Your Webcam Sucks, and Your Boss Cares

[@milohoffman274]

Nah, when working from home, having a BAD CAMERA is an advantage. They can't tell you have not shaved or taken a shower, and just slipped a sweater over top of your PJ's right before the meeting if your webcam is poor quality. The last thing I want is to have a professional video image. Then you have to waste time LOOKING professional for no reason. I actually went through and tested all my webcams and looked for the one with the worst picture, that made me look the furthest away from the cam and use that one on purpose.

[@gdrriley420]

I’ve got some old 480P 10-15FPS ones that do a great job of making you look bad.

[@megan_alnico]

I 100% agree. I've never been as respected and heard as much as when no one in the meeting has seen me from the neck down. I started a work from home job at the beginning of the pandemic and the difference has been stark. When someone is incapable of making a value judgement (good or bad) based on your appearance the only thing they have to go by is your talent. It's been liberating.

[@Phelper99]

Agree completely. Camera doesn't matter so much, the microphone matters though.

[@averagetechnologyenojyer]

Beautiful and true 👍🏻

[@TheRogueBro]

I'm glad your shirt has the RJ45 pinout in the RIGHT order... Only a monster uses T-568A!

[@MrV1NC3N7V3G4]

Agreed! Imagine my horror when I terminated my first network drop at a Toyota manufacturing plant and found out they used "A!"

[@CraftComputing]

@@MrV1NC3N7V3G4 Been a Honda guy ever since?

[@MrV1NC3N7V3G4]

@@CraftComputing LOL...Nissan, actually.

[@riskin620]

Excellent and very topical content, and I LOVE the shout out to Veronica Explains! I discovered her channel several weeks ago and I'm enjoying her stuff. Always good to see new creators get support from the community.

[@Verzox]

5:40 I see the demon Jeff is back.

[@user-dn5bx2iu3e]

Props to everyone who intentionally ran their webcams at 240p to get off of zoom as fast as possible during the pandemic.

[@NateTheBrewer]

Honestly while my c922 isn't as good as many of the others in the video it has a better picture (1080p but only 30 fps) than that StreamCam that Logitech sells for double the price. Logitech really seems to love cutting in on their own higher price range products with mid range ones that compete well with them.

[@EmoChipmonkVOD]

Im torn between getting a c922(x?) and the elgato one. The 60fps really matters to me

[@dougtemple8474]

I use a Razer Kiyo Pro, MSRP 199, recently on sale with Best Buy for 99 bucks. The auto-focus sucks, so I just manually focus it to where I need it, and the built in cam rivals my condenser mic in quality, while not picking up as much background noise. It gets my wholehearted recommendation.

[@denvera1g1]

When we went work from home, i went out and bought a 4K capture card and used my 'hobby' camera, an A7iii with 85mm F1.4, and i milked that for all it was worth. On a tripod, and about 6 feet away, it sat either next to, or under the TV i used in my livingroom. While i sat on a leather with brass rivet recliner next to a stone and brass fireplace(not my choice but its there, and i'm not spending the money to pull it out) Above and in front of me was an edison style warm white bulb inside of a metal cross mesh 'shade' behind me was the dinner table an chandelier blown to hell by the massive bokeh from an 85mm full frame lens set to F1.4

[@CraftComputing]

I genuinely hope you were swirling a glass of scotch with a pipe in your mouth.

[@denvera1g1]

Sadly no we're a dry campus and that rule extended to WFH, but i have chatted with NotAnAppleFan while he drank tullamore dew and vaped if that counts.

[@CoalitionGaming]

In my recent testing, Nexigo webcams make for great looking budget options as well as the Avermedia PW315. The Nexigos honestly surprised the heck out of me especially after manual adjusting. Worth checking out as well!

[@josannelascuna9898]

hi! which nexigo webcam is that? is it the n60?

[@VNLEASHED]

Great video! I personally prefer using a phone as a webcam, but getting it mounted every time sucks. The desk mount seems like an awesome idea, so I might look into a dual ball mount for my phone and a light for zoom calls and livestreams :D

[@CraftComputing]

A phone clamp would be an easy addition to the dual mount :-)

[@marksterling8286]

Great video, I was lucky in setting up my home office a couple of years before any lockdowns, I still have a pair of Logitech c920s one for my desk position and one for the whiteboard, they are tweaked for colour and exposure, and the desk and my room have Philips hue lighting coordinated with the camera settings. Audio is done though a pair of Konftel Egos I have found them great.

