Shopping for a camera and other camming tech

[Smoothie]

So… I am preparing to set myself up for regular online streaming. Not as a model… something more directly related to my current career.

I am shopping for the proper equipment, but other than having a new-ish Mac, I’m building my setup from scratch. I can’t think of a more qualified group of folks to ask for advice than right here at ACF.

I’m shopping around for the following:
- 4K capable webcam (I want great quality, but I also don’t necessarily want to overpay for more tech than I need).
- A quality mic for in-house setup (on par with pro podcaster stuff)
- a quality out-in-the-field mic (like those tiny ones you see influencers using for interviews)
- Decent lighting option (is a pair of ring lights sufficient for a medium sized room?)

I’ve been looking at the Logitech 4K Pro cam, but I see there’s an MX Brio Ultra HD 4K as well (slightly more expensive). am I in the right track? Other brands or specs I need to consider?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

[AmberCutie]

The items linked below are all what I use in my setup, which I've utilized for both MFC/OF streams and Kick for gaming. Mind you, I use PC for all my streaming stuff, can't say right off the bat how easily they work on Mac.

A quality mic for in-house setup (on par with pro podcaster stuff)

I think this is kinda the industry standard "best mic"

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B0002E4Z8M

Utilizing a mixer is ideal, this one is popular

https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Broadcaster-4-Channel-Motorized-Officially/dp/B07JKNG4NV

Decent lighting option (is a pair of ring lights sufficient for a medium sized room?)

These can either be aimed at you (preferably from front-side angles on both left and right) or aimed at a bright wall to reflect for less direct light.

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Key-Light-Professional-app-adjustable/dp/B07L755X9G

4K capable webcam (I want great quality, but I also don’t necessarily want to overpay for more tech than I need).

It looks like you prefer a basic webcam vs. using a DSLR/Mirrorless setup so I'll let someone else give input on that.

 

[Smoothie]

The items linked below are all what I use in my setup, which I've utilized for both MFC/OF streams and Kick for gaming. Mind you, I use PC for all my streaming stuff, can't say right off the bat how easily they work on Mac.

I think this is kinda the industry standard "best mic"

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B0002E4Z8M

Utilizing a mixer is ideal, this one is popular

https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Broadcaster-4-Channel-Motorized-Officially/dp/B07JKNG4NV

These can either be aimed at you (preferably from front-side angles on both left and right) or aimed at a bright wall to reflect for less direct light.

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Key-Light-Professional-app-adjustable/dp/B07L755X9G

It looks like you prefer a basic webcam vs. using a DSLR/Mirrorless setup so I'll let someone else give input on that.

Thank you for these suggestions. And also for recommending the mixer, which makes a ton of sense, but I hadn’t thought about that yet.

I’m open to DSLR or mirrorless options if they’re better for my purposes than something more basic. But yeah, I had been looking at basic cams as my starting point.

I’ll be making prerecorded video content as well as live streaming. Another detail that may matter - when I stream live, I’d like to save great quality recordings of each stream for an archive of my work that I can make available wherever (YouTube, socials, websites).

I’ll be editing clips, too, but for these purchases I’m more concerned about the initial streaming quality & the ability to save a great-quality master recording. I’m already good with the editing itself & the software necessary for that.

 

[MarieElise]

So… I am preparing to set myself up for regular online streaming. Not as a model… something more directly related to my current career.

I am shopping for the proper equipment, but other than having a new-ish Mac, I’m building my setup from scratch. I can’t think of a more qualified group of folks to ask for advice than right here at ACF.

I’m shopping around for the following:
- 4K capable webcam (I want great quality, but I also don’t necessarily want to overpay for more tech than I need).
- A quality mic for in-house setup (on par with pro podcaster stuff)
- a quality out-in-the-field mic (like those tiny ones you see influencers using for interviews)
- Decent lighting option (is a pair of ring lights sufficient for a medium sized room?)

I’ve been looking at the Logitech 4K Pro cam, but I see there’s an MX Brio Ultra HD 4K as well (slightly more expensive). am I in the right track? Other brands or specs I need to consider?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I have this one and I find it very underwhelming. I have soft lights, super bright lights, low contrast backgrounds, high contrast backgrounds, and no. Just no.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NBWWP79?psc=1&ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_product_details_1

THIS does not allow 4K at 60fps, tops out at 30fps, which appears to bother very, very few people (besides me lol).

