The Ultimate Zoom Setup for Direct Eye Contact and Less Zoom Fatigue

I’ve explained how my Zoom setup has evolved, from reasonably good to what I — and many of the people I Zoom with — consider to be pretty great. 

The motivation for my current (or let’s call it my ultimate) Zoom setup was to find a better way to approximate eye contact with the person on the other side of the camera. I wanted it to feel natural and not require too much mental energy to maintain. No more looking back and forth between my camera lens and the Zoom window, which got to be exhausting.

Enter the teleprompter. 

Aren’t teleprompters for newscasters and people who are featured in professional, scripted videos you might be thinking? 

Yes, that may be true. But it’s potentially for you, too. And it's definitely for me.

It’s not that hard to figure out. It just takes a little research if you like to do that kind of thing. I do, so you’re in luck. I researched every aspect of my setup, from the camera to the lens to the mic to the teleprompter. 

In this post, I’m sharing the result of that research with you, which is what I think you’d need for an ultimate Zoom setup for business. It’s specifically for people who spend a lot of time on Zoom and want to have more engaging Zoom meetings and up their executive presence in the process. 

It’s an investment. Definitely. The entire setup cost approximately $2,500. That's about the same cost as a capable MacBook Pro, and the cost seemed in line with the needs of my business, which is high touch and conducted almost entirely over Zoom.

If you’re interested in the exact equipment I chose and where you can buy it, then check back the week of November 15 when I'll be making my free Guide to the Ultimate Zoom Setup available to download.

Digital camera, ‘fast lens’ and video capture card

The heart of any Zoom setup is, of course, the camera. I wanted something high quality and relatively current that could serve me for a least a few years. And that would allow me to choose a specific type of lens. More on that in a minute.

Investment

A good digital camera and lens, and the capture card to connect the camera to your computer, will run you about $1,400, which is on the lower end of high quality based on my research.

What I looked for

In the end, it’s really all about the lens — a ‘fast lens’ to be exact. Of course, you’ll need a camera body that you’ll connect the lens to, so let’s talk about the camera first.

When I did my research about cameras, I was looking for a mirrorless digital model:

• From a respected manufacturer. I primarily considered Sony and Canon.
• That featured reasonably current technology so I wouldn’t need to replace it for a while.
• That was favored by YouTubers and vloggers, since I assumed they would have done a lot more research and testing than I would be willing to do. In fact, there’s a seemingly endless supply of reviews available on YouTube. 
• Had lens options available from other manufacturers, since additional lenses from leading manufacturers like Sony and Canon can cost as much as the camera body itself. You can buy a camera body on its own, but it will often be available with a ‘kit’ lens for only a modest bump in price. It’s probably worth getting the kit lens for regular photography, but it’s likely not what you’ll be using for your Zoom setup.

For the lens, I was looking for a high-quality yet affordable option that qualified as a ‘fast lens.’ That means it's capable of a lower f-stop (or wider aperture) than the kit lens that’s typically included with the camera. The lower f-stop allows more light into the camera for greater flexibility in situations when you have less-than-perfect lighting. Even more important though, the low f-stop creates a shallow depth of field so that you end up with the blurry background that’s become desirable for Zoom meetings. With a fast​​ lens and low f-stop, the blur is created by the lens optics and not by software or filters — so the effect is noticeably better. 

You can also choose a lens focal length that’s appropriate for your office setup. The focal length I chose was 35mm as opposed to a shorter focal length favored by some content creators. A longer focal length results in greater magnification or zoom. A shorter focal length gives you a wider angle, but you need to be closer to the camera. A 35mm lens was just about right given how far away from the camera I’m usually sitting — about 3 to 4 feet. My head and shoulders ended up being the right size relative to the Zoom window and you don’t see too much of the room around me (a potential problem with a shorter focal length due to the wider angle). I'm also able to avoid the distortion you typically get with a shorter focal length that would have made my nose look really big. It’s big enough, thank you.

In most situations, you won’t be able to connect your digital camera directly to your computer, so you’ll need a video capture card. You’ll also need relatively inexpensive cables and possibly adapters in order to link everything together. And finally, you’ll need what they call a ‘dummy battery.’ It’s essentially a battery that slides into your camera where the regular battery goes, but it’s connected to a power cord. That way, your camera will run continuously and you’ll never have to worry about switching batteries or running out of power during a Zoom meeting. Who needs that stress? You just need to remember to turn the camera on before you join a meeting, and then turn it off at the end of your Zooming day.

The benefits

By making an investment in a quality digital camera, ‘fast lens,’ a video capture card, and the supporting cables, adapters and dummy battery, you’ll get:

• A high-def, studio-quality image that never fails to impress. I get several comments a week about the quality of my Zoom image. Not so long ago, a new client exclaimed, “Doug! You look like you’re ready for Meet the Press.” Mission accomplished. Although I’d probably prefer a friendly interview with Stephen Colbert or Seth Myers to a grilling on Meet the Press. Call me lazy.
• A blurred background that’s created through lens optics and not a filter. It looks classy and natural. Much better than the filter options I see a lot of other people using that always make them appear to be floating in some alternate Zoom universe. My setup produces what I’ve been told is a soft, natural, and inviting background that looks a little like a therapist’s office. Again, mission accomplished.
• A high-quality camera and set of lenses that are good for general photography if you’d like.

