I used my Fuji XT-20 with a CamLink for a couple of days early in the pandemic. It was great from a quality perspective and everyone envied the quality, but it was unreliable so I eventually just picked up a Logitech Brio.
Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
451–460 of 499 posts
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#452The key to this is really to find the "good enough" solution. For me that was a Sony RX100 Mk V that I already owned plugged into a £25 USB-HDMI capture card. No software required. There is an option to remove the default overlay just for mini-HDMI output in the camera settings.
The increase in quality compared to even the "high-end" webcams is significant, with only a minor increase in complexity. I think if your solution requires you to start faffing around with proprietary camera software or OBS then you've gone too far.
I also agree with other commenters in that a higher quality microphone is far more important. I personally use a Rode Procaster into a Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB interface, but I also use the microphone for professional use. Even something as simple as an external USB microphone (e.g. AT2020USB+ [1]) is going be a massive improvement to *the people who need to listen to you*.
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#453One thing that I’ve been trying to educate my colleagues about (including the A/V folks!) is that one can bypass the need to fiddle with drivers by using a generic hardware HDMI -> USB video conversion stick utilizing the mirrorless/DSLR’s HDMI output. It’ll mount as a generic video input that Zoom/Teams/OBS can use. You can find these for $40-$100 and it allows one to switch out hardware brands at will without insta…
This is the method I use, in conjunction with the Sony ZV-1 which gets a mention in the article. It also bypasses the problem mentioned in the article about turning up as a mass storage device. What I've found is that by USB charging and using HDMI out, it's good for ~2.5 hours of streaming, which I've only ever hit once as a limit. there's a newer Sony in the same line (the ZV-E10) but it moved the ports to the othe…
If you enable PC Remote Function [1] it disables UMS so you don't need another cable/adapter plugged in. I notified the author and he updated the article.
[1] https://helpguide.sony.net/dc/1910/v1/en/contents/TP00028862...
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#454This seems like a lot of effort for little value.
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#455Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed. However one thing I have noticed is mic quality matters... up to a point. I'm not even talking mic booms and super expensive setups, the difference between some omnidirectional mic on the bottom of a laptop or the side of one of those bluetooth headphones and pretty much any headset with a mic pointed at your actual face is night and day. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it does need to be within reasonab…
I find the macbook pro onboard mic to be superior to every headphone mic and every group room mic I have tested and I have tested many. If you have one and you are using headpones made for music do everyone a favor and set your defaults so that it always uses the mac's mic. With many Bluetooth heaphones you also get vastly better sound quality in your ears if the mic is not in use.
Same! The macbook speaker is also one of the best I've heard. Sometimes if I'm not expecting a rustling or footsteps, or a quick car beep in the background of a movie, I'll look over assuming it was a real life sound.
That's coming from plugging a bose speaker in to whatever laptop I'm using before.
The machine has it's flaws, but this part is really close to magic for me.
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#456Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hi - I assume your question is which webcam did I use for narrow FOV - for actual camera, it's trivial to pick a lens or zoom :). I ended up getting Logitech Brio. It's expensive for a webcam, and honestly I'm a bit peeved - I don't feel I am getting my money's worth in terms of image quality. The software is also absolutely atrocious, so I don't really use it. But it is the best compromise of image quality and FOV t…
Considering Logitech hit a goldmine during pandemic induced lock-downs by selling >10 year old webcams at premium, I don't see any reason for them to innovate or at least improve their products in near term. Perhaps we've overestimated the need-gap[1] for good quality webcams? Most people seem to be just fine with mediocre webcams for that video call in which their video is anyways going to be compressed and resized…
Most people yell at their computer. Preciously few people who spend 6+hrs a day on calls and meetings, get a good headset with a boom microphone. Nobody correlates the "what? Did you say something" and overlaps and garbled voices and muffled noise cancelled uni-directional simplex conversations on them not getting a company-expensed headset. Improving on the built-in laptop video is not even on the radar :D
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#457Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#458Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hi - I assume your question is which webcam did I use for narrow FOV - for actual camera, it's trivial to pick a lens or zoom :). I ended up getting Logitech Brio. It's expensive for a webcam, and honestly I'm a bit peeved - I don't feel I am getting my money's worth in terms of image quality. The software is also absolutely atrocious, so I don't really use it. But it is the best compromise of image quality and FOV t…
I find the LogiTune software good enough for managing my Brio webcam. Certainly less buggy and frustrating on Mac than some other official software I tried previously. https://www.logitech.com/en-us/video-collaboration/software/...
Looks like I wasn't the only one confused between Logi Tune, Logitech Capture, Logitech Camera Settings, etc :O
https://www.reddit.com/r/logitech/comments/nw17w1/brio_cam_w...
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#459Earlier quoted context omitted.
Disagree. You still get a ton from a low res image of a person vs a static image. Same way how you get a lot from talking face to face vs talking on the phone. Why would my coworkers need to see the individual pores on my nose anyways?
> Disagree. You still get a ton from a low res image of a person vs a static image. Like what? Having worked from home since the time when (affordable) connections were too slow for anything but text, it's questionable if audio even brings any value. I never watch any video streams that may be present on calls. They are, while a fun novelty, useless. > Why would my coworkers need to see the individual pores on my nos…
Body language, facial expressions, tone of voice (annoyed, happy, etc), massive speed increase in communication.
Please don't take it the wrong way, but it's extremely strange you don't see any of this.
If I may ask, what do you do for work now? What kind of communication do you need with people where text is as fast as face to face? Have you ever worked in a physical office before? Do you have any issues when it comes to socializing with people IRL?
Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam
#460To be honest this is a very expensive route to go.
I started recently using an alternative using droidcam on an old Iphone 5 I had laying around, with a battery that could not hold charge.
If your are in Mac you have to use virtual camera in ops, but works great with linux and windows. I still use a headset mic, but provides great image quality with the benefit of being wireless.