Logitech's New AI Cameras Are Changing Corporate Events. Are Traditional PTZ Cameras in Trouble?

Not in trouble, but changing shape. The interesting thing about Logitech's newest camera is that it is itself a PTZ camera: the Logitech Rally AI Camera Pro pairs a motorised 5x optical pan-tilt-zoom camera with a fixed 1-inch wide camera, and uses the wide camera's view to decide where to point the PTZ head. Yealink's UVC86 and SmartVision 80 follow the same dual-camera idea. So for training centres, classrooms and town halls, the question is less "AI or PTZ?" and more "how much optical zoom and how much automation does the space need?" Plain PTZ cameras with long optical zoom still win where the speaker is far away, on a stage or under event lighting; AI cameras win where nobody is available to operate them. At SourceIT the Rally AI Camera Pro is S$4,453.31, the Yealink UVC86 S$2,585.00 and the Yealink SmartVision 80 S$3,255.00; Logitech's Rally AI Cameras Extension Kit, for cable runs up to 100 m, is S$973.44 (listed 2 Nov 2026).

How do AI cameras and traditional PTZ cameras compare?

From Logitech's Rally AI Camera, Rally AI Camera Pro and Rally Camera specifications, Yealink's UVC86 and SmartVision 80 datasheets, Sports Video Group (31 Jan 2023, Sony) and AVer's TR335 datasheet. We have not tested these cameras ourselves.

Why does optical zoom still matter at events?

Because distance costs detail. Optical zoom changes the lens's focal length and keeps image quality; digital zoom crops the image, and, as Axis's white paper on lossless zoom explains, a high-resolution sensor can only be cropped so far before the picture softens. The Rally AI Camera Pro's 1-inch wide camera crops well in a meeting room. At the back of a 15 m training hall or a ballroom, a 12x, 20x or 30x optical PTZ still produces a sharper close-up of the presenter than any crop.

Stage settings add other problems. Spotlights, backlit screens and people walking in front of the presenter are where automatic tracking is most likely to lose its subject; B&H's guide to auto-tracking PTZ cameras lists subjects crossing other people, fast movement and turning away as the classic failure points. We found no vendor-neutral study measuring how often each camera gets it wrong, so test in your own venue before relying on it.

AI didn't kill the PTZ camera. It gave the PTZ camera a second eye and made it work without an operator.

Which camera suits which space?

• Boardrooms and large meeting rooms: AI framing first. A Rally AI Camera or Rally AI Camera Pro covers a long table and can sit in the wall with Logitech's in-wall recess mounts. See our Rally AI Camera Pro overview.
• Classrooms and training rooms: a dual-camera tracker with presenter tracking. Yealink's UVC86 offers stage and segment presenter modes; the Rally AI Camera Pro's 5x optical head suits rooms of moderate depth.
• Lecture theatres, town halls and ballrooms: long optical zoom (20x or more) and, for important events, a human operator or a hybrid of tracking cameras plus an operator. Our post on whether AI cameras can replace the human camera operator covers that decision.
• Rooms with several cameras: Microsoft Teams Rooms multi-camera view supports up to four cameras on Windows only, with a Teams Rooms Pro licence. Logitech's RightSight 3 multi-camera switching is due as a free update in the second half of 2027. See One Meeting Room, Multiple AI Cameras.

What about installation?

The Rally AI Camera Pro is powered by PoE++ and the standard Rally AI Camera by PoE+, so a suitable switch or injector is needed. For long runs, Logitech's Rally AI Cameras Extension Kit carries the camera over a single CAT6A cable up to 100 m (S$973.44). Logitech also offers in-wall recess mounts, the Rally AI Camera Recess Mount (S$708.24) and Rally AI Camera Pro Recess Mount (S$854.88), and a Pivot Mount (S$201.24), all listed 2 Nov 2026. Recess mounts need 80 to 101 mm of in-wall depth and the ceiling mount needs installer-supplied pipe, according to Logitech's accessories datasheet, so plan for trade work.

Buying in Singapore

SourceIT supplies the Logitech Rally AI Camera Pro, Rally AI Camera, Rally Camera, Yealink UVC86 and Yealink SmartVision 80 (S$4,453.31, S$3,888.00, S$1,896.75, S$2,585.00 and S$3,255.00 respectively), and Logitech's camera mounts and Extension Kit (S$973.44, listed 2 Nov 2026). Browse the Logitech Rally series and large-room video conferencing. For a quotation, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Logitech Rally AI Camera Pro a PTZ camera? Yes. It combines an 8 MP motorised PTZ camera with 5x optical zoom and a 20 MP 1-inch wide camera, for 15x hybrid zoom, according to Logitech's datasheet.

Are AI cameras replacing PTZ cameras? In meeting rooms, AI framing is replacing manual presets. In large venues, long optical zoom PTZ cameras still produce sharper close-ups, and many AI cameras now include a PTZ head.

Which camera is best for a training room? A dual-camera tracker with presenter tracking, such as the Yealink UVC86 (12x optical), or a Rally AI Camera Pro in rooms of moderate depth.

Can I use several AI cameras in one Teams room? Microsoft Teams Rooms multi-camera view supports up to four cameras, on Teams Rooms on Windows only, with a Teams Rooms Pro licence.

How far can a Rally AI Camera be from the room system? Up to 100 m over a single CAT6A cable using Logitech's Rally AI Cameras Extension Kit.