Couldn't we just use our smartphones on a stand?
The desktop app allows you to toggle the handy LED flash for better front lighting, to lock exposure, to trigger autofocus, and to adjust white balance.
I tried it first with the free version, which doesn't allow HD video. The full version is a few dollars; doesn't contain ads.
I have no connection to the developers, but am a happy user. Works flawlessly anywhere a webcam is expected (for me so far: skype, Zoom, Jitsi).
The desktop app is open source, but unfortunately not the android app. I was surprised not find an open source version of this concept (and don't currently have the time to develop it).
Not sure if it's still valid, but "handy" has a different meaning in slang:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=handy
Again, a native speaker might consider different, but as a german the usage of "handy" immediatley caught my eye. :D
So if I ask an American to show me his "Handy", he knows that I want to see his "mobile phone"?
Because that's what "Handy" means in Germany. It's actually "mobile phone", hence the confusion. I learned that "Handy" is almost exclusively used in Germany.
("Mobile phone" isn't very common in the US either. Common usage used to be "cell phone" or "smart phone", but is now simply "phone".)
Haven't sprung for the paid version though as I am hoping the back ordered webcam I purchased at the start of this comes in the next few weeks.
Remember to rebuild the kernel module if your kernel gets updated!
Between that and OBS Studio [0] which makes it easy to do green screen work, I'm having some real fun with our team meetings. Just make sure you get the virtual camera driver [1].
[1] https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-virtualcam.539/
Of course, a simple lapel would be a much better investment if you don't have any of that equipment.