Web camera ABC – how to get started?
What camera?
Web cameras can cost as little as €30 and as much as €300. What you choose depends greatly on how you intend to use your web camera. In most cases you can get a camera for less than €100 that suits all your specific needs.
Typically, a camera rests in its own stand, attaches to a flat panel monitor or, for older desktop monitors, is self-mounting. Cameras that attach offer better flexibility, both for camera placement and mobility. Choose the camera that is most compatible with your workstation set-up. Do not buy a cheap camera, the results will not be to your satisfaction. I recommend choosing the best camera from a leading provider like Logitech, currently for example a Logitech Pro 5000. This will deliver a quality experience to you for several years.
First Steps?
Before you use the camera for the first time, ensure that you have installed your web camera drivers. Your operating system will automatically try to do this, but the web cam vendor will also provide you with the software which always delivers a better result than the generic software.
Some vendors offer face tracking software with their web cameras. This might seem like a cool feature but face tracking is very basic and can lead to the camera getting lost. It’s better to set yourself up correctly prior to the meeting and concentrate on not moving around too much throughout your presentation.
Choosing the right setting?
Video is typically a more bandwidth intensive experience. Combined with screen sharing and audio, it is best used in a high-bandwidth setting. If you are aware of participants on modem connections, consider only capturing video as an image or not using at all. Those people on the modem will miss several video frames due to their bandwidth and the experience will not be optimal.
You can also determine your image settings. This allows you to adjust how rapidly the image is transmitted. Standard options are “fast” for high-bandwidth meetings and “slow” if video in this meeting is secondary or you want to limit the use of bandwidth.
Positioning the camera?
Setting up your web camera is only the first step, using it is the next. You need to get used to speaking to a camera like a person. It is like “look em in the eye” when having a conversation with someone. It takes some time getting used to, because instead of talking to a person, you are focusing on a camera and talking to it like it was a person.
Once you have trained your eyes to focus on the camera, you need to place it in the correct position where it can produce the best results. Do not put it next to the mouse on the desk, below the monitor, to the right or to the left-side of the screen. The best place to put the camera is above the monitor in the centre of the monitor. You will be looking slightly up; however your view can easily glance at your content and your viewers.
Setting the scene?
What you wear can have an impact on your transmission. Wearing bright colours or white tends to wash out your face if you expect to be presenting. Muted solid colours, like pale blues and yellows work best when presenting in front of a camera. If you are making a formal presentation, it is also advisable to avoid contrasting patterns such as stripes or checker prints, which can end up looking jagged and appear to jump around on the screen.
Lighting has another big impact on the quality of your video. Not enough light and you will be hard to see, too much light and you disappear. First rule; don’t have a strong light source behind you. The most common mistake is having a window with bright sunshine behind you. This will completely wash out your video. Use desk lights and any other ambient light that will help you to “brighten up”. Take a few minutes before the meeting to make sure your face and visible area is well light up.
Your background is the last piece. Basic rule, declutter and sit in front of a plain background. Take down anything that can distract the viewer so the focus is on you and your content, not on the calendar and pictures behind you.
Ready to go – “No-No’s”
So you are ready to go. Remember this really is like being at the meeting. Don’t do anything that you wouldn’t do if you were present at a meeting. Yawning or eating are examples of things you should not do when in front of the camera. If needs be, go off camera.
What to do with your web camera?
Anything from plain video calls, online meetings up to multipoint desktop video conferencing is possible. Many people use their web camera to stay in contact with friends and family aboard and for education. Businesses use it for webcasting, webinars, web and video conferencing. Education and science usage in lecture capturing and remote online training is also increasing.
Video messaging (see top of this newsletter) is a new phenomenon that is catching on with users worldwide and delivers great benefits to business and users alike.
See a webcast recording talking about the different concepts with David Slater https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a227210/webcambestpractice/