I need to point out that you can get the camera, lens, and capture card and use them without a teleprompter. In fact, that’s what I did for about a year. You just need to mount the camera on a basic tripod (which you’d need for the teleprompter, anyway) and you’re ready to go. But, if you want to achieve the closest approximation of direct eye contact in your Zoom meetings and you want to experience less Zoom fatigue, then a teleprompter is a worthwhile investment.

Read on.

A teleprompter, monitor and a tripod

As I've mentioned in the post leading up to this one, a teleprompter is the key to being able to approximate eye contact over Zoom. I had never used a teleprompter before and was a little intimidated at the thought of it. But in the end, I learned that a teleprompter is not all that complicated and it can do more than function as a high-tech cue card.

Teleprompter from the front. Notice the camera lens behind the mirror and the additional monitor sitting in the tray below it. 

My teleprompter from the side. Notice the digital camera mounted on the platform. The teleprompter comes with some fabric on the back to keep light from getting inside the teleprompter box. My mic, shock mount, and adjustable studio light are also in view.

Investment

A good teleprompter and monitor will run you about $200 to $600 depending on the monitor you choose. You could potentially use an iPad or tablet you already have as a monitor and end up at the bottom of that range. A basic, stable tripod that can hold your camera, teleprompter, and monitor should only set you back an additional $50 at most.

What I looked for

As I’ve described, a teleprompter is essentially a semi-enclosed box that contains a special mirror that reflects an image from a monitor (or iPad or tablet) towards you, the user. Your camera sits inside the box, immediately behind the mirror, and the camera can ‘see’ you through the mirror. As a result, you can look directly at the camera lens and at the reflected image in the mirror at the same time. In this case, the reflected image would be the image of the other person in your Zoom meeting. 

I was specifically interested in finding a teleprompter and monitor combination:

• Big enough so that I could clearly see the image of the other person in my Zoom meeting from about 3 feet away. That’s the distance from my desk chair to the area immediately behind my desk where the teleprompter sits on a standard camera tripod.
• Bright enough so that I wouldn’t have to strain to see the image of the other person, especially when the lighting conditions in my office require that I turn my Zoom lighting up to fairly bright.
• That is relatively simple to set up. The teleprompter I’m using took about 15 minutes to assemble without any special equipment or know-how. Securing my camera to the teleprompter involved just one screw. The same for mounting the teleprompter to my tripod.

The benefits

As I’ve covered, the big payoff for using a teleprompter is that you’ll be able to make direct eye contact with the person on the other side of your Zoom meeting, or it will feel like you are. As a result, you get:

• A greater sense of engagement during the meeting, for the other person, and for you.
• Enhanced executive presence because it appears to the other person in your Zoom meeting that you’re looking directly at them.
• Far less Zoom fatigue. You no longer have to shift your gaze back and forth between your camera lens (to approximate eye contact) and the Zoom window (to be aware of the other person’s reactions and body language). In my experience, not having to manage this back and forth process frees up mental processing power so that you can stay focused on your conversation or meeting. That savings in mental energy is hard to overstate. 

An external microphone and adjustable boom arm

When I was doing my research for a great Zoom setup, I kept on coming across the same advice: make sure you have good sound. 

Any expert I consulted in the audio-visual space noted that people are much more willing to forgive poor or mediocre video quality than they are willing to put up with bad sound. I didn’t see any research to back that claim up, but I think we all intuitively know it’s true. It’s much more wearing when you’re straining to hear someone or to make out a muffled voice or words through hiss and distortion than it is to watch a video with poor image quality.

So make sure your sound is good. It’s easy to test the quality of your microphone when you’re using Zoom. Go to the Audio tab in Preferences, make sure the microphone you want to use is selected and choose Test Mic. If you haven’t ever done this, give it a try. You may think you sound pretty good depending on your setup. If you don’t, then consider an upgrade.

Investment

A quality microphone and an adjustable boom arm to hold it can run about $300. Included in that number is the cost of a shock mount, which looks like a cage made out of string. It isolates your mic from any vibrations that might travel up to it through your desk — like when you put your hand or arms on the desktop a little too heavily or mistakenly kick a desk leg. I never do that.

What I looked for

• A microphone that would work out of the box, without special cables, connectors, or amplifiers that would add cost, complexity, and space requirements. In other words, I wanted a USB mic that would connect directly to my computer. At most, I might need a USB adapter given that my MacBook Pro only has USB-C ports.
• A quality boom arm to mount the mic on that would attach to my desk. It sounds a little scary/over-the-top, but it looks like one of those classic adjustable lights that clamps to your desk (think Pixar), but without the actual light at the end.
• A shock mount that’s designed to be compatible with the microphone and boom arm I ordered.

