At present, we have to resort to video calls due to the fact that most of our professional and social interactions have been forced online thanks to the pandemic. Zoom happens to be the preferred video conferencing platform for many individuals out there, while others spend their time on Instagram, FaceTime, as well as Google Hangouts. Video chatting has turned out to be a central part of our lives regardless of the platform which we are using, and the time is perfect for making upgrades.
This might imply learning the basics of videoconferencing meetings on camera. There is no need to get an HD WebCam for getting the desired results – selecting the proper environment, optimizing your lighting conditions, and also placing the lens of the camera in the proper manner will be able to make your video call appear more professional in the long run. It is a fact that there is no need for you to be a Twitch streamer with an astounding webcam or a reputed YouTube personality; it will be possible for even a beginner to perform competently without learning a lot in case he has the proper tools and gear for spicing up a video meeting or online class.
First of all, one must have the proper gear including the most competent microphone and WebCam. Sadly, on most occasions, the inbuilt microphone and camera of your laptop fail to deliver the goods, and they prevent you from performing well during the video conferencing calls. You are advised to get rid of the inbuilt webcam, and instead, purchase a standalone cam along with a stereo microphone featuring noise cancellation. In fact, an inexpensive webcam featuring autofocus plus a decent mic will be able to enhance the sound and picture quality sufficiently during a particular video conference.
It is quite simple to upgrade your video and audio tech from a technical viewpoint and is also comparatively affordable. It will likewise enhance your production values dramatically in videoconferences. In the following paragraphs, we have mentioned a list of gear that will help to improve your video chatting to a great extent. So, let us not waste time and go through the products from start to finish.
1. Logitech Brio Pro 4K webcam
Once the individuals started working from home after the outbreak, they found it quite difficult to come across a brand name webcam. 2 of the most well-known cams happen to be the StreamCam as well as the 4K-capable Brio from Logitech which are somewhat costly as compared to the other similar products out there. However, they are worth the cost considering the features offered by them.
In the meantime, in case the integrated camera of your laptop is not delivering the goods for you, you can make use of a tripod as well as the HD camera of your smartphone for enhancing video chat quality while live streaming.
2. Lume Cube
Although you will come across quite a few lights on the market at present, the one mentioned here is undoubtedly amongst the best. This LED light is bright as well as adjustable and comes with a physical toggle for adjusting the color temperature as well as brightness. The attractive display is going to show every single level as well as how much charge is left in the battery which happens to be USB-C rechargeable. The light can be positioned in the portrait or landscape mode by making use of the suction cup mount that comes along with the product.
Although there are several complaints from Amazon users regarding the fact that the mount does not function properly, it should not bother you whatsoever. It will be a sensible idea to attach it securely to the back of your laptop, and you will not be able to pull the thing off without loosening the suction mechanism at first.
Another astounding choice happens to be the Joby Beamo Mini whose price is almost identical to that of the Lume Cube. This model is waterproof and extremely compact in size and is able to produce 1,000 lm as well. It features a magnetic back which will be able to stick to any metallic surface without any problem at all.
3. Blue Yeti USB mic
Background audio which is cutting in and out can disrupt your online meeting significantly, and the lousy inbuilt microphone of your laptop might be responsible for this. However, this problem can be solved by adding a decent WebCam to the setup; however, a standalone microphone will be able to make your audio become clear and rich. This model mentioned here is quite popular amongst streamers and podcasters across the globe.
Even though it appears like something which you see in a radio station of the 40s, the audio technology is absolutely contemporary. The device comes with as many as 3 microphones and 4 pickup patterns as well as sufficient controls for optimizing your audio admirably.
4. Phone tripod mount
Multitasking at a video conference can be quite difficult. Resizing windows and browsers as well as opening apps and closing them while conversing with your boss on Zoom call can prove to be quite tedious for you. This issue can be solved by offloading all the video and audio recording tasks to your smartphone which might come with a better camera as well as microphone technology.
In case you are following this particular route, you might want to go for an adjustable tripod which should be able to hold your smartphone security at a flattening angle. Here, you might like the bendy Gorillapods from Joby which come at a price of $30 and include a clamp which will be able to accommodate your iPhone comfortably. Moreover, you can also wrap the Gorillapods around any non-flat surface or post.
5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
In case you are dealing with an outdated Windows laptop or MacBook Air which was launched quite a few years earlier, you might find that it will be very difficult to perform multitasking during your Zoom session. Therefore, it will be a sensible idea to go for a more recent laptop featuring an updated processor as well as webcam software. For this, you can purchase the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga which will provide you with some innovative features such as a touchscreen display, blazing speed, as well as USB-C ports.
