Low End Video Camera Options for Teaching in Zoom

With webcams sold out all over the place, dance instructors are struggling to know what to use to teach online. While using your phone or iPad is tempting, it limits your options for sound and controls, and you aren't able to harness the real power of Zoom: seeing your students and offering feedback.

Some have looked into DSLR cameras as options, because so many YouTube videos about online streaming have focused on that as a solution. What this fails to consider is that most web streamers are sitting still for their work. In fact they are sitting still, often with headsets, in brightly lit semi-pro to pro filming studio-like environments, directional mics and equipment which only need to work within a limited radius and limited motion. Dancers? That ain't us.

In short, that ecosystem was made for primarily for gaming streamers who sit still most of the time, not for dancing instructors who move around a lot. So their focus and intent is very different, and the lowest end DSLR with clean HDMI you're gonna get with decent autofocus options for movement is going to run you in the neighborhood of $400-$500 to start.

Since most high quality webcams you're going to manage to get your hands on are similarly spec'd (namely created for sitting still in an well-lit office environment), and are being sold for 2-3X more than their usual market value, you're going to be spending $150-$200 for a webcam which won't even suit your needs to begin with. Don't do it! Time to spend a little bit more, and get something more appropriate for bodies in motion.

I started looking up low-cost set ups for streamers-in-motion and found a wealth of information by looking to (of all places), church streamers. They have preachers on stage, music, perhaps even liturgical dancers. All kinds of motion and sound to contend with in their streams. So it was a much better scenario to consider when comparing it to dance.

Hands down, the number one recommended camcorder that came up in this space was the Canon Vixia HF R800. Right now they sell for about $250. For $330 I was able to get a 64 Gig capture card, spare battery, a small tripod, a carrying case, cleaning kit, card reader and some other small items in a bundle on Amazon. I also purchased a wide angle lens for about $25 to better capture me in the space I was shooting in, so I could have the camera closer and still catch my arms at full extension. 

Just like the DSLR set up, you have to run it through an HDMI video capture card. These can be spendy, and the low end ones can effect your video quality. I was able to find one that cost about $80 that delivered good frame rates, from HornetTek.

So far it's a good setup, though I admit the focus sometimes struggles with the mirror behind me. Still working on that.