Webcams
Found in: Teaching Online Lessons, Technology
Rebecca G., Colorado
Hi Everyone,
I am going to be starting my first online student (my mom). I’ve been doing some investigating of cameras, ways to connect, etc., and am looking for a bit of input. If you have any thoughts about the following, I’d welcome the help.
- I’m on a Mac and my mom’s on a PC (bummer). We both also have 1st gen iPads (no camera or mic) and iPhones (4). We tried using our phones as cameras with both Skype and Google Chat and neither worked. I’m now recommending that she buy an external camera. I may get one as well, or I may use the iSight camera on my mac and use Apple TV to project the image of her onto my TV screen in front of me. Any thoughts about all of this?
- For my mom’s camera (and maybe mine as well), I’m looking at Logitech’s C615. Their C920 would be a second choice (more expensive). Any thoughts about the quality difference between these two (both for a student and for me as the teacher in case I decide to get one as well) or other camera recommendations would be great.
Thanks for your help and support; I’m excited to be getting this started!
Page S., California
I use my Logitech camera all the time on a microphone stand, it links right to Skype.
Claire C., Pennsylvania
I have a logitec camera and have used in on Skype for quite a while. I haven’t tried it since the change went into force. You might need to do some re configuring but it should work. My logitec camera works on oovoo and google+.
Emily D., Ohio
Logitech cameras should work just fine. It’s only the software called “Logitech Vid” that is no longer in existence. The cameras are hardware and will still work.
“Logitech Vid” was a software like Skype, which I found worked much better.
Emily D., Ohio
I have 2 cameras—one is the built-in iSight on my MacBook, and the other is a Logitech webcam that I put on a boom stand. I bought a clip-type mic clip, and the camera clips into it perfectly. I’m able to move the camera around any direction that I need to. I use the built-in camera for a face view and the Logitech for a view of the keys.
I have found that a lot of video conferencing software doesn’t support zoom features for the Mac, so I purchased iGlasses, which allows zoom, mirror, etc., in any software (you choose iGlasses as your camera, and from iGlasses, you can choose between the built-in camera or USB camera). It was a good purchase.
I don’t use both cameras at once—typically just the one on the boom stand—but if I need the student to see me, I choose the other camera. My student also has 2 cameras. If I ever took on more video students, I would require this. However, I’ve not found a software reliable enough for me to feel comfortable teaching this way. My only video student is my mom.
Mark M., New York
I’ve heard some people trying to use software that lets you use two cameras at once, but I don’t know anything about it, and I haven’t heard any great success stories. I find that with my camera up on a tripod directly behind me, it’s very easy to turn to it to let the student see me when I want to talk to them and to also keep my head out of the way when I want them to see my fingers on the keyboard.