How to mount a phone webcam: which mount is best

Entonces, estás pensando en usar tu teléfono o tableta como cámara web. Probablemente tienes un cable. Esperamos que tengas Camo . Y tal vez necesites una montura o un soporte. Compré casi todos los tipos de puestos en el mercado, e incluso intenté construir algunos improvisados a partir de cosas que tenía en la casa. En esta guía, analizaré cuáles podrían funcionar para usted y por qué.

Si no tiene tiempo para examinar estas opciones en detalle, obtenga esta:

What makes a good phone webcam mount?

Before starting to look into the various phone mounts, I had a think about what I was really looking for. In order of importance, a good mount should:

• Have good stability. You need to be able to type, click, and use your computer as you normally would on calls without your phone jiggling around or even falling out of its mount.
• Make you look good. Step one here is to use Camo, which lets you use the incredible camera built into the phone as your webcam. In terms of your mount, you want it to be positioned near your computer screen. It’s disconcerting to talk to someone who doesn’t seem to be looking at you. You also want to be able to get your mount so that it’s roughly parallel to your face; too low and everyone else on the call will be gazing up your nostrils; too high and it will be pointed at your body.
• Make it easy for you to mount and remove your phone. Unless you're using a dedicated phone with Camo, you’ll also want to use your phone for other purposes, so being able to set it up and take it down easily is important.
• Not result in anything too permanent. You might not want to keep a magnetic disk stuck to your smartphone, or a bulky car mount stuck on your iMac.
• Be compact. When you’re not using your phone as a webcam, you probably don’t want a hulking great piece of plastic cluttering up your desktop.
• No parece una horrible monstruosidad. Puntos de bonificación si se ve bien.

¿Quieres lucir mejor en tus videollamadas? Hemos reunido un artículo lleno de consejos para ayudarlo a verse mejor en su cámara web aquí .

Con este criterio en mente, echemos un vistazo a los diversos tipos de monturas que puede usar para convertir un iPhone en una cámara web.

Trípodes

Producto probado: EVERESTA Trípode para teléfono inteligente flexible de 42 pulgadas y 360 pulgadas, Reino Unido £ 19.54, producto similar de EE. UU.

Un trípode fue uno de los primeros soportes que decidí probar. Tienen gran variabilidad; puede ajustar la altura y mover fácilmente un trípode a diferentes computadoras si tiene una computadora portátil y una computadora de escritorio, o diferentes áreas si atiende llamadas en diferentes lugares durante el día. Si trabaja en cafeterías, por ejemplo, un trípode es una buena opción, porque es rápido y fácil de instalar: todo lo que necesita es una superficie plana. También puede mover su trípode independientemente de su computadora para asegurarse de que esté bien iluminado en su cámara web, incluso si su computadora no está orientada hacia la luz.

On the subject of light, you can purchase tripods that come with built in ring lights if your desk is not already well lit, but I’ve found that these are generally low-quality tripods attached to low-quality light rings, so you might be better off getting a regular, stable tripod and using a standard lamp, the flash from your phone (which you can control using Camo), or simply the natural light from a window (or the sun, if you’re outside), to improve light levels.

With that said, tripods are generally quite big and bulky. If desk space is tight, you might not be able to sacrifice the space for a tripod. In addition, while you can move your tripod to be in the best light, it’s a little trickier to get it close to your display than when using some other mounts, which can give the impression that you’re looking off to the side on your calls. Most tripods use a grip claw, which, depending on the strength of the grip, can be fiddly when putting your phone in or removing it.

Los trípodes funcionarán bien para las personas que solo desean una montura, pero que a menudo cambian a diferentes computadoras y computadoras portátiles o diferentes espacios de trabajo. Por alrededor de $ 25 por un buen trípode, no son la opción más barata, pero tampoco son demasiado caras.