[@RicoCantrell]

I have bought and shipped Brios to most of my team. I wish these cameras didn't hunt and constantly change white balance. And don't get me started on how teams wants to control everything.

[@killerpixel2k3]

super helpful vid. Thank you very much! I loved seeing video examples of the cams. You helped me a lot making my purchase decision!

[@DSDSDS1235]

I used droidcam for a university presentation, and I just pointed my desk lamp at my face. My room has very strong natural sideways lighting so Im honestly not sure how much better it was compared to just opening the shades lol

[@gdrriley420]

the sad thing is a 10 year old canon or sony camcorder with a 20$ HDMI to USB adapter still kicks almost every webcams a$$ when it comes to video quality.

[@4mb127]

You can get older Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras very cheap these days with clean HDMI out.

[@sigmachef-youtubetravler5718]

@@4mb127 can you recommend some brands/ models? I'm trying to find the best and most cost effective camera for my content

[@Bynming]

If my boss wants me to have a good webcam, my boss will tell procurement to get me a good webcam. That being said, all the managers in my org have horrible webcams. Some even use the microphone of their $15 earbuds in meetings.

[@CraftComputing]

Just throwing it out there... does your boss buy you dress shoes? Ties? Your watch? This video was to point out how terribly most people present themselves on a webcam, and how that may be perceived in a more professional environment, especially as things start 'getting back to normal'.

[@2mustange]

@@CraftComputing Or sometimes these upgrades are for the QOL. Webcam interaction also occurs with coworkers and better quality can tend to build those relationships too. I also don't expect work to pay for my KVM Switch that supports 3 display port inputs just because I don't want two desk in my office. Or my Herman Miller chair..work would have just laughed at me if i threw that request out there.

[@Bynming]

@@CraftComputing I buy things I want for me (dress shoes, ties and my watch), and my boss buys me things he wants me to have for work (my PC and monitors, steelcase chair, desk, etc.). To be fair though I happen to work for an organization that cares more about the quality of people's work than the quality of their webcam. I'm thankful for that.

[@mycosys]

@@CraftComputing honestly, they probably should, but that wouldnt be this society

[@LinkZ10]

Gotta double check what bulb you're using on camera too. I swapped around my bulbs the other day and there was visible strobing on my face the whole time I was on camera

[@CraftComputing]

I didn't have my normal studio lights on for this shoot, and my 'work' lighting does have some flicker, especially on webcams. The lights I recommended in the description are both flicker free.

[@zeero4ever]

Saw no difference when the scene switched from the crappy webcam picture to the real camera. Then I noticed KZbin set itself to 480p. Thanks KZbin...

[@danieldougan269]

I use my Panasonic G85 as a webcam. I just bought an HDMI capture card and plugged it into my work laptop, and it looks great.

[@jeremymahler]

I'd love to see a similar review roundup for microphones as well - I've been using a decent headset for work, which... fine, but I'd much much rather be able to go without AND have good voice pickup and quality at my desk.

[@Bluetouchwiz]

Jabra link 370 best headset I've ever had, voice quality is outstanding, same quality on Zoom, Teams, Webex meeting... I haven't used for personal used, but I would guess the quality will be the same if used with any local software on my machine.

[@ziaride]

My boss removed my webcam. Every work laptop comes with a zip lock bag with the webcam and microphone which was physically removed. Haven't had a single video call in 2 years of WFH.

[@madness1931]

I use my phone camera, instead of a webcam. Just download and setup the app, connect the USB cable, attach the desk mound, and just point the software (Zoom, Teams, etc) to it. It's better than any webcam I came across. After I set this up for myself, I guided some coworkers, and my boss through it. With this, I found that it works on IOS and Android.

[@TechPewGuy]

Tomb-water? TUM, like your tummy. Water.

[@eformance]

Another excellent choice is the OBSBot Tiny. I have one and it is better than any Logitech camera I've seen. I'd say it gives the elGato competition, but the real party trick is the 2 axis gimbal head with tracking.

[@CraftComputing]

I was actually not aware of this camera before today. I'll have to look into any potential uses for that. Thanks :-)

[@plasmar1]

clamp monopod idea is awesome

[@Thesaltymaker]

Step One in making your on cam appearance better is actually realizing it matters. Appreciate the video. Thanks.

