Up your Zoom, Teams and Skype game with these useful hacks

Video calling and video conferencing, it seems we cannot escape it since the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. The daily video chat with colleagues and the boss has become a regular ritual for manyof us. Zooming is also indispensable when it comes to keeping in touch with our (grand) parents and (grand) children. Yet not everyone is completely happy: the image quality in particular leaves a lot to be desired. The often built-in wide-angle lenses provide dull colors and unnatural facial distortion. The result: the lower chins and nostrils are prominently visible.

Camera manufacturers saw their opportunity. Camera manufacturer Nikon recently, as the last of the major camera brands, also made its cameras compatible with Zoom, Skype, Teams and Google Meet. This results a significantly better video calling experience.

Still, it can be better even. Equipment sharing platform Gearbooker therefore gives you the following tips:

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Use your SLR or mirrorless camera

Now that DSLR and mirrorless cameras of all well-known brands have been made suitable for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and Skype, this is a breeze. You connect the camera directly to the USB port of your computer. Your camera will then be recognized as an external webcam via the accompanying software. Are you unsure whether this is also possible with your camera? If it is a recent model from Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic or Fujifilm, there is a good chance that it will be supported. You can check this via the list at the bottom of this post. You will also find links to the software you need here.

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Choose the right angle

By aligning your camera with your face, for example with a table tripod, your video call buddies will see you as they would see you in real life. This prevents the focus to be mainly on a protruding nose hair or a pimple on the chin.

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Use a ‘zoom’ lens (pun intended)

Laptops or webcams are usually equipped with a built-in wide angle lens to capture as much of the room as possible. This is often not necessary for a one-on-one video call. In fact, the lens distortion becomes very unnatural, resulting in a not so pleasing image. By using a camera with a zoom lens that you zoom in a bit further (for the connoisseurs among us: use a focal length of 50mm or higher) you get a much more flattering image.

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Create Depth of Field

By creating a greater depth behind yourself, for example by sitting on the side of your room with a camera pointing into the room behind you, you create a beautiful depth of field effect, also called bokeh. This is especially the case if you opt for a lens with an aperture that is opened as far as possible. A guaranteed wow effect with your colleagues.

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Sound matters too!

Use an external microphone. For a very reasonable price, often only 30-40 bucks, you can buy a tie clip microphone (also called a lavalier mic) that you can click on your collar. This produces a much nicer and fuller sound. And suddenly that hollow reverb from the living room is gone. Just give it a try!

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Need it even more fancy?

If you want to go all out for that video pitch for ‘the board’, take a look at a multi-camera setup where you connect multiple cameras to a video mixer, for example an Atem mini from the brand Blackmagic. As a real image director, you can then easily switch between different cameras and other inputs such as your PowerPoint. Also useful for livestreaming your event. You can hardly get it any slicker.

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Useful links and list of compatible cameras

In the overview below you can check whether your DSLR or mirrorless camera is suitable for using with Zoom, Teams, Google Meet (Hangout), Skype or other video calling apps. You will also find the links for the corresponding software.