The focus issues seem to be fine on my newest one, however, the visual quality and the amount of noise is still way less pleasing, compared with just the basic c920. It's not just me, I've asked regular viewers (of the super perverted freaky kind), and they all prefer the c920. The Brio gives you like a warmer complexion and less detail. So if you have details you don't like, then sure. But as far as what I'm looking for (I am really into artistic realism) the c920 still out performs it by millions and millions of ... um nuts (lol). Wasn't quite sure how to quantify that

Either cam you can get in and fuck around with.

You have the option of 3 different non auto zoom frames with the Brio, and the c920 has none. But you can use external programs to zoom, if you prefer having the autozoom feature turned off. So I still far prefer the c920. Even after learning how to use all the add-on programs for editing and live streaming. Always download BOTH Logitech Capture, and Logitune apps with any Logitech camera though. The default visual and light settings are less than ideal, for all conditions. WAY LESS than ideal, and I don't even consider myself to have very good eyesight at all.

I have pretty good hearing (at certain frequencies lol) and I'm fine with the Yeti as a mic, for in-house.
Again, there are a lot of programs you can get into that clean up the audio a ton.
I've never checked out any of Amber's content, so I'll definitely have to check out this mic and mixer deal she recommends too though.
Audio makes a HUGE FUCKING DEAL to A LOT of people. Visual seems to be less important, even though that makes zero logical sense to me

 

[Smoothie]

I have this one and I find it very underwhelming. I have soft lights, super bright lights, low contrast backgrounds, high contrast backgrounds, and no. Just no.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NBWWP79?psc=1&ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_product_details_1

THIS does not allow 4K at 60fps, tops out at 30fps, which appears to bother very, very few people (besides me lol).

The focus issues seem to be fine on my newest one, however, the visual quality and the amount of noise is still way less pleasing, compared with just the basic c920. It's not just me, I've asked regular viewers (of the super perverted freaky kind), and they all prefer the c920. The Brio gives you like a warmer complexion and less detail. So if you have details you don't like, then sure. But as far as what I'm looking for (I am really into artistic realism) the c920 still out performs it by millions and millions of ... um nuts (lol). Wasn't quite sure how to quantify that

Either cam you can get in and fuck around with.

You have the option of 3 different non auto zoom frames with the Brio, and the c920 has none. But you can use external programs to zoom, if you prefer having the autozoom feature turned off. So I still far prefer the c920. Even after learning how to use all the add-on programs for editing and live streaming. Always download BOTH Logitech Capture, and Logitune apps with any Logitech camera though. The default visual and light settings are less than ideal, for all conditions. WAY LESS than ideal, and I don't even consider myself to have very good eyesight at all.

That’s interesting, because I see the C920 is also significantly less expensive than the Brio. Very reasonable.

 

[MarieElise]

That’s interesting, because I see the C920 is also significantly less expensive than the Brio. Very reasonable.

I've owned 8 c920s and 3 Brios. Most recent Brio and Logitech purchased in June. Still prefer the c920.
If you want a c920 to last be very careful with the cable. It only lasts a year, and gives out before the camera itself if you are not extremely careful with it.
Brio definitely has better cable options, because you can buy a Belkin cable (it's non-fixed).
Unless you wanna fuck around with soldering irons and stuff, you're stuck with the cable the c920 comes with. I don't recommend messing around with soldering irons, wasn't for me.

 

[KingMarti]

That’s interesting, because I see the C920 is also significantly less expensive than the Brio. Very reasonable.

if you have a phone with a decent camera it will out preform both of them, there's a bunch of apps to use the camera as a webcam.

For wireless mic's depends what you want to spend, I picked up a set of wireless lav mics wich spec wise are pretty comparable to the hollyland mics (pretty sure the hollylands are just a white labeled version) for like $20, sound quality on them is great (I have also got a shotgun mic that was $350 and they are way more comparable than they should be considering the price difference), even if you dont end up using them as a min mic, for the price I would say it's worth picking them up just to have as a backup.

Other mixers worth looking at would be usb ones from behringer and other audio companies, might be overkill for what you want though and the setup is a little bit more complicated than a go xlr.

For lighting I like smart bulbs, it makes balancing lighting / shadows and color a bit better (although my other lights are 300w LEDS that are bright enough that they also get used in grow tents, but being able to shift the color is a nice touch. The elgato keylights are way more conviniant though since they have desk mounts (cant remember if thats an optional extra or in the box).

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