Since COVID-19 halted mostly all film productions rather then letting my camera collect dust, I have taken my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K with the Rode Wireless Go microphone system and have been using it as my webcam for ZOOM meetings and livestreams. It does seem like overkill I know…. but, hear me out.

As a filmmaker it's been hard to see all my equipment just sitting on the shelve so I figured I’d test it out using this powerful camera as a webcam. Let me tell you I am in awe with the results. The depth of field I can get in comparison to a webcam is pretty awesome and people are constantly asking me “Joel, what camera are you using?” when they see me over ZOOM meetings.

           

In order to connect my camera into my iMac, I use the AJA U-Tap HDMI USB 3.1 but I will list other encoders down below as availability on encoders are hard to come by due to the effects of Covid-19. I plug in my video source via HDMI and then feed the USB on the computer to send the capture signal over to my live streaming feed on YouTube Live, Facebook Live, ZOOM, Skype, etc.

I am also using the Parrot teleprompter for when I am recording videos and I need to read off of a script. Super handy to have this teleprompter as it uses smartphones for displaying your scripts. You can upload your personal script via the free app. This awesome teleprompter screws right onto most lenses and uses your phone/ iPad to project your script. This teleprompter is so small you can take it anywhere!

If you have any questions or need suggestions for your livestreaming setup please feel free to email me at joelw@dvestore.com or you can contact me directly at 425-535-4977. 

Note: Parrot does recommend using a smartphone but I was able to use a iPad Mini shown in the bottom picture but some of the text does spill over so you will want to use a smartphone just to be safe.

List of additional HDMI and SDI capture encoders:

HDMI-

AJA U-Tap HDMI USB 3.1

Magewell USB Capture HDMI 2.0/3.0 DONGLE Device, 1-channel

Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Recorder

SDI- 

AJA U-TAP-SDI USB 3.0 SDI External Capture Device

Magewell 32070 USB Capture SDI (Gen 2) USB 2.0/3.0 DONGLE

Blackmagic Design UltraStudio Mini Recorder