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[Rob Spence]

Like many others I have been using Zoom to “meet” up with others. My old 2010 MacBook isn’t ideal for this but I have a newer a Mac Mini I could use. Of course it doesn’t have a screen mounted camera and mic.

I do have an XLR to USB adapter so I could just use a mic from my locker.

Thoughts on appropriate mics and cameras? This isn’t studio production so don’t need super good stuff.

I generally sit back a few feet from the current camera in case that matters.

Thanks as always!

[Riley Casey]

MAny recent model '35mm' digital cameras will do this out of the box but even your phone should work as a camera in conjunction with your computer.

https://www.wired.com/story/use-your-phone-as-webcam/

[Ned Ward]

I see a lot of webcams on Amazon for <$50 - they should do the job. Biggest peformance enhancer? Light.

Having good light will make mediocre cameras perform better - I have an old "torch" lamp in my office/studio that throws lots of light up behind my MacBook camera. Light in back of the camera good, light behind you (open window, etc.) bad. Even open side windows can have an effect.

For mics, I've had good success with my usual iPhone headset - a set of Skull Candy EarPods with the non mic side cut off. plugs right into the headphone/mic jack of your Mac mini, and gets the mic where it needs to be without being obtrusive.

[Glen Kelley]

Like many others I have been using Zoom to “meet” up with others. My old 2010 MacBook isn’t ideal for this but I have a newer a Mac Mini I could use. Of course it doesn’t have a screen mounted camera and mic.

I do have an XLR to USB adapter so I could just use a mic from my locker.

Thoughts on appropriate mics and cameras? This isn’t studio production so don’t need super good stuff.

I generally sit back a few feet from the current camera in case that matters.

Thanks as always!

I've been using a cheapy Audio-Technica boundary mic connected through a Focusrite 2-channel USB i/o for my home office, and it has worked much better than the built-in microphone on the webcam. I leave the mic sitting on the desk below the monitor.

Of course, if you don't already have these things, it's an expensive way to do it, but I'm sure that many of us do have such things "around".

[Dave Garoutte]

The primary advantages to DSLR bodies is the lens quality and interchangeability, and portability.
If you're only ever going to zoom calls on your laptop or PC, a webcam probably makes more sense.

If you go for a DSLR type of camera look for several features.

Mirrorless - You don't need this photo feature, it just uses more power.
Clean HDMI output - you don't want the on screen controls to show.
Continuous operation - some cameras will only do video for a limited time and then shut off, or overheat.
External power - the battery won't last long enough, so you'll need an external P/S or dummy battery P/S.

That said, proper lighting and sound can make more improvement that almost anything else at the 'entry level'.
A little bit of good lighting goes a long way.
There are lots of Youtube tutorials on lighting for webcasts.

Arguably, crappy sound is a much bigger distraction to the viewer than marginal video, so if you can prioritize your stream for optimum sound at the sacrifice of perfect video, that may be a consideration.

[Justice C. Bigler]

I use my Apogee One with Heil PR30 and Canon EOS RP as my camera.

[Caleb Dueck]

I see a lot of webcams on Amazon for <$50 - they should do the job. Biggest peformance enhancer? Light.

Having good light will make mediocre cameras perform better - I have an old "torch" lamp in my office/studio that throws lots of light up behind my MacBook camera. Light in back of the camera good, light behind you (open window, etc.) bad. Even open side windows can have an effect.

This here.

Some of the better Logitech cameras (C930e, Brio Ultra HD Pro) are actually pretty good, even for a small conference room table and multiple individuals.  The C930e is a bit over $100.  Proper lighting angles, relative brightness levels, matched color temp and CRI, etc - makes a huge difference. 

Lav mic and compression, assuming good noise reduction in the software, works great.  If you want to spend more money, a small DSP like a Xilica QR1 with USB output will take in, process (EQ, compression, AEC), and output directly to computer all audio signals.  It's more expensive than a Scarlett 2i2 as it's a full DSP. 

[Milt Hathaway]

Earlier this week I used a 77DX to cloudlifter to Scarlett interface setup for audio. Pointed a couple of no-color LED fixtures at the wall as bounce lighting. Set up my homemade green screen (3 yards of green felt from JoAnns Shop draped over a garment rack) so I could use a nice virtual background. Used ear buds out of the Scarlett so that I could have some side tone in one ear.

Next time I need a camera I can control the white balance on. The green screen was throwing off the computer's reference.

Got plenty of compliments on the audio though. Makes sense that a mic that was hugely popular for speech during a time when the audio spectrum was very restricted would sound good on a new medium that is also often spectrum restricted.

Yes, I too miss being busy with real gigs.

[Randy Pence]

The primary advantages to DSLR bodies is the lens quality and interchangeability, and portability.
If you're only ever going to zoom calls on your laptop or PC, a webcam probably makes more sense.

If you go for a DSLR type of camera look for several features.

Mirrorless - You don't need this photo feature, it just uses more power.
Clean HDMI output - you don't want the on screen controls to show.
Continuous operation - some cameras will only do video for a limited time and then shut off, or overheat.
External power - the battery won't last long enough, so you'll need an external P/S or dummy battery P/S.

That said, proper lighting and sound can make more improvement that almost anything else at the 'entry level'.
A little bit of good lighting goes a long way.
There are lots of Youtube tutorials on lighting for webcasts.

Arguably, crappy sound is a much bigger distraction to the viewer than marginal video, so if you can prioritize your stream for optimum sound at the sacrifice of perfect video, that may be a consideration.

My girlfriend just got an eos rp, after using a mk1 5d for a long time. She was comparing it to the mk2 6d, but decided that she wanted something different than the _d that she was used to. Her main interest is photography, but video will soon become part of the game. One reason she went for the mirrorless is that the body is so much smaller and lighter. That won't play a factor in zoom calls, but useful when going into the field.

Anyhow, the mirrorless uses a continuous sensor, compared to mirrored, which does consume more energy for photography, but wouldn't video operation on a mirrored dslr be continuous, anyway?

[Chris Hindle]

Anyhow, the mirrorless uses a continuous sensor, compared to mirrored, which does consume more energy for photography, but wouldn't video operation on a mirrored dslr be continuous, anyway?

Yes, with the added "bonus" of energy required to hold up the mirror...
Hope your GF enjoys her new toy.
Chris.

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