Comment by marta_morena_9 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by marta_morena_9 | Hacker News Reader

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This doesn't make any sense. Mirrorless cameras cost a couple thousand dollars (I have one) and the last thing I am going to wear down/abuse this equipment with, is to jump into daily meeting lol. At the low end, there are decent webcams, like Logitech HD 1080p, but it costs over 100$ and honestly, it's a couple of years behind the current. There don't seem to be webcams of around 100 to 200$ that are state of the art. If you look at mobile phones, you see the difference. Those mobile cameras are like 1/5 or 1/10th of the size a webcam could be, so there is LOTs of room for improvement, even in this price segment.

I am pretty sure we could easily get 4k recording with decent, artificial depth-of-field (LIDAR & all) under decent lighting conditions (which is why this can be done cheap) at a price point of 100 to 200$. Just nobody seems to be doing it.

And yeah we definitely do stream 1080p over meetings and most people are always like "Oh wow, what kind of webcam are you using". That's for my years old logitech... The bitrates are pretty low, even for 4k. You can definitely have a couple of those over almost any current internet connection without issues.

My main gripe is depth-of-field. Add some LIDAR and I am happy. Apple webcam anyone?

I actually did run my Fuji camera as a webcam for a Q&A at work. 35mm f/1.4 with a ring light left me looking downright pretty if I do say so myself.

https://imgur.com/7CxnRLK

I use my Fuji x-t3 with a viltrox 23mm f1.4 regularly as a webcam at work. During the first week in all the meetings there was always someone asking about how did I get that 'cinematic' look.

That's quite a difference, indeed.

The real limitation: Fuji’s software for Mac is not amazing. It works, but it’s not entirely reliable.

Logitech Brio is probably the most "state of the art" webcam you can find (and it's a few years old). Decent quality 4k (or 1080 at buttery FPS) with all manner of gubbins to correct lighting - amount, flicker, hue etc Oh, and does have depth sensing - with separate lens that'll scan your face and log you into windows (or out when you walk off).

> with separate lens that'll scan your face and log you into windows

And hence the problem. Now you have a camera is dependent on custom drivers deeply entwined with your OS that are a security risk. It also isn't likely to have usable drivers five years down the line.

It works like normal webcam if you don't need face recognition login.

Mirrorless cameras cost a couple thousand dollars

No, they don't: https://www.adorama.com/ifjxt200sk.html

And that's a new, relatively expensive model.

"On Backorder Order now, your card will not be charged until it is ready to ship."

Generally, this means "a long time". I've been waiting 6 months for a recommended underwater camera, still nada.

there are £400~£600 mirrorless cameras that would be overkill for most people... to notice any difference you'd need pro-level lighting, and a fantastic internet connection - and then you can justify the high-end 4-digit $$$ camera

I can see the argument that the market for mid-range webcams must be pretty small, as the ~$100 range is ok for most people

I could buy a refurb or used Olympus E-M5 mark ii on ebay for $250, then pick up a lens and be in business.

What meeting software are you using that streams 1080p?

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