Bringing meetings into sharp relief
The pandemic has been a driver for so many changes over the past year, including how we interact with each other on a daily basis. While the quality of audio and video calls has always been important to some degree, the emphasis on the right setup and space has now, more than ever, become an essential part of remote work.
I’ve been working remote in some form for over 10 years now, and over the last half of that have seen the shift from communication over the phone and text-based chat to more regular video standup and 1:1s.
For a long while, I rolled with the Logitech C270 (and the Logitech c920x) , but after seeing the impeccable quality in Ash Maurya’s video calls, workshops, and webinars, I wanted to see if I might be able to replicate that kind of setup. His original inspiration was the work shared by Wistia on How to use a DSLR as a Webcam.
I will preface the rest of this post by saying there are a /lot/ of new (and perhaps better) ways to accomplish something like this. There’s even an easy way to use your iPhone as a Webcam via software like Camo. But this setup has been exceedingly solid for me, and I’m happy to share more details about it here.
One more thing — I use this setup on a Mac so your needs may vary if using Windows.
The Gear
An outstanding (mirrorless) camera and an amazing value even years after its release. If you’re a shutterbug or interested in videography you can also use this camera for that, too. One huge advantage in buying this is that I know I can also use it for other endeavors. I really enjoy photography and video so having a camera that can allow me to dabble in those areas is a huge plus. /r/PanasonicG7 on reddit can be a helpful place to turn as well if you have questions or are interested in really using it for more than just a webcam.
You’ll need to plug in the camera directly to to power in order to use thie G7 as a webcam. The good news is that there’s no time limit when using it as a webcam.
Fantastic lens – great focus, sharp, and good bokeh. The camera is important, but the lens is doing all the heavy lifting here.
This device will properly take the input signal from the camera to make it usable for video conferencing and capture. There are alternatives that may not require this device, but this combination has been incredibly solid and stable for me (even through multiple Mac OS upgrades now). The Cam Link supports a variety of DSLR cameras if you choose something different.
Allows you to connect from the Cam Link to the camera itself. I’ve had bad experiences with cables eventually giving out, but this one has worked well with the Cam Link.
I’ve mounted the Lumix above my monitor. My monitor is on a wall mount so this clamp allows me to hover it just above the top of it. I’ll note that I’ve changed orientation and position of my camera multiple times now and used a couple of different arms. Depending on your monitor setup and where you want to position the camera your needs may vary. This is one aspect of the setup that I do constantly tinker with.
Blue - Yeti (Blackout Edition)
The Yeti is a fantastic microphone that produces exceptional audio. I really appreciate the sensitivity and controls, and I strongly suggest tuning it to make sure it doesn’t pick up everything (including the heavy clack of your typing). Logitech bought out Blue and there’s a newer version of his microphone that is supposedly very, very good. Higher fidelity audio is also a worthy investment, and can make you sound smarter.(https://tips.ariyh.com/p/good-sound-quality-smarter)
Mounted to my table, and allows me to orient the microphone in any way I see fit.
Mind your p’s – helps with pops and breathing on calls. Since the Yeti can be very detailed with sound, it can help soften the rough edges.
One more important note here. A couple of the more expensive items (camera body, yeti) I purchased on the secondary market. The Yeti I grabbed off of craigslist locally, and I found an outstanding deal on the Lumix at Adorama in their used section(https://www.adorama.com/l/Used/Photography/Cameras) (saving me hundreds of dollars). This may be more difficult today as everyone working from home is also looking to build their home setup, but the cost savings can be worth a look.
Lighting
I have limited lighting in my office space, but I do tend to close off any natural lighting and use indirect lighting from lamps. This may seem less than ideal, but the prime lens is excellent at low light handling so I don’t feel the need to add a ton of additional light which can be really harsh (for you and the viewer) when you’re on a call.
I considered the investment heavily before purchasing all this gear, and the results have been well worth it. More importantly, this setup has been stable and solid. The gear has held up really well, and I hope to use it all for many years to come.