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Comment by aantix | Hacker News Reader

Where do you position your camera so it both looks like you're making eye contact yet you can see your screen/audience?

The camera should be behind the screen. A cheap APS size 5Mpixel and a zoom lens are my ultimate setup. The sensor would have huge pixels that work in low light. With OLED this should be feasible, I guess. APS (or even full-size 24x36mm) would give small depth of field with little need for background blurr. A big bump on the back are the least of my worries.

The ultimate setup would be completed with

  - 43” curved 4k or 8k, not panorama 
  - build in color calibration
  - optional monitor hood
  - HiFi speakers left & right, bass at the bottom
  - build in directional microphone(s)
  - lamps on all sides to lighten-up face at night
  - (servo-) optical zoom out, e.g. for 2 attendees 
  - sensor(s) that detect color temperature pointing 
    behind the screen and adapts screen & lamps
    accordingly
  - able to share parts of the screen, eg half or quarter
  - works with all OS-es: mac, linux & windows
  - build-in bluetooth hub for keyboard, mouse & headset
  - 3.5mm headset jack in multiple locations, 
    e.g. left, middle & right
  - input for studio quality microphone 
  - support for attaching 2 or 3 computers
  - USB-C Power Delivery up to 240Watt each simultaneous
  - 10Gbit network switch to USB-C for each simultaneous
  - switch all inputs & outputs in one-go, 
    without plug-and-play events at each switch
  - able to swivel and adjust height 
  - mechanical switch to turn off camera & microphones
  - lasts 20 years

I don’t expect this to be ever made, but I keep on dreaming :-)

I want one three of these. I'll worry about the logistics later. :)

I would love to see an answer to this. I use a 43" 4K monitor, and have not been able to find a good position for the camera.

Below the screen: Unflattering view up my nostrils.

Above the screen: Makes me look as if I am trying to avoid eye contact.

To the side: Combination of unflattering and no eye contact.

I wish there were software that could take input from two cameras (high and low) and create a fake view of me looking directly into a camera.

This was supposed to be a feature of iOS 13. No idea if it actually made it to production:

https://petapixel.com/2019/07/03/apple-can-automatically-cor...

Would you like this middle of the monitor webcam?

https://www.thecentercam.com/

That's a great idea! I don't like how the clip eats up display at the top - it should be possible to have this more compact, like e.g. Logitech's top of monitor mounts.

Would be nice if they had a hinge on it so that it could swivel 90 degrees out of sight when not in use.

I'm achieving largely the same with my flex mount solution, although I do have to have it to the left a bit due to my middle top monitor. I have a lot more of the monitor obscured though, but it's not that bad.

When e.g. Samsung perfects their under display cameras, we can hope for built in behind pixel cameras in regular monitors. Give it a few years!

See above; I sympathise completely, was not happy with how my camera was positioned before. It's not perfect, but nonetheless a huge improvement.

I just got a Flexible Gooseneck Arm clamp mount like this: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B082HQJ1JX/

I've got three large QHD 32"s and a 24" on top on aluminum profile. The arm comes in over the top from the intersection of the middle and left monitor, and brings the camera into the field of view of the monitor - i.e. e.g. 1/4th to 1/3rd down from the top - IN FRONT OF the monitor. This is eye level, and also gets the camera a lot closer to my face - which is great (for the StreamCam).

The camera is quite narrow profile from the front, and with my 32"s it certainly doesn't feel like it's blocking the whole display. I can then position the video of who I am speaking with just off behind / to the side of the camera, which is as good as I can get it (a big improvement).

Before I got the arm, camera was too far away, and too far up and to the left - it had to go to the side of the 24", which is centred above the middle 32", and angled inwards so I can easily look up at it. (Perfect for e.g. Windows Terminal, or Slack and such).

For this particular flex mount, I relied on getting it on to the one of the two flat hinges between the 8020 profiles that the monitors are mounted on. Mounting might be an issue without such profile, so.. improvise!

It's easy to lift the arm up after a meeting.

If I had more budget I'd maybe get another Rode PSA1, which I use for the microphone - but it's very pricey (worth it for microphone!), and the flex arm does the job nicely. USB cable is velcroed to it, very narrow profile from the front.

Edit: My profile rig has been the biggest part of my home office upgrade. All the monitors are set up with ideal angles and spacing, and stay firmly put. I also use it for sim racing, but most of the time is spent on it working. I'm blown away by how much of an upgrade it has been. 8020 profile is such a blast once you get used to it.

I've also set up some plants behind my seat for a nice atmosphere, and tech books on a small shelf; the whole rig is facing the wall behind me so that nothing ever accidentally enters the picture. Also I have static picture scenes in OBS Studio a Streamdeck key press away should I ever need to "cut" my video. Same for muting audio input, no fumbling for the on screen mute button required.

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