Supercharge your video calls with the right gear
Sick of people looking up your nose on video calls? Here’s how to take them to the next level.
It is surprisingly easy to make your video calls more professional, and you may already have most of the equipment needed!
You Need A Better Camera!
There are cameras to suit every budget and you may already own one that you can use. Some cameras can connect to your computer over USB and appear as a webcam to your computer using the right software. At the moment, the only one that seems to do this well is Fujifilm’s X Webcam utility, which works with some of their cameras. Canon and Panasonic both have utilities, but they are clunky in their own way; Canon’s EOS Utility requires that you use Zoom in a Chrome browser rather than the native application. Panasonic’s LUMIX Tether utility does not appear as a webcam and requires that you capture a window on the screen. Finally, Sony’s new vlogger-oriented ZV-1 camera will also support streaming over USB.
For this reason, I recommend using an HDMI to USB converter. This has the benefit of working with any camera that can output clean HDMI (no menus, status or other indicators overlaid on the output), you just need is an HDMI to USB converter. I’ve had success with cheap ones aimed at video game streamers like the ClonerAlliance Flint LXT. There are many others available at all sorts of price points. While I’ve not had issues with the cheap ones, for something industrial strength, I might look at the AJA U-TAP.
Don’t Forget Sound!
Audio is really important — often more important than good video. You can get by with your laptop microphone but there are much better options out there. There are a few ways to do this:
- Bluetooth headset: I’ve had good success with a pair of Apple AirPods Pro, which have the advantage of noise cancelation and provide good audio for you to listen to.
- USB microphone: If you’re going to be in one place, a USB microphone on a stand like the Blue Yeti Nano is a good idea and also looks cool. If you’re going to move around, you might be better off with a lavalier (aka lav, lapel or tie clip) microphone — just make sure you have a long enough wire. When using a standalone microphone, you’ll definitely want a pair of headphones like these Beyerdynamic DT 240 Pros to avoid echos.
- Camera audio: I would not recommend using the built-in camera microphone, but some cameras have audio inputs for external microphones. Most of these are 3.5mm (1/8") jacks, but some also have XLR options. Both open the door to more microphone options and you should read this article and this one for inspiration.
Let There Be Light
In many home workspaces, your face is lit by a ceiling fixture and your laptop screen. This is not a flattering look. There are many cheap lighting options available and you’ll want to go with something that’s diffused (the individual bulbs will be covered with a translucent panel), and you’ll want it to be at about the same level as your camera. You might choose a ringlight that goes around the lens of the camera or some other form of keylight. I would recommend choosing an LED one that is easily mountable and either has a long battery life or the option of running while connected to a power cord like the Lumecube Broadcast Lighting Kit.
Hold everything
You know what makes your iPhone look like crap? Annoying shaking. Not only is it distracting, but it also reduces the video quality. So you need to invest in a way to support your camera that isn’t a pile of books. I like the Manfrotto PIXI EVO but you may need something beefier depending on your camera and lens combination. The microphone and light that I’ve recommended come with their own stands.
Zoom In
Now you need to tell Zoom about your new gear. Open the Zoom client application and go into Preferences. You can also access it through the application menu. You’ll want to change the Video and possibly the Audio settings depending on your gear.
First connect everything up to your computer and configure your video and audio settings as follows:
Video Settings
If you’re using a camera manufacturer’s streaming utility, you will need to start this first. Open the Video Preferences panel. The camera or the HDMI to USB adapter will appear under the camera drop-down and you’ll see a preview if it is all set up correctly.
Audio Settings
Open the Audio Preference panel.
- Laptop audio: If you’re using your laptop audio (which I do not recommend), you want to make sure that the Speaker and Microphone are both set to Same as System or the name of your computer.
- Bluetooth headset: Connect your Bluetooth headset using the appropriate Bluetooth menu. In the Zoom Audio Preference panel, you should see that both the Speaker and Microphone are set to your headset.
- USB microphone: Your USB microphone will appear as a new audio device. In the Zoom Audio Preference panel, you should set Microphone to your USB microphone device. You should set Speaker to be Same as System or the name of your computer. Remember to plug a headset into your computer using the audio jack.
- Camera audio: If you’re using the camera as the audio source, in the Zoom Audio Preference Panel, set Microphone to the name of your camera or the HDMI to USB dongle (i.e. the same as in the Video Preferences panel). You should set Speaker to be Same as System or the name of your computer. Remember to plug a headset into your computer using the audio jack.
That’s it! You’ve upped your Zoom game. If you see other participants going green, they’re just envious.
Disclosure Statement
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