Brazos flexibles

Producto probado: Jumkeet Gooseneck Phone Holder, Reino Unido $ 18.99

Un brazo flexible tiene aspectos de un trípode y un soporte para automóvil. Puede adjuntarlo a su pantalla, su escritorio o cualquier otro objeto que pueda sujetarse (como un soporte para monitor o una maceta). No ocupa espacio en el escritorio, a diferencia de un trípode, y puede mantener su escritorio sin desorden si está conectado detrás de su computadora portátil o monitor. Los brazos flexibles también ofrecen un poco más de flexibilidad que un soporte de pantalla, ya que puede mover el brazo hacia arriba y hacia abajo, de lado a lado para encontrar la posición perfecta. Incluso puede doblar el brazo alrededor de una esquina si es necesario.

Flexible arms generally attach using two claws, so there are no permanent stickers, and I found the grip claws of the flexible arm I tested to be easier to take my phone in and out of than the desktop mounts and car mounts.

The flexible arm was very stable: the picture didn’t judder as I typed, and it was also pretty affordable. For me, this was by far the best mount to use for all laptops, and if you don’t want to use a magnetic sticker, it was the best option for desktops, too. The only requirement for these flexible arms is that you have something to clamp the arm to, so if you have a built-in desk, this type of mount might not work for you. You can see how I clamped the arm to the side of a desk when using it with a laptop, above. Here’s how I attached it to a couple of desktop computers:

Ventosas

Producto probado: MPOW Dashboard Car Phone Mount, Reino Unido £ 8.99, producto similar de EE. UU. $ 10.99

Estos simplemente no funcionarán, a menos que los pegue en una ventana cercana o en la pantalla de su computadora (no, realmente, no haga esto). Tenga en cuenta que algunos listados en Amazon implican que se adherirán a otras superficies. ¡No lo harán!

Montajes de pegatina

Producto probado: FLOVEME Magnetic Car Mount US $ 13.99, Reino Unido £ 12.16

Any mount that attaches directly to your monitor will let you get your phone webcam close to where the built in webcam is, providing a good angle for your calls. The main variable with these types of mounts is how they attach to your computer and your phone. Of the direct mounts I tried, the best option for desktop users was the sticker/magnet mount pictured above. You stick it to the back of your computer and can add the magnet to the back of a cheap phone case to quickly attach and remove your phone for calls. (Keep reading to see why you don’t want to stick it directly to your phone.)

Estos son mucho menos voluminosos que los trípodes, pero probablemente no sean adecuados para computadoras portátiles si planea moverse, ya que el soporte debe permanecer conectado a su computadora y evitará que su computadora portátil se ajuste en un estuche. Puede intentar despegar y volver a colocar la montura cada vez que use su cámara web, pero esto reducirá la adherencia y el riesgo de que su iPhone y la montura se caigan y se dañen.

Magnetic & MagSafe mounts

Productos probados:

• Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe, UK £29.95, US $29.99
• Clip de soporte magnético de montaje lateral universal AUOTO, Reino Unido £ 11.99, producto similar de EE. UU. $ 15.99
• Soporte para teléfono de uso múltiple IMstick, Reino Unido £ 20, US $ 25.25

Magnets, how do they work? However they do, they make it really easy to attach and remove your iPhone from its webcam mount. Some mounts were so simple they consisted of two magnets; one for the back of your iPhone, the other for the back of your monitor or laptop. You just stick your iPhone to your computer, and grab it off when your call ends. And while the Belkin mount reviewed here does not attach to a laptop with magnets, it uses Apple's MagSafe functionality to make attaching your iPhone quick and easy. A drawback for all of these, however, is that their angle is restricted to the angle of your screen.

Useful only for iPhone and MacBook users, Belkin’s MagSafe mount debuted alongside the release of macOS Ventura’s Continuity Camera feature. While there is of course plenty to say about how Continuity stacks up against Camo, I've also been looking forward to putting this mount through its paces to see how it compares to the other solutions explored in this guide. One thing that already puts it ahead of the other mounts in this category is not having to attach magnets like silver leeches to my laptop.

