How to put the zoom into your Zoom call and convert your iPhone into a hi-res webcam

Imagine you’re on a Zoom call and you actually want to zoom in the image. You know, get the camera closer to the action or maybe show something maybe on the back wall that a viewer might want to know more about. It’s not going to happen with that little webcam that’s built in to your computer, nor will a dedicated webcam solve the issue. But the Mevo camera recently introduced a way to bring its webcam-like functionality to Zoom, and now you can actually zoom around the room. It’s not easy to pull off on a US$400 camera (with way higher resolution than that of a traditional webcam), but the results are worth it. There are many different ways of using Zoom, with add-on apps to extend the experience, or with dedicated video devices from Amazon, Google and Facebook. But the Facebook/Zoom connection won’t happen until next month, and perhaps you don’t want to spring US$129 or so for the Facebook Portal to make it work. Perhaps you would prefer not buying a new camera like the Mevo or Amazon Echo Show, and instead just use your old (or new) iPhone or Android phone. There are tips on how to make that work for you as well. Apple iMac 27-inch 2020 review: stunning 5K display, best webcam, amazing audio – this computer is made for working from home Two new apps for using the iPhone as a webcam came out this month, and both make it dead simple to connect – something you couldn’t say about earlier attempts. NeuralCam (free or US$29.99 yearly with pro features, like removing the watermark) and Reincubate Camo (free, with lower resolution and watermark, or US$40) work on Macs and iOS devices only. Aidan Fitzpatrick, the UK-based developer of Camo, says he’ll ship an Android version later this year. “The flagship Androids have good cameras, but the average Android doesn’t,” he adds. Neural says it has no plans for an Android version yet. Android fans should try EpoCam, whose pro version is a more economical US$5.49. The free version only lets you go into Zoom with a super low 640 x 480 non-HD resolution. Pay the full price and you get 1,920 x 1,080. For Camo and NeuralCam, you download the phone apps from the Apple App Store, and an additional Mac plug-in. Then, attach the Lightning charging cable from the phone to the computer to connect. Once connected, open Zoom and access the drop-down menu on the Video tab, and you’ll see a choice of cameras. Select, and you now have a much better looking webcam. Buy a smartphone attachment and a tripod to mount the phone near your desk. Tripods come in many sizes. A small, table top tripod will be too small to be at eye level, which is where you want the camera. Try a medium hybrid, like the US$37 model from Neewer. If you have a recent iPhone with multiple lenses, you’ll be able to zoom into the image during your Zoom call. Neural and Camo also work with other video conference programs, including Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, Skype and Google Meet. Fitzpatrick has a good explainer on his website for why an iPhone can produce a superior image than a webcam. We wrote recently about how to turn recent GoPro Hero8 cameras and Canon DSLRs into webcams as well. For the Mevo, which has been positioned as a camera for live webcasting, the benefits are a really long battery life, higher resolution image, the ability to record directly into the camera and the zoom in tools – which let you play director on the phone screen while you’re Zooming, by cropping in and out. The app currently only works with the most recent Mevo camera, the US$399 Start version, on Windows and Apple. However, the camera needs to be plugged into the computer with a USB cable. A new wireless offering, which lets you walk around the room with your camera (something really hard to do with a webcam) is available for only Apple computers currently, but a Windows edition is coming soon, says Mevo. For Macs, you’ll need to download a web app. Meanwhile, webcams, which became a hard to get item since March when the pandemic started, are still hard to get. Logitech, whose 4K resolution US$199 Brio is out of stock, says on its website it’s “working tirelessly” to fill orders as soon as possible.

How to put the zoom into your Zoom call and convert your iPhone into a hi-res webcam

Zoom calls are usually static, without the option to zoom in and pick out details in your room The Mevo camera allows you to zoom, while Reincubate Camo and NeuralCam turn your iPhone into a hi-res webcam

Zoom calls are usually static, without the option to zoom in and pick out details in your room

The Mevo camera allows you to zoom, while Reincubate Camo and NeuralCam turn your iPhone into a hi-res webcam