as he walked in and out of frame in face mode. There is no internal privacy shutter and no included cover, and the camera stays warm. He was explicit that this is a personal line and that viewers who are unbothered should not be deterred.
Verdict
“A great webcam from a purely optics perspective,” beaten only by the Kiyo Pro Ultra, with the fastest autofocus he has used in a webcam. He wants better default color and contrast, a fix for 60 fps, and a way for the camera to sleep or a privacy cover. “YoloLiv did a lot of great things with this webcam.”
Editor’s note: this review reflects the firmware and software available in early November 2025. Several later reviews reference subsequent YoloCam S3 firmware updates; check the latest release notes for current behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the YoloCam S3 better than the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra?
Stream Tech Reviews prefers the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s colors and dynamic range, but the S3 has stronger bokeh, faster autofocus, no fisheye distortion and half the price.
Which output format should I use with the YoloCam S3?
He recommends MJPEG; H.264 added lag and NV12/YUY2 required more color work.
Does the YoloCam S3 have a privacy shutter?
No. This was his main reason for withholding a recommendation at the time.
What sharpness setting does he recommend?
The minimum, -10, because the default looked oversharpened to him.
Does the YoloCam S3 produce real background blur?
Yes. The bokeh is optical, from the f/1.85 lens and large sensor, not a software effect.
This article is based on an independent, self-funded review published by Stream Tech Reviews. Watch the full video for the four-way comparison.
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Sharon, a member of YoloLiv, has a great interest in the live streaming industry and is learning to write articles related to live streaming.