As expected, the Belkin connected firmly to the circular MagSafe zone in the middle of both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max that I used for this test. I liked that it could easily be oriented in either landscape or portrait orientations, though changing from one to the other required removing the setup from the laptop screen and either twisting the mount firmly or removing entirely to reorient it. Rotating the phone while it was mounted - as the video on the Belkin site shows - could not be replicated without knocking the whole arrangement from its perch. And though the MagSafe connection is strong, it doesn’t snap to any particular axis. Sometimes when it looked like the mount was attached exactly parallel to the orientation of the phone, I found when mounting it on the screen that it was off kilter, and had to readjust. Not a huge deal, apart from the illusory Belkin visuals.

Placing the mount on top of the screen is fairly straightforward, with a small plastic foot that folds out and hooks onto the top of your laptop. I tested the mount on both a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 13-inch MacBook Air, and found - unsurprisingly - that it fit more snugly on the thicker frame of the Pro. That said, it did not feel especially precarious on the narrower Air.

On both laptops, it was simple to line up the camera lens with the centre of the screen, a big advantage over the side-mounting solutions for maintaining a good eyeline. Still, since it works only on MacBooks, it would be impossible for all but the shortest users to avoid capturing video from an unattractive low angle (this was slightly better when the phone is mounted in portrait, since the camera lens was higher).

Raising your laptop as shown above is also about practicality - it keeps the screen of your laptop as close to vertical as possible, something I found to be fairly important when using all of the mounts in this category. As you’d expect from hanging something as substantial as an iPhone to the top or side of your MacBook screen, the centre of gravity shifts quite dramatically as the screen moves away from perpendicular.

In the spirit of science, I attempted to measure the precise angles at which the screens of both laptops began to collapse backward with either of the two iPhones mounted. Using a goniometer, I found that for the combination of MacBook Pro/iPhone 13 Max, the widest angle at which it remained steady for me was about 113°. With the iPhone 13, that expanded just a bit to 119°.

Knowing these angles has two upshots. First, if you tend to work with your laptop literally in your lap, with the screen leaning back fairly far (unflattering angle be damned), the mount and phone combination will yank the screen all the way back, with the laptop possibly headed for the floor. Second, even when working with your laptop situated firmly on a desk in front of you, it is important to remember the physics at play. Twice in one morning I pulled the screen slightly forward to reach something behind the laptop, only to have it slam loudly shut like a bear trap, with my phone (mount firmly attached) rocketed into my lap. No harm done to the laptop, though I don’t like the idea of subjecting it to such violence on a regular basis.

In conclusion, I appreciated the convenient size and quality build of the Belkin mount, and if I conducted mostly informal video calls on my MacBook, I could see myself just keeping it attached to my iPhone for easy transport and quick deployment (the integrated ring/kickstand is also a nice touch, though it doesn’t really factor into how I carry and use my phone on a daily basis). But what keeps this mount from being a solid recommend across the board is the fact that it required extra care to keep my laptop from slamming open or shut, as well as its specificity to iPhones (and only the later MagSafe generations) and MacBooks. Just as Camo works across platforms and devices, our ideal mount would be useful for both desktops and laptops, and both new and older iPhones and Android devices.

The other mounts in this category also score points for ease of use and compactness, but they leave little room for variability - once you’ve stuck the magnets in place, that’s where you need to keep your webcam. And though these magnets held pretty well, there was a very small amount of wobbling when typing on a laptop (realistically, no more that you’d get when using the built-in webcam). Like the Belkin, they're best used with the screen as close to vertical as possible; however, for these you'll also need to keep magnets stuck to your phone (or phone case) and computer. If this idea fills you with horror then you’ll want to look for a different type of attachment.

I stuck the magnet to a silicone case for my iPhone