Can a DSLR Webcam Fix How You Look on Video Calls?
Feb 28, 2023
Yes, and it is the biggest single jump in image quality available to you. A DSLR gives you a sharper picture and a blurred background a webcam cannot produce. The catch is the setup: you need a capture device, the right manual settings, and the discipline to set them once and then leave them alone.
What does a DSLR give you that a webcam does not?
Three things, in the order they matter. A better image, because the sensor is bigger and the glass is better. Control over depth, because you can open the aperture up and throw the background out of focus. And lens choice, so the framing is your decision rather than the webcam's.
There is a cost argument too, and it cuts the other way to how it looks. A DSLR costs more than a webcam, but if you already own one for photography you have already paid for it. Chris makes that point directly in the episode: a lot of people have a camera sitting in a drawer that is better than anything they would buy for a call.
If you have not settled what you are actually trying to fix yet, the camera is the wrong first question. Learn why a system beats better gear every time.
What makes a DSLR hard to use as a webcam?
Four things, and the episode names all four. Compatibility between the camera, the computer and the software. The extra equipment you need to get the signal across. The learning curve of configuring it. And then the settings themselves, which have to be right before you dial into anything.
"I hear many stories of people buying the DSLR camera and having all these dials and knobs that they don't know how to use." - Chris Schwager
The second one is the one people miss when they buy. A DSLR does not appear as a webcam on its own. You need a capture card and an HDMI cable, or software that presents the camera to your computer as a video source. Nobody tells you that at the camera shop.
This is the same pattern behind a room full of equipment that never gets switched on: the buying decision was made, the working setup never was. Here is what actually makes a home studio you will use.
What camera settings should you use for a video call?
These are the settings Chris runs through in the episode, recorded in February 2023. They are for a talking head on a call, not for filmmaking, and they hold up because a video call has not changed much.
- Resolution. 720p to 1920 x 1080. Skip 4K unless you know what you are doing, because that is where the data problems start.
- Frame rate. 25 or 30. You are not shooting slow motion, so 50 and 60 buy you nothing.
- Aperture. A low f-stop, around f/2.8 or f/3.5. That is what gives you the blurred background.
- ISO. As low as you can get away with, typically 100 or 200, so the picture does not go grainy. Whatever lands you the correct exposure.
- Shutter speed. Anything from 1/25 up. Chris is blunt that for a talking head this matters far less than people claim.
- White balance. Set it manually, not auto. If you are running cool lights, set it to daylight and forget it.
- Focus. Manual is ideal if the camera holds it, because you sit in the same spot every time. Some cameras revert to auto on power-up, and in that case leave it on auto and let it track your face.
Two caveats the episode is honest about. The numbers shift with your camera model and the light in the room, so you test and adjust. And the settings are the last part, not the first: the rest of the studio decides how much work they have to do. That is the ground choose the right gear for your studio covers.
Why does adjusting the settings every time make it worse?
Because every setting you touch is another variable between you and the same result twice. Set it once, in one position, and the look is repeatable. Change it before every call and you are guessing, on camera, under time pressure.
"You'll just be adding to the multiple variables that it takes to get the desired result." - Chris Schwager
That is not a tidiness argument, it is a volume argument. A camera you have to configure is a camera you avoid, and the avoiding is what costs you.
"That could just be the thing that stops you from producing videos." - Chris Schwager
Set and forget is the whole point of a permanent setup. One position, one set of settings, one click to record.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a DSLR to look good on a video call?
No. Where the light is coming from and where the camera sits change more than the camera body does. A DSLR is the upgrade you make once the basics are right and you know you will be on camera often enough to justify it. Get the simple things wrong and a better camera just records them in more detail.
What else do you need besides the camera?
A way to get the camera's signal into your computer, because a DSLR does not present itself as a webcam. That usually means a capture card and an HDMI cable, and sometimes software as well. The episode lists this alongside compatibility, the learning curve and the settings as the four places people get stuck.
Is 4K worth it for a video call?
Chris recommends against it in this episode. At 4K you run into problems with data, and the advice is to stay away from it unless you already know what you are doing. Anything from 720p to 1920 x 1080 is fine for a call, and it asks less of your computer and your connection.
Will you actually use it once it is set up?
It is the question that decides the outcome, and it is not a camera question. Ridge's own records say equipment bought on its own often never gets used, because nothing about the habit changed. A setup that is already configured and left alone removes the excuse. What is left is whether you sit down and record.
Transcript
This episode aired in February 2023, when the show was called Video Made Simple. It is the same show, now the Video Confidence Collective.
Read the full transcript
Chris Schwager 00:00:01
Achieving optimal video core quality with DSLR webcams. Clear video quality is crucial for effective virtual communication. Using a DSLR camera for video calls is becoming popular for good reason. Today, we'll cover how to achieve optimal video core quality using a DSLR camera and why it's worth considering.
[00:00:22] I'm your host, Chris Schwager. Welcome to the podcast.
[00:00:25] What makes the DSLR camera so great as a webcam. Well, here are a few reasons why someone might choose to use a DSLR camera as a webcam.
[00:00:36] Now, number one, high quality image. Yep, baby . These cameras take great pictures, uh, of videos. And they're perfect for video calls and streaming.
