Upgrading my live streaming setup with a system camera and a studio microphone
Image by Ira Lee Nesbitt from Pixabay
My YouTube channel has seen some serious growth lately and I realized that it is time to up the ante regarding the production value. Up until now I have been using a Logitech BRIO webcam, and a Jabra Speak conference phone. They get the job done fine, but the camera struggles with White balance and focus and the microphone picks up a ton of room reverberation. So, I pulled the trigger and invested in a proper mirrorless camera with real optics and a spring-loaded studio arm to mount a large membrane microphone. This gave a huge boost in production quality and my online meetings have never looked and sounded this good. I am also proud that I kept going with basic equipment for almost 1½ years before upgrading. My past self had a tendency to get stuck in gear acquisition syndrome instead of producing content. You should always let the content come first, and then invest.
If you are thinking about getting a system camera as a webcam, there are a couple of things you need to know. The most important one is that many system cameras have a 30-minute limitation on the video feed. Online meetings and lectures will easily go past 30 minutes. I got a Sony A6400 camera which does not have this limitation. Another thing that you will need is an HDMI input to your computer, which you can solve with an Elgato Camlink. With that said, some cameras – including my Sony – apparently can send a video feed over USB nowadays. I haven’t tried that, but if it works, then I guess you wouldn’t need the Camlink anymore. However, I like using the Camlink because it is 100% plug and play with no drivers and no issues whatsoever. Stable.
You will also need a constant power feed to your camera. This can be solved using a dummy battery with a power cable. But once again, the Sony shines with its ability to be powered over USB. Very easy! And another thing is that you will need some way of mounting the camera on your screen, which is easier said than done. I have my screens attached to a triple monitor arm stand with two gas arms and a pole in the middle. Luckily, I had a RAM mount with a clamp, arm and a threaded camera mount in my motorcycle accessories. This kit was like it was tailored to be clamped on the pole Screen mount and I got the camera in the perfect position instantly. The Sony also has a flip-up screen that turns 180 degrees, which makes your life a lot simpler when you are trying to point it at your face.
If you try out a system camera as a webcam, you will probably be amazed with how much more professional it looks. But whatever camera you use, I strongly recommend that you invest in some studio lights or ring light before you buy anything else. Of all the equipment I have experimented with, nothing gave as big of an improvement as my pair of Elgato Key lights. For now, I am just using the kit lens that came with the camera, but I will invest in a prime lens as soon as possible that will give me that sweet depth of field effect with a blurred background and a sharp face. In other words, precisely that look that you’ve probably seen a thousand times by now in Teams or Zoom meetings, but in a way that actually looks good…
Audio is another critical parameter. I am a studio guy and have a ton of microphones from my recording days, so a couple of weeks ago I just grabbed one of my large membrane condensers and put it on a tripod next to me. But this is not a sustainable solution. If you want to be effective in your video production, you must make things simple and eliminate all thresholds. A microphone arm is thus a wise investment. They look like the spring-loaded arms that you can find on desk mounted office lights, but with a 3/8 thread on the end instead. I went with the Röde PSA-1 and it works perfectly. Now as soon as I want to record a video, I just grab the mic and pull it towards me and when I am finished, I push it to the side. It takes a couple of seconds, but if you are using a tripod you are looking at a minute or two. It adds up. The arm also reduced the clutter on my desk, because now I can route the cables properly.
Anyway, this was just a rant about some of the stuff I learned this week. I didn’t know anything about professional cameras, and I was overwhelmed by information when I started to look around. Luckily my friend Robin Mattsson in Meadows End is a camera expert and in just one phone call he could tell me precisely what kind of camera I needed. An excellent example of how invaluable your network of people is. Robin, you probably saved me tens of hours and much frustration. Thank you.