[@SalmonColor]

Thank you for this video! I've been in the market for a Webcam but have struggled to make a choice! This helps a ton!

[@JackallDigital]

Alternatevely, you can use your (old) smart phone as a webcam using free software/app. When I've done the test the best plug and play option was DroidCam, just search for How to use Phone as A Webcam. The only potential downside is that phone cameras probably aren't mean to be used for hours on end - which is probably ok for conference calls, but streaming for hours via obs is not advisable (unless the phone is not getting too hot)

[@Pyrichia]

This video has a high-frequency tone through part of it, and some green flashing from encoding problems right around 5:42.

[@stefanbramel]

I bought a used phone a cheap tripod and DroidCamX. With a light the setup is better than any webcam and maybe even cheaper.

[@_Just_John]

Yea, free app and $3 phone stand from China solved my problem.

[@TheCoprunner]

I use my Nikon D5100 with sparkocam for my webcam. I had the camera already so figured it's about the same price to buy the software and cables to buying a camera.

[@DrMacintosh]

Cool thing about a Mac, you iPhone can be your webcam and/or mic.

[@wadoryujh]

A bit more expensive If you don’t have one laying around but I’m using a canon dslr as a webcam. Works super well £15 power adaptor and I was away

[@Major_D3rp]

I love the playful pokes at LTT. lol

[@CraftComputing]

notltt.store ;-)

[@MayaYa]

My magic trick is using a c920 via nvidia broadcast. It really boosted the image quality for me especially in my lighting condition. also the people I'm talking to are on my TV which is above my main monitor so I'm always looking towards the camera. also external mic ofcourse

[@DRSpalding]

Heh. Tombwater, WA. Tumwater maybe? LOL. Say the "tum" part as if you are saying the first syllable of "tummy". Thanks for the camera reviews. That is really helpful info and things to look out for.

[@Chris173972]

The first 2 minutes of this video 😆 Working from home & gaming call out

[@mutosanrc1933]

I bought the J5 Create 4K for about 150/160$. Great camera even with bad light

[@Max-es4xe]

12:04 I thought I was going crazy for a second, but the line is repeated here

[@andrewshearstone1101]

Bloody thing is unavailable in UK ( anker c200)

[@jpconstantineau]

T568B termination order colors? Took me a while to get it. Would have been useful a couple of weeks ago when I pulled a few cables.

[@Elemental_Shift]

Any tips for reducing screen glare/reflections in my glasses? I barely noticed any in your video.

[@cyancoyote7366]

My boss might care, but I don't give a shit because I don't get paid enough to care. Lol.

[@tylerlogsdon8623]

My boss gave me my webcam. If they care enough they will buy me a better one.

[@NOTNlCE]

Intro killed me. 10/10

[@RubyRoks]

Super useful video. I'm looking for an upgrade from the C920 i've been using for ages. That being said, i think this just put me squarely into shopping for even higher quality options.

[@JackallDigital]

Your option can be a better webcam, an (old) smart phone as a webcam check my channel or search online how to do it, a DSLR or Mirrorless camera with clean hdmi out (you need the CLEAN hdmi out so you can hide the camera user interface while recording/streaming)

[@d0hanzibi]

What about linux support?

[@KRAVER_]

I like the shirt. RJ45 color pinout, first thing i saw

[@MINECRAF3334]

I dont know why but for some reason you have a constant high Frequenzy sound in the Background maybe look in to that.

[@TheDeeMutz]

my boss doesn't care, he just made us all come back into office to make him more 'comfortable' ... great vid tho :)

[@daethar]

I'd also like to know which webcam, if any, offers hardware accelerated video encoding. Perhaps it can be included in future videos?

[@TeamingStatue18]

I thought there was a glitch in the matrix when he repeated the specs for the anker Powerconf

[@ny_thep]

Today i tired the AnkerWork C310 and its sucks. More money for a 4k and 1080p 60fps... yeah but quality sucks and i cannot even turn of auto exposure. Even if manual exposure is setted, the camera changes exposure.

[@dfgaJK]

Damn that's a low compression video call you were on! No compression artifacts or desync at all! What software do you use??? 🤣

[@Mutation666]

If you need more length they make USB extensions pretty moot point

[@auke1031]

what happened at 5:42 that scrambled my screed?!?

[@jfrohne]

Well, if my Boss cares, why doesn't he provide me with one?

[@CraftComputing]

Ask him for one.

