Best Webcam for Teaching Yoga on Zoom
Becca is the author of Teaching Yoga: Creative Cueing for Safer Mixed Level Classes. A long-time studio owner and teacher trainer, she now teaches in OKC and creates resources for other yoga teachers.
In March 2020, many of us who teach yoga and fitness quickly pivoted to online content for our clients. We searched YouTube to figure out the best cameras, mics, lighting, and platforms. I had no idea at that time that teaching online was here to stay!
My tech setup has evolved after the initial rush to get online. In the beginning, I used the popular Logitech C920 webcam, and now I prefer to use my iPhone as a webcam.
The Logitech C920 works well for headshots, as most people use the webcam for online meetings. I also like to use it for teaching seated, prone, and supine poses when the camera can be closer to my mat. Where it struggles is when I teach the standing poses. In order to get my whole body in the shot, the webcam has to be 10-12 feet away, and this creates grainy video quality and focus issues.
In this post, I’ll share how to use your smartphone as the best webcam when teaching yoga online and how to get the most out of the popular Logitech cam. Within Zoom, you can connect your smartphone and a webcam simultaneously and switch between them for different shots if you so desire!
Using our Smartphone as a Webcam for Teaching Yoga Online
If you are a Mac user and your iPhone has iOS 16 or later, you can use the Mac continuity camera as a webcam. It easily connects to Zoom and other apps.
I don’t want any issues with Bluetooth cropping up for my Zoom yoga classes, so I use a USB-C cord to connect my iPhone to my iMac. When I launch Zoom and look at the video options, I magically find my iPhone listed as an option. It’s really that easy.
The picture quality for the full-body shots is noticeably better than that of the Logitech webcam and the built-in computer camera. I asked a few of my longtime students to get on Zoom with me and help choose which camera or webcam provided the best picture, and everyone voted for using my iPhone as my webcam. Read more about this option on the Apple website.
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If you have Android version 14+ or higher, you can also use your phone as a webcam with your PC. Once you connect your phone with a USB-C to your PC, you should be able to find an option to use the USB as a webcam. If you need tech help with this, here is a YouTuber who will show you how.
If you have an older phone or cannot connect it properly to your computer, try using a webcam app like Camo. It’s a great little app that turns your phone into a webcam and has many options for adjusting the picture. The basic version of Camo is free.
Whatever webcam setup you choose, consider getting a USB cord extender to move the webcam around wherever you want! Double-check what connectors you need before ordering.
Please note that I am sharing these links for information only and am not affiliated with any of these companies. I share things that work for me.
When the Logitech C920 Webcam Works Best and How to Improve it for Teaching Yoga Online
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, webcams are generally designed to focus on faces that are a few feet away from the lens. Most webcams are designed this way, so they don’t work well for the standing section of our yoga classes. The webcam doesn’t know what to focus on when we are far away, and sometimes, the picture will become fuzzy. In the case of the Logitech C920, this is due to the auto-focus that comes standard with the webcam.
If you want to use the webcam for your whole class, you can! It isn’t perfect, but it works. The best way to improve the auto-focus issue is to download the software that Logitech provides with the webcam called Logi Tune and turn OFF the auto-focus. (Ignore the noise on YouTube that says to break open the cam and use a screwdriver on it, lol. One guy started that idea, and then they all copied it. What if you want to also use it for closer shots? Also, you might break it.)
Download the Logitech Software and Turn Off Auto-Focus
Note that Logitech changes and updates the software, and the current version may or may not be available for whatever operating system you are using. Here is the link for the latest version of Logi Tune. (Note: If you also use your webcam for gaming and other streaming, you might want to visit Logitech’s main download page and check out their more comprehensive app, the Logitech G-Hub).
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Downloading and installing the Logi Tune app on my iMac only took a few minutes. Once I launched it, I had to choose which of the webcams I owned. After I picked the C920 cam, it immediately connected, and I then clicked on “image adjustments.” Boom, there was a toggle switch for turning off the auto-focus. If you have a Logitech camera and you like it, this is a quick and easy fix to the auto-focus issue. You can also make other fun adjustments like brightness, contrast, saturation, and sharpness.
Why Not Use My Laptop Camera for Online Yoga Classes?
Here are two reasons why using your desktop computer or laptop camera isn’t always the best option when teaching yoga online. First, it is not unusual for manufacturers of many laptops to save money by skimping on camera quality. The picture quality is often dark and grainy. More importantly, getting a good shot trying to prop a laptop up on a stool or a shelf is cumbersome. With a webcam and a cord extender, placing the camera in the perfect place where your students can see you best is easier!
Happy teaching! Feel free to contact me if you need help with your online setup. ♢
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