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Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

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531–540 of 794 posts

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#531
If you want really good sound quality, you should be using separate audio gear. No on-camera mic is going to perform well due to various cost and physics based limitations. Look to what podcasters use, and buy that for the audio half. You can put a better mic into a webcam, but it'll always have background noise issues compared to a mic that's closer to your mouth.

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#532
post #3

I use https://www.elgato.com/epoccam on my iPhone and for a few dollar is far superior than every webcam I've tried in my life.

I recently switched from Droidcam to Filmiic Pro (~$20), and it's pretty good.

Filmic Pro supports clean HDMI out from the rear facing cameras on iPhones and some Android phones. You do need a capture card, but if you have a Camlink or the no-name $20 USB capture card that EposVox did a positive review on, you're good to go.

On Android (I have a P20 Pro), I use a USB-C HDMI dongle meant for a Nintendo Switch, but it works with my phone plus it lets me charge the phone while using it.

Filmic also has a "remote" app (~$3, iirc) so if you have an extra mobile device, you can control the camera app remotely (since the phone you're using as a camera has its screen is pointing away from you).

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#533
post #23
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similarly, and multiplatforms, I recommend DroidCam ( https://www.dev47apps.com/ ). The interface could use some polish but it works well on android/ios phones to Mac/Windows and Linux.

What's your lag with Droidcam? My experience was a delay of half a second, making it unusable for live conferencing.

I've used it wired via USB to Windows, and it was usable for live conferencing.

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#536

The real reason is buried in the article: You can’t buy a good webcam because the number of people willing to pay a lot of money for a high end webcam is very small. At the lower end, people are satisfied with their built in laptop parts or a cheap webcam that sits on top of their monitor. At the high end, people go down the rabbit hole of buying a do-everything mirrorless camera that they can use for so much more th…

This doesn't make any sense. Mirrorless cameras cost a couple thousand dollars (I have one) and the last thing I am going to wear down/abuse this equipment with, is to jump into daily meeting lol. At the low end, there are decent webcams, like Logitech HD 1080p, but it costs over 100$ and honestly, it's a couple of years behind the current. There don't seem to be webcams of around 100 to 200$ that are state of the ar…

Mirrorless cameras cost a couple thousand dollars

No, they don't: https://www.adorama.com/ifjxt200sk.html

And that's a new, relatively expensive model.

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#537

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make any sense. Mirrorless cameras cost a couple thousand dollars (I have one) and the last thing I am going to wear down/abuse this equipment with, is to jump into daily meeting lol. At the low end, there are decent webcams, like Logitech HD 1080p, but it costs over 100$ and honestly, it's a couple of years behind the current. There don't seem to be webcams of around 100 to 200$ that are state of the ar…

I actually did run my Fuji camera as a webcam for a Q&A at work. 35mm f/1.4 with a ring light left me looking downright pretty if I do say so myself. https://imgur.com/7CxnRLK

I use my Fuji x-t3 with a viltrox 23mm f1.4 regularly as a webcam at work. During the first week in all the meetings there was always someone asking about how did I get that 'cinematic' look.

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#539
There is software that lets you use your DSLR or mirrorless digital camera as a webcam (though I haven’t been able to get it to work with certain video conferencing programs):

Cascable Pro Webcam (works with many brands) https://cascable.se/pro-webcam/

Canon EOS Webcam Utility https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/se...

Nikon Webcam Utility https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/webcam-utility...

Re: Why can’t you buy a good webcam?

#540
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me chime in: just bought a T14s. Could be a dream machine but the shite 1080 panel (Windows recommends a hilariously crappy 1.5 scaling. Kidding me?) the pesky trackpad and the awfully glitchy Windows 10 (yah, probably the drivers but the platform enables this horror) destroy the value of this otherwise pretty solid device.

What's wrong with the trackpad? I was considering a T15...

It glitches, together with the keyboard. It’s like events start piling up as the UI loop locks up (for up to 1 sec.) then suddenly they rush through and the pointer wanders around and keystrokes fall through at a constant rate. Other times they’re barely lagging enough to feel it.

Awful, but I remember similar issues on Dell and an HP. It’s an issue with the device driver or some “value add” driver control software. :(

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