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That's interesting, last year I spent a lot of time streaming /recording lectures and I think I and students would have appreciated lots of this but didn't have much money. In my head it's important to have the camera at eye height, but is it?
rj-
In my head it's important to have the camera at eye height, but is it?
It's important for rapport to make eye contact. What this really means is that wherever you are looking the camera should be there.
You're probably looking at your screen, so the best place would be behind the screen... But making a hole in the screen would probably break it.
Next best place is as close to the edge of the screen where you're likely to look. Now you know why built in webcam are always just above the centre of the screen.
And now you also know why my camera is positioned just above the centre of the screen.
I actually also use window managers in Windows and Linux to push browser windows top and centre to enhance this further. I should show what this looks like at some point. But I split the screen into three columns, the centre column into two horizontal slices. Video conference Windows occupy centre top which means if I'm looking at a video conference my eyes are very close to the line of sight of the camera and it feels like I'm looking directly at you (and paying full attention to you).
Velocio
It's all been incremental so it's hard to assess like that.
But priority for others I would say:
A good mic really makes a difference for how you're perceived, there's a lot of evidence for this and I can't count the times people will fall silent and listen (nor the number of times I am asked to make ASMR videos or have a podcast).
Then the lighting will improve even a built in webcam, so even if you just bought a basic webcam the lighting helps a lot. These lights are indirect... the light is diffused towards you, and you can control the colour temperature and brightness precisely. The lights make all the difference.
The camera and lens are good... but it's deep into diminishing returns, a good webcam would've been just as good for most of the usage but I already owned the camera so this just worked out. This is the biggest signal to others that I've got a good setup, people can see this through the way the shelves behind me are perfectly blurred... but it's not necessary, I'd say the microphone is necessary, lighting optional, camera a luxury.
For me the priority probably goes:
These is my putting tactile points (bum, elbows, wrists, fingers) first... and then going for what I appreciate most next. Good speakers have made meetings less tiring, and music more enjoyable... I'd easily give up the good monitor before I gave up the speakers, so the speakers win.
The sit/stand desk is a luxury too. I could've achieved similar for less money, or just not bothered at all. But it has made the room very clean and tidy.
I advise engineers starting what to spend their hardware budget on and typically recommend the microphone and small speakers, along with a good webcam and some lights. Keyboard and mouse is personal, the rest is up to them. They have a fixed budget, but can choose how to spend it... i.e. they could buy the mic I have, or they could buy a Rode mic for half the cost and put the difference towards the lighting whilst leaving enough for a good Mac.
Most people where I work have this mic or something quite close to it, small speakers, a ring light or Key Lights, and then a Macbook or Thinkpad. Not everyone has a monitor, most use built-in webcams... but the mic, speakers and lighting almost everyone has.