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Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

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Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#91

Post by formerly_proven »

hu3 wrote: post #5

For those of us with less than perfect skin, using a webcam can be a feature. Also I found out that the difference in image quality between a good webcam and a semi-professional camera is not that big after video compression.

One big advantage of a dedicated camera over a webcam is that you can get a focal length that actually makes sense, instead of an ultra-wide angle.

Apart from that it's pearls before swine - any mm² of sensor area above 1/4" OF doesn't matter for MS Teams video crushing.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#92

Post by rkeene2 »

cr3ative wrote: post #8

I'll put Reincubate Camo here as an option too - turns your iPhone in to a webcam. I was so impressed I bought a used iPhone to use solely as a webcam; the whole setup was cheaper than the Logitech C920 he mentions. The picture quality is great.

This looks neat. It seems like it requires you to install software on the system, which is often (usually?) not an option.

Is there anything like this that shows up as a webcam without additional software that doesn't come with the OS (i.e., uses a driver already available on Windows, Linux, ChromeOS like most webcams such as the Logitech C920 do) ?

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#93

Post by inetsee »

I can't justify the kind of prices being discussed here because the only use I have for a camera setup like this is Family Zoom meetings. I went looking on Amazon and I stumbled on "Vlogging Cameras". There seem to be quite a few of them available for less than $200, with 4K sensors, and either attached microphones, or an input for an external microphone. I have no idea of the quality of the image being produced by these cameras, but they seem like they could be a low cost option, and better than the typical webcams available.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#94

Post by ldayley »

hammock wrote: post #58
cr3ative wrote: post #8

I'll put Reincubate Camo here as an option too - turns your iPhone in to a webcam. I was so impressed I bought a used iPhone to use solely as a webcam; the whole setup was cheaper than the Logitech C920 he mentions. The picture quality is great.

Can you use portrait mode?

Camo does support portrait mode, but I think it’s a paid feature included with the “Pro” version on iOS.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#95

Post by orbital-decay »

pmoriarty wrote: post #15

If you're willing to throw $1000 at a "proper camera" of the sort the author recommends, then sure, it would be very disappointing if it didn't outperform the webcam built in to most laptops or phones. But is there a "proper camera" for under $100 that can also offer an improvement over a webcam?

The key to the better quality is not camera, it's light.

A dedicated camera with a fast lens has three key improvements over a typical webcam:

- bokeh

- less noise in the dark, better dynamic range (almost irrelevant for a webcam)

- less compressed video (potentially), which is critical for chroma keying; certain USB3 webcams can deliver a much less compressed stream as well.

If you're willing to sacrifice bokeh and don't need chroma keying, $100 or slightly more can buy you light sources to make you look substantially better on your under $100 webcam. And without proper lighting, the proper camera is useless as well.

Some other steps to look good on a webcam: choose a good lighting scheme, use proper camera settings, do some color correction; a color calibration card helps with this immensely, even a cheap one. Use the virtual webcam in OBS with a LUT generated from your card, control your scene with a vectorscope plugin. Voila, you just upgraded your look to a 100x more professional one, using just a simple webcam.

Keep in mind that you need much (and by this I mean MUCH) more lighting than you probably think you do. And possibly blackout shutters or curtains to completely block the outside light, making your lighting controlled.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#96

Post by ascagnel_ »

inetsee wrote: post #93

I can't justify the kind of prices being discussed here because the only use I have for a camera setup like this is Family Zoom meetings. I went looking on Amazon and I stumbled on "Vlogging Cameras". There seem to be quite a few of them available for less than $200, with 4K sensors, and either attached microphones, or an input for an external microphone. I have no idea of the quality of the image being produced by t…

The more appealing approach is to use a camera you already own rather than a C920 -- anything made within the last decade or so will probably work better, given the C920's awful white balance and autofocus.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#97

Post by jimhefferon »

callumprentice wrote: post #79

The quality aspect is obviously important but I'd suggest that the location of the lens is also vital if you don't want to have meetings where everyone seems to be not looking at you. I cannot wait until cameras work behind the screen and can be positioned right in the center but for now, the only option I found was something called Center Cam that mounts a small lense on a skinny support that can be positioned over…

I appreciate the cleverness of your approach. But is it possible to take a C290-ish webcam, chop off the left and right, and maybe the top and bottom, until it is the width of a dime, so I can suspend it in the middle of my screen? Unlike the thread's original post, I am not overly concerned with image quality, but the "not looking" effect that you mention is an issue for me.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#99

Post by dylan604 »

mrdonbrown wrote: post #67
hammock wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have a good telepromper recommendation? I have found it hard to search/find good ones at a good price.

I use the Caddie Buddy one [1], which is a bit more robust for bigger cameras. There are other options where you can use your phone or something, but I prefer using a mirrorless and a good sized monitor. [1] https://caddiebuddy.com/teleprompter-for-ipads-androids-and-...

Oh my! A teleprompter for less than $200! I haven't kept up with this market, but that's so amazingly affordable. I've long switched to tablet for the text, but this is easily 5x cheaper than what I still use from a purchase back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. I'm guessing that mine is 5x heavier too. However, it is one of those things that once you have it, you don't need a new one so I've just never looked to see what is cheaper today

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#100

Post by [deleted] »

inetsee wrote: post #93

I can't justify the kind of prices being discussed here because the only use I have for a camera setup like this is Family Zoom meetings. I went looking on Amazon and I stumbled on "Vlogging Cameras". There seem to be quite a few of them available for less than $200, with 4K sensors, and either attached microphones, or an input for an external microphone. I have no idea of the quality of the image being produced by t…

[deleted]
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