Dear Android User: EpocCam is Apple only. I’m sorry that I do not have information for you at this time. Please write me with your suggestions for Android and I will gladly append and appropriately credit your contribution.
99% of Webcams on the Market are Total Rubbish
Prior to Covid-19, video conferencing in business was less preferable to a traditional and more formal in-person meeting. Organizing a video conference requires technical knowledge, planning and organization. A popular practice for many people who own laptops with webcams is to cover the camera with a piece of tape in fear of hackers watching unbeknownst to the user. As a result, webcams were often low quality due to their soft market appeal with little emphasis on quality.
Fast forward to the present where Zoom adoption is driven by the need of businesses to overcome physical distancing restrictions. Webcams today are a hot commodity! In 2020, many of the top webcams were sold out due to a sharp rise in video conference adoption.
My 2020 MacBook Pro has a shitty 720p camera that sends blotchy low-resolution video with embarrassing colour depth. I look like I’m web-camming through time from 1999. I looked at several webcam and DSLR options and quickly decide the $200-$500+ was untenable. I happen to have an iPhone 11 PRO MAX – and before you start groaning about it being a $1500+ phone, allow me to assure you that you don’t need a top-of-the-line iPhone for this to work. Apple iPhone cameras are a desirable alternative because they are accessible and were designed with photography in mind. The lenses and sensors of most iPhones from the last five years will produce a video quality that you won’t be able to find in a webcam for under $200.
EpocCam by Elgato is just $7.99 CDN!
EpocCam is an app you can download from the Apple store that will enable your iPhone to be detected by your PC or MacOS as a web camera.
I have tried several alternatives to EpocCam and this is the best. I am able to use all three cameras on my iPhone including the superwide angle lens which enables me to get that ultra-dramatic look that you see above. EpocCam allows me to stream both wirelessly and via USB with little to no lag. Setup, connecting, and support from Elgato made getting Zoom easy.
Elgato creates equipment and software for live-streaming content professionals. Professional videogamers and video-bloggers all turn to Elgato for their dialled-in solutions for lighting, staging, and video production needs.
For more information check out https://www.elgato.com/en/epoccam.
Phone Mount
Although it is possible just to lean your phone somewhere. I found it far more practical to get a phone holder and attach it to a tripod. I purchased this universal phone mount on Amazon which is holding up just fine:
Vastar Universal Smartphone Tripod Adapter
Thank you.
Hello, my name is Cyril Wong and thank you for checking out this Zoom Pros – Tips & Tricks article. I am helping small business owners to build a better online experience for their clients. I am part of a referral business network called BNI that uses Zoom exclusively for meetings and as a result, have found lots of tips and tricks to share with fellow business owners to look good and feel confident in front of customers. Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions on my work.
