Want to look better than natural on your next video call?
By: Christoph Janz
Tags: Zoom, Zoom Meetings, Remote Working, Video Conferencing, Technology

The downside of using a DSLR as a webcam is the significantly higher price (unless you compare it to a super high-end webcam) and the fact that the solution is a bit less plug & play than using a standard webcam.

If you want to go for it, here’s what you need:

(1) A DSLR or mirrorless camera that

provides “clean HDMI” output (so that you get a clean video stream without the camera UI)

(so that you get a clean video stream without the camera UI) you can set to run permanently (some cameras have a 30-minute recording limit)

(some cameras have a 30-minute recording limit) can be connected to a power plug (for uninterrupted power supply)

I bought a Canon EOS 250D and a “dummy battery” that lets you connect the camera to a power socket.

(2) A lens with a focal length (or zoom range) that fits your room setup (i.e. the distance between you and the camera).

I have an 18–55mm zoom lens, but I’m still toying with the idea of getting a fixed-length lens with a wider aperture (these lenses are super expensive, which kept me from buying one so far — Moore’s law unfortunately doesn’t seem to apply to optical lenses!).

(3) A tripod

(4) A video capturing device like the Elgato Camlink

Canon has recently released a new software that lets you use some Canon cameras as webcams without any additional hardware. If this works well you may not need the Elgato Camlink.

Is it worth it?

It depends. For most people, a good webcam (with good lighting) should be good enough, but if you are doing enterprise sales meetings over video, webinars with customers, or presentations at virtual conferences, the professional appearance might be worth spending some of the money that you’re currently saving on flights. :-) Another factor is, of course, if you already happen to own a DSLR that you can use as a webcam, since the DSLR is by far the most expensive part of the setup.

Another alternative to consider is using your smartphone as a webcam. Modern iPhones, for example, have much better cameras than most webcams, and there are several apps (e.g. EpocCam) that let you use e.g. an iPhone as a webcam.

2. Light

The Elgato Key Light is a cool light, but almost any bright light will do the trick.

Whether you go for a DSLR or stick to your webcam, good lighting makes a big difference.

Natural sunlight is best, but since I do lots of calls late at night, I bought an Elgato Key Light. What’s nice about the Elgato is that you can control the color temperature and brightness from your phone, but there are many other cheaper alternatives that will do the job.

Portrait photographers like to use three light sources to (literally) present you in the best light, but unless you really want to turn your home office into a TV studio you don’t need to go that far. Just make sure that you have a bright light directed at your face and that there’s no bright light behind you.

3. Camera position

In order to look someone in the eyes in a video meeting, your camera would have to be placed in front of your screen, close to where your counterparts’ eyes are located on the screen. Not ideal because then a part of your screen would be obscured by the camera.

Since I like to stand up during long video meetings, I bought a motorized tripod head that lets you rotate and tilt the camera with a remote control.

There are a few interesting technological approaches to solving this problem, e.g. having a camera integrated into the screen (not yet technically feasible AFAIK); using software to “correct” the position of your eyes in your video stream (a bit creepy?); or (mis)using a teleprompter (this looks like a cool DIY project).

There’s no simple, perfect solution, but if you make sure that your camera is as close to your screen as possible you’re fine. If you have enough space to sit 1–2 meters away from your screen, you can also try placing your camera in front of the screen. That’s what I’m doing, as you can see in the pictures here.