[00:00:46] Two, the cost. DSLR cameras cost more than webcams, but they can be cheaper if you already have one for photography, right? Which a lot of people do, and you want to use it for videos calls too.
[00:00:58] And three, the flexibility. You can use different lenses, which is sometimes really great, and it allows you to control the look of your webcam to make things even better.
[00:01:08] But DSLR cameras can be a challenge to set up as a webcam, and I hear many stories of people buying the DSLR camera and having all these dials and knobs that they don't know how to use. So here are some issues you may run into.
[00:01:22] One, the compatibility issues between your camera and your computer or your software, right? So connecting may not be as easy as it seems.
[00:01:30] Number two. You need additional equipment such as a capture card or HDMI cable, or a way to stream your DSLR camera to your computer.
[00:01:39] Three, learning the curve of setting up and configuring the camera so that those settings are ready to go when you need them. And you do have this beautiful quality looking webcam whenever you are going on a video call.
[00:01:53] And number four, adjusting the camera settings, as I mentioned, such as aperture, focus, and exposure to ensure optimal video call quality.
[00:02:01] Now, how do you set up your DSLR camera? Because it's not easy for everybody. Right? You know, and particularly if you're trying to set it up as this permanent sort of webcam to deliver the best results, which really, you've gotta sort of follow the DIY Video Program principles here, and it's like set and forget, right? Once you set this bad boy, you don't wanna be piss, farting around with your settings all the time. You'll just be adding to the multiple variables that it takes to get the desired result. And you'll go crazy in the process because you'll never be able to bet down that look that you just want consistently every time you do a video. Now, if your own DSLR cameras or a camera, listen up because we're gonna give you some technical information here that will help you.
[00:02:45] Um, so let's pay attention right ?
[00:02:47] Now, this is overly technical. I flagged it with Christine and it's like, oh, no, no. It'll still be okay. Right? So bear with me because some of this may not get through , but for those that understand it, it'll be, it'll be fine.
[00:03:02] Now, let's talk about resolution. Anything from 720p to 1920p x 1080p, they're all great resolutions, optimal for video core quality. When you start talking about 4k, you run into problems with data. I'd recommend against it. Uh, the, you know, it's fine if you know what you're doing. I think just stay away from it if you don't.
[00:03:22] The frame rate, uh, 25 or 30 is a typical frame rate. Don't worry about 60 or 50 because you're not doing any slow mos, really, you're just gonna be using it as webcam. So keep it simple.
[00:03:33] Aperture, which is another word for exposure, set it to a low f stop. Um, so you're looking for the, for the, for the numbers on your camera called F 2.8 or 3.5. Any of those are good because that'll allow you to create as blurred background effect as possible.
[00:03:51] Iso, which is kind of like the gain now, it's, it's a basically a, a digital version of increasing the aperture. Okay? So try to keep this low as as possible, reducing the noise or any graininess that might come from having a high ISO. Typically ISO can be around 100 or 200. I mean anything, 500,000, whatever, as long as you get the correct exposure. So that's a really useful tool.
[00:04:16] The shutter speed, which for what you are doing can be really anything from 25 frames per second. So it's, you are looking on the camera, you're looking for one 25th. Um, anything above that. One 50th 100. I mean, there's guys out there would say, oh no, keep it all, you know, 5,100 blah blah, and have an optimal, um, shutter speed to use. I don't really see that at all, and it really doesn't seem to matter, um, particularly for a talking head. So you're okay there.
[00:04:46] With your white balance. Now, this is setting the, effectively the color of your video. Just if you're using day lights, so cool lights in your studio, then set it to daylight. Again, get it manually adjusted. You don't want that auto setting. Get it set and then you can forget about it.
[00:05:02] And you're focusing. If you are using manual focus, that's great. Just make sure that you are sharp every single time. Again, if you set your camera in the same position and you don't have to move it at all, and you are in the same position every time you present to it, then theoretically the use should be in the same manual focus range every single time.
[00:05:21] Some cameras, however, do change when you power 'em up and they kind of like. They, they kind of go into auto and then you've gotta go and manually change the focus. That's a pain. So in that case, you may wanna set it to auto and just let it do its thing, um, as long as it's always, uh, automatically focusing on your face.
[00:05:40] So keep an eye out for that. It is fiddly and it might take you some time to adjust that. Keep in mind that these settings may vary depending on your camera model and the lighting conditions in the room. So it's important to test different settings and adjust them as needed to achieve the best results.
[00:05:54] But you know what? If you wanna leave it to the technical problems, to the people that actually do it on a daily basis, you know, do that. Because camera set up for, uh, amateurs can be such a massive burden. That could just be the thing that stops you from producing videos. Camera set up to the professionals is easy, so check out the DIY Video Program. It comes with top of the line DSLR camera already set up and ready to go. Just leave it to the pros.
[00:06:22] Don't forget to like, share and to subscribe to this channel where you'll get weekly Video Made Simple ideas to present like a pro. That's all for this episode. Thank you so much for listening. I hope this has been aof use to you. Don't forget, gimme some feedback on the podcast. Is this useful? I'll see you next week.
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