Recommendation for zoom friendly camera/mic (not for musical use)

[reeve21]

I've been doing zoom meetings on my iPad, but would like to use my desktop, which does not have a built in mic or camera.

This is for work related stuff only, I'm not looking to do music with it.

Something reliable and not too techy. I just want to plug it in and have it work. I don't care much about how bad it makes me look 'cuz it can't get much worse.

No idea what I should be spending. Under $50 would be great, I could live with $100. If I have to spend more for something that works let me know.

Thanks!

[ssjk]

I have this one. Works fine for 50 bucks. Nexigo has cheaper ones (around 35) and I don't recall why I bought this one. Maybe they are not HD.

https://www.amazon.com/AutoFocus-Mic...6-05ac39e80cc0

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by ssjk

I have this one. Works fine for 50 bucks. Nexigo has cheaper ones (around 35) and I don't recall why I bought this one. Maybe they are not HD.

https://www.amazon.com/AutoFocus-Mic...6-05ac39e80cc0

Looks good, I was eying that brand. Thanks!

[Carmel Cedar]

I picked up a Blue Yeti USB mic used last year. Repurposed it for Zoom calls in March and have loved the quality sound it provides. Used prices ran from $60 to $80 last year, though they may have gone up a bit this year. Worth keeping an eye out. You could make do with a lesser one, but this mic is awesome, and bulletproof for Zoom.

Camera is a tougher question. Good ones are hard to find in stock and can get quite expensive. May need to settle here, but anything you find is likely better than the laptop built-in cams your work friends usually use! Whatever you get, supplement it with good lighting in your room. A great camera with bad lighting yields poor video. And good lighting will help a cheap camera look good. Unlike the mic, the image part is harder, because it’s not just the camera, but also lighting and placement that wins the day for a good visual Zoom presence.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Carmel Cedar

I picked up a Blue Yeti USB mic used last year. Repurposed it for Zoom calls in March and have loved the quality sound it provides. Used prices ran from $60 to $80 last year, though they may have gone up a bit this year. Worth keeping an eye out. You could make do with a lesser one, but this mic is awesome, and bulletproof for Zoom.

Camera is a tougher question. Good ones are hard to find in stock and can get quite expensive. May need to settle here, but anything you find is likely better than the laptop built-in cams your work friends usually use! Whatever you get, supplement it with good lighting in your room. A great camera with bad lighting yields poor video. And good lighting will help a cheap camera look good. Unlike the mic, the image part is harder, because it’s not just the camera, but also lighting and placement that wins the day for a good visual Zoom presence.

Good points here! We have to work with Zoom, Teams and Skype all the time and the video/picture quality can vary a lot. Most of the bad pictures can be improved with a bit of common sense from the users!

The highest problem is back light - users like to have a window behind them but it means their head shot is just a silhouette!

Framing - many users like to lean back in their chairs but it means that they are a small face in a large screen. I’ve even seen some lean back and away so much that mostly all you can see is the top of their heads! They forget that they can use their own monitor window to check framing...

Using a separate microphone is a good idea and the Blue mentioned is a great option. As important as a microphone though is HEADPHONES! The above mentioned people who like to lean back from their computers are often using the computer’s own speakers and of course they then turn them up so they can hear. The echo and risk for feedback is inevitable and nasty...

Often these users are our local councillors having committee meetings via Skype for Business (the service the town have decided to use). We’ve sent out directions and hints but for many of them technology isn’t their strong suit...

Many modern digital cameras have an always-on streaming/filming option which you may want to consider. You can also often use a smart phone connected to the computer as an external camera in which cast the resolution should be excellent.

[reeve21]

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

I have a decent usb mic and a smartphone that I can connect to the desktop.

I never thought of using this gear, but sounds like it will work.

Thanks again!