[@ScullyBrewing]

Thing is, as soon as you join a webex call or other soft codec, compression ruins any quality improvements one webcam has over the next :( ive seen people with a €20 720p webcam look similar to those using a 4k Brio

[@bikerchrisukk]

Nice video Jeff, I've got an AusDom and it's pretty good, though can't speak for audio as I use a discrete and separate headphone and mic. It was £50 / $65 though may only be available in the UK/Europe. That Elgato seemed really good.

[@Eledore]

no, Microsoft Lifecam Studio ¿ Then i would agree, it is a shit-cam. that i unfortunately am stuck with. (Keeps crashing/disconnecting after 20~30 minutes. requires replug-in to fix).

[@majortw]

Smashed the like button in the first 30Secs, so relatable

[@PeterBevington]

Excellent T-shirt, oh and the video is great.

[@Nickscrazylips]

My boss only has meetings in person 🤯.

[@kalark]

when the pandemic started I was using an older logitech c270 and really wanted something better without spending a ton, i ended up buying a used Canon DSLR for like 130 on ebay with the stock kit lens it produces a great picture as a webcam lol

[@Graham_Rule]

The audio sync seemed to be a bit out on this. Was this just KZbin or did the cameras behave differently? Oh, and given only the first three lines of text I'd only just worked out what the t-shirt represented when you gave the game away.

[@mycosys]

I think it would have been worth mentioning that $170 is enough to find a second hand DSLR + kit lens and just about any of them will blow away any webcam. Canon FINALLY released the USB webcam driver (previously they were the main holdout) for most of their DSLRs going back over a decade just after the start of the issues, so most of them will just work as a webcam if you install the software. The main downside is most of them have noisy autofocus that needs to be manually triggered while shooting video. Would have loved to hear a lil more about the mirrorless micro 4/3 sensor unit you were using too, though i'm guessing it costs a lot more than an equivalent used APS-c DSLR.

[@CraftComputing]

The problem with SLRs and kit lenses, is they're not entirely plug and play, nor are they small. A web cam offers a single cable for data and power, and very little actually needed from the user.

[@mycosys]

@@CraftComputing Oh definitely, and that would be kinda what i'd expect with LTT. But..... we're YOUR audience, probably not afraid of a little complexity for performance, and at the minimum appreciate knowing the options. Also - if you're travelling there's a good chance you're taking your SLR anyway.

[@andrewspoelstra757]

Where can i get that T568B shirt???

[@denvera1g1]

0:31 In before taken down for apple copyright claim

[@nicholasl.4330]

Great video and all, but where can I get that shirt?

[@CraftComputing]

My friend Veronica sells them at vkc.sh/merch. Subscribe to her channel too! kzbin.info

[@azmotorhead3614]

So how many of those pieces you mentioned at the beginning would you be willing to 3d print to save a few bucks?

[@ec7287]

Violation of my rule number one: drinks without a top within an arm's reach of my laptop. I repair laptops, and that violation brings in a lot of business. lol

[@mycosys]

I seriously dont have drinks on the same table as my computers. Exact same reason. Engineering tech, started building PCs over 30y ago.

[@C4103]

So I know some webcams that only do 30 FPS at higher resolutions will do 60 at lower ones... is it possible to maybe get that Anker cam running at 60 fps if you set the resolution to 1080p or lower?

[@rip_cl]

I have it an it does 1080p 60 anda the software config does survive reboots etc

[@nemtudom5074]

The last thing i want is for my coworkers to stare at the hairs on my face, nah, video meetings are pointless and stupid, we're there to convey information, not to have a bunch of people stare into the webcams with empty gazes

[@YeOldeTraveller]

Is there Linux software for the Elgato?

[@ProjectPhysX]

I don't get why laptop webcams are still USB 2.0 with crappy 720p. Using the selfie camera of a smartphone from 10 years ago is better quality.

[@hawwestin]

Looks like my notes after last journey to web cams leaked and now its a vod with much better content 😄 I can agree with all the things. But !! Remember that zoom, teams or other meetings apps reduce quality of your video to St like 720p to reduce bitrate ....so logitech is good enough for work

[@CraftComputing]

Good input gives better output, even if your conference software compresses the image. Lighting and camera angle will still make you look good :-)

[@hawwestin]

@@CraftComputing maybe digging dipper in topic ...could you check option to use old smartphone as a camera input via some software ? To cut some e-waste that we ganarate each year or two buying new phone.

