Building Out Your Home Office/Studio
Most people are working remotely at least some of the time, and many full-time. But they don't have a proper setup for video calls, presentations, and webinars. I've spent many hours researching and building out my own space and worked with dozens of clients to help them with their own home offices. Whether you are trying to improve your video or audio there are both quick and inexpensive options as well as more professional solutions.
Here are some recommendations for packages and individual products that I've either used myself or researched for others.
Here are some recommendations for packages and individual products that I've either used myself or researched for others.
Home Office Upgrade Starter Kit
This is a starter kit of gear that I recommend for most professionals that are trying to improve their setups. The key is to be plug-and-play and improve lighting, video, and sound. As many people don't have a dedicated office space at home the goal is to enable all of this gear to be clamped to a desk, adjusted into "work-mode" and then put away when not needed.
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Logitech C920This is a Full HD 1080P webcam with noise cancelation and has a 1/4 screw thread to attach to a boom arm or tripod stand.
AMAZON LINK |
RALENO LED Video Soft Light Panels I use these lights in my photography studio, office for video, and as on-location video lights. They are battery powered, but can be powered by a standard wall plug for the larger one and a USB plug for the smaller. Nice soft light from a small light source that works well on a stand or boom arm clamped to a desk.
AMAZON LINK (Small Light) AMAZON LINK (Large Light) |
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Innogear Desk Boom ArmI like using boom arms for lights, mics, and cameras as they let me adjust them and can swing out of the way when not in use. These Innogear boom arms are inexpensive, but still strong enough for most uses. I have other recommendations for more demanding boom arms, but for this setup the work really well.
AMAZON LINK |
3/8 to 1/4 Adapter (One for each boom arm)The worst thing is to have all your gear come, be ready to set it up and realize that something won't fit! These adapters will make sure your lights and webcam will fit nicely on your webcam.
AMAZON LINK |
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Fifine Studio Condenser MicrophoneUSB mics are great because you can plug them direction into your computer and they work. Condenser mics are great because they do a create job picking up the nuances of your voice. However, they also pick up the echo in a room. So, if you're in a room that had hard surfaces everywhere you could have some issues.
AMAZON LINK |
Audio-Technica ATR2100x-USB Cardioid Dynamic Microphone (ATR Series)A great option for rooms with hard wall and floor surfaces that create a lot of echo and reverb. This mic includes both a USB and XLR port making it easy to use immediately and grow with you if you get an audio interface in the future.
AMAZON LINK |
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Improving Video Quality and Multi-camera Setup Options
Webcams are great tools, but sometimes they don't supply the best quality image. They have small image sensors and low quality lenses compared to cameras, camcorder, and high-end phones. There are a number of ways that you can upgrade from a webcam. Some take additional hardware and some software to connect to your computer. What's going to work for you depends on if you're trying to get better image quality of move into the area of using your space more like a video studio.
There's a technique that most of us take for granted because we've been seeing it on TV and in films for years. You might also have seen it at big conferences that you attend. And that technique is using multiple cameras to showcase different views of a speaker, or switch back and forth from a screen to a live view of the speaker. For most of us at home in our offices that's not necessary, but I like to use it to switch to an overhead view of my desk so I can draw on a notepad just like as if I were sitting across the desk from someone.
Here are some options for cameras and camcorders and the software and hardware you'll need to connect them to your computer.
There's a technique that most of us take for granted because we've been seeing it on TV and in films for years. You might also have seen it at big conferences that you attend. And that technique is using multiple cameras to showcase different views of a speaker, or switch back and forth from a screen to a live view of the speaker. For most of us at home in our offices that's not necessary, but I like to use it to switch to an overhead view of my desk so I can draw on a notepad just like as if I were sitting across the desk from someone.
Here are some options for cameras and camcorders and the software and hardware you'll need to connect them to your computer.
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Canon Vixia HF R800 CamcorderI know that camcorders seem very old school, but they can be a relatively inexpensive way to up your video game in your home office. Canon has software that enables many of its camcorders and stills cameras to act as webcams. (Canon Webcam Utility) Most of the DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are in the $500+ range, where the Vixia is between $250 to $300 and you can find it used on eBay for under $200 in decent shape. The R800 has face-detection autofocus, a built-in zoom lens, and a fully articulated screen for self-monitoring. I use one for my overhead camera into a video switcher.
It also is about the cheapest option I've found with clean HDMI-out. That means it will output to an external monitor or video switcher without the autofocus box, or other technical camera stuff showing on the screen. It won't give you as good an image as a DSLR or mirrorless camera with switchable lenses, but it's far better than a webcam! BUY THE CANON VIXIA |
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Sony - HDRCX405 HD Video Recording Handycam Camcorder (black)This is a similar camcorder to the Vixia above, but is slightly less expensive. Both will work as a good camera with the video switcher shown below or as a webcam using the Sony Webcam Utility.
BUY THE SONY HDRCX405 CAMCORDER |
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Canon SL3Taking the next step up in quality the Canon SL3 is a 24.1 megapixel hybrid stills and video camera that does clean HDMI out with Canon's legendary dual pixel autofocus with face detection. The great thing is that you can switch out lens for either a wider shot, or a nice blurred background. The kit lens is a nice zoom range for everything from taking pictures for dog zooming around to, well Zoom calls. The SL3 sells in the $550 to $600 range with the kit lens.
BUY CANON SL3 |
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Blackmagicdesign ATEM MiniThis is where things start to get serious. The ATEM Mini enables you to have four video/audio sources, two standalone audio sources and the ability to swap video like you're doing an evening newscast all for the small price of $295. There are a bunch of technical details to get it setup depending on what cameras you're using, and that's another point; Webcams need not apply for this one. This is only for cameras (like those above) that can output through HDMI. I use one for my webcam (Canon SL2) and an overhead shot (Canon Vixia HF R800), but you can also switch your video signal from your computer screen so it eliminates separate screen sharing on platforms like Zoom.
If you want to go down this road there are a lot of decisions to make and I'd suggest getting some help if you don't have a lot of experience with cameras and computers. BUY ATEM MINI VIDEO SWITCHER HDMI to USB ConverterThis is an unbelievable deal! This competes with the Elgato CamLink which is over $100, and I've found someone offering it for $9.99! If your DSLR or mirrorless camera has clean HDMI out then you can use this to connect it to your computer. I have one I paid $20 for and I still think it was an incredible deal.
BUY HDMI TO USB CONVERTER |
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HDMI CablesMost cameras that you'll use in a multi-camera setup using HDMI will use a micro or mini HDMI to standard HDMI cable. I found that the Amazon Basics cables work well and are cost effective.
BUY MICRO HDMI TO HDMI CABLE BUY MINI HDMI TO HDMI CABLE |
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The most important part of video is sound, and the simplest way to ensure good sound is with a wired lavalier microphone. This BOYA mic is something I've used when I need something simple that guarantees solid sound. It has a 20 foot cable and works with phones, cameras, or computers.
BUY THE BOYA M1 LAVALIER MIC |
Please note that links are affiliate links which provides remuneration at no added expense to the purchaser.