The benefits

• With a microphone that’s good enough for even a podcast, your voice sounds richer and fuller than it would using the microphone built into your laptop or webcam. If and when I ever decide to record serious audio (The Career Narratives Podcast anyone?), I’m all set. At least until I eclipse Tim Ferriss. Then I can upgrade to something truly professional.
• It picks up less extraneous noise from my office and outside (lawn mowers) because it has a cardiod pick-up pattern, meaning that it hears what’s directly in front of it much better than what’s off to the side or behind it.
• The boom arm makes getting the mic in place for Zoom quick and easy (the same goes for getting it out of the way). Like less than 10 seconds quick and easy. The mic and boom arm are usually folded up towards the rear of my desk. To set them up for Zoom, I just have to extend the arm and swing it around so that the microphone hovers just above my head and outside the frame of the Zoom video. And if you want a more techy look, you can always adjust the mic so that it sits in the frame of the video, closer to your mouth. Your voice will sound richer and deeper that way, like a radio announcer. If that’s what you’re going for.

If you do nothing else, you should upgrade your lighting. It makes a huge difference, especially with the still fairly sad, little cameras built into most laptops and tablets. 

A large, adjustable, soft source of light

Okay. You’ve stuck with me this far. And if you’re thinking, “That’s all really interesting, Doug, but I think I’ll pass”, then you still might want to read this part. 

If you do nothing else, you should upgrade your lighting. It makes a huge difference, especially with the still fairly sad, little cameras built into most laptops and tablets. They’re getting better, but they often need all the help they can get. And that help comes in the form of better lighting.

Investment

A budget of about $150 will get you a good, adjustable light. And you really only need one. 

What I looked for

• A light with as large a surface area as was practical for my space. Why a large surface area, you ask? Because the larger the surface area, the softer and more forgiving the light. And we all can use a little help now and then. How did I know to look for this? Well — I paid attention when I was in marketing at Neutrogena and we were shooting TV ads. The main lighting for our very expensive ad shoots was typically one very big (and I mean big), white-fabric-covered box directly above the camera and angled down toward the talent. Due to the diffuse nature of the light, shadows retreated and skin imperfections seemed to melt away. And while I don’t have room for a gargantuan studio-quality box light in my office, I tried to approximate the same effect.
• The ability to adjust both the brightness and the color temperature of the light. Unless you’re underground or in a room with blackout shades, the light in your space is going to change throughout the day. As it does, you need to adjust both the brightness and color temperature of your lighting. Brighter and bluer during the day to match the light in your room. Dimmer and more yellow in the evening. Otherwise, you could end up looking a little, well, blue after the sun sets. You know what I’m talking about. You've seen it.
• A remote control. The light in my office changes rapidly at dusk, a time when I’m often on Zoom. A remote control within an easy arm’s reach makes it possible to quickly and unobtrusively adjust my lighting to match the conditions in my office, even in the middle of a meeting. 
• An option to mount the light to my desk. To keep things manageable, with fewer tripod legs to trip on, I wanted the light I was using to clamp to my desk, just like my microphone. Luckily, I found a light with a desk clamp. Even better, the light can fold up, just like the boom arm for the mic. That way, when I'm not in Zoom mode, I can get quite a bit of my equipment folded up and out of the way so I don't always feel like I'm working in a TV studio. 

The benefits

• You’ll end up looking better than you might without good lighting. What other rationale do you need? Most people feel at least a little uncomfortable about being on video, and that discomfort probably impacts their self-confidence and, in turn, their executive presence. Why not give yourself a reasonably affordable advantage? 
• You’ll create a better experience for the person you’re meeting with. They'll be able to see you clearly, and you won't look blue or so bright that you might explode into flame at any moment. It's the polite thing to do. So just do it.  

The view from the chair at my desk with everything ready to go. My larger monitor is on an adjustable arm so that I can lower it out of the way when I need to be on camera. 

 The view from the chair at my desk with everything folded up and out of the way. It helps me feel like I'm not in a TV studio at all hours.

Conclusion

If you were to do everything that I recommend here for the ultimate Zoom setup, then you’re looking at a total bill of up to $2,500. That seems to be about the same amount I typically pay every few years for a new laptop with a high-end processor and abundant RAM. 

Expensive, definitely. 

Worth it? It depends on who you are and the role Zoom plays in your work life. If you’re on a track to senior management and you’re in a fully remote or hybrid working environment, then the investment you might make in equipment could substantially elevate your ability to engage with people over Zoom and enhance your executive presence to boot.

And who couldn’t use a little of both?

If you’d like the details of the exact equipment I'm using and links to find it at B&H Photo and Amazon, get the free Ultimate Zoom Setup Gear Guide.