[@markowens5446]

Nice camera round up.

[@NatesRandomVideo]

Nah. Haven’t turned the camera on in two years. Audio is fine. Used to sell $20000 a room video conf setups in the ISDN days. The entire company played with it for a few months and then covered up the cameras. Nobody actually cares.

[@llortaton2834]

5:41 jeff you buggin bruv

[@Magmafire]

I am using a Zcam E1 for a webcam too! How are you keeping yours continually powered? I'm using the AC adapter, but I would rather have the camera powered from the PC. I'm not having any luck so far...

[@CraftComputing]

I have a USB to barrel jack powering it, with a 2A USB-A power supply attached. Works fantastic. amzn.to/3DLEtnl

[@thetrumooguru]

Is this good for streaming

[@clarkkent6054]

wow Jeff getting dressed up

[@clarkkent6054]

oh shit too soon 🤣

[@oldestpartofheaven]

i bought the DroidCam for Android - with OBS Virtual Camera that thing gives me nice and sharp 1080p image via wifi, pretty much the easiest webcam :D

[@CarlosDeBernardMrAgapi]

you are complete right on these. I have lose my fate on the logi. even a anker get the pants better. I did see the elgato in action and look phenomenal. if fact better on the video just check here. they nail it and the price is justified. logi has put more on price for just .... 30 usd webcams. shame logi

[@Snowman831_]

Normally I skip advertisements, but this...does put a smile on my face

[@docteur3805]

Team A🤭 ( Québec Canada ) White-green Green White-orange Blue White-blue Orange White-brown Brown

[@alexandernava9275]

Alternative title, Get a good webcam because coworkers don't want to see your nose hair trimming behavior.

[@Jorge.ALXNDR]

honestly, the cheapest option it's using your phone as webcam. I like to use the OBS Virutal Webcam with the app IP Webcam. If you happen to have an old phone it's going to look better than a lot of webcams and it's free (it really only looks really good with 5Ghz network, it's not as realible on 2.4Ghz and of course takes a bit of hassle)

[@goodgoodstuff]

what day is best to get the ball head?

[@simeonjohnston5941]

The Anker PowerConf C200 made me feel like I was watching through a fish bowl. Not like it was distorted, but at the edges, when it jiggles, everything gets kinda wavy like your looking through water ripples. I can see that giving me a headache after a while watching. Probably would want to mount it on something that for sure won't move with your desk.

[@josephbernard6782]

I don’t know if you care, but you repeated yourself at 12:18

[@berndeckenfels]

Add a link to the zcam e1 :)

[@TheNerdy1]

I love your shirt! Where can I get one like it?

[@CraftComputing]

My friend Veronica sells them at vkc.sh/merch. Subscribe to her channel too! kzbin.info

[@futymax]

Those pants in the intro, it got real way too fast 🤭 I've got a Logitech C922 and I've been hating it since the first day. I mean, picture quality-wise is kinda ok, but It has too many issues with the advanced settings. I never know how it'll work every time I have to use it. Sometimes It keeps the last configuration, sometimes it reverts to defaults, or even worse, something different (yep, I've spent many hours trying to figure out whats going on. It's just Logitech). There are times that the video feed is super laggy, and I have to go OBS' camera settings and change the resolution back and forth just make the camera work at 60fps again. If it wasn't for the StreamDeck that has a BarRaider's plugin for setting camera configuration, I'm sure I would had lost my mind by now. This is the best webcam that is available in my country 😐

[@darkphotographer]

the reality , they all suck for the price i was expecting much better quality for 100-200 web cam , my 100buck phone as better image , and you can use a desk mic stand as web camera mount some cost less than 20buk

[@SStarlight9614]

my c270 is good enough for me, they don't need to see me any clearer than that

[@nemonada3501]

I'm trying to find one that is cheap and easily Linux compatible without having to install wine or any of that crap, any suggestions?

[@milohoffman274]

Most USB cams work fine.

[@nemonada3501]

@@milohoffman274 Awesome. Thank you. A few I noticed say they require wine to be installed and that kind of thing and I would like it to just work straight off the kernel rather than needing extra plugins taking up RAM and CPU resources that I could be using for other things.

[@comfy39]

Any thoughts on the Logitech Brio?

[@PupShepardRubberized]

I really like the shirt. I'll have to get one.

[@Americancosworth]

You forgot the Amcrest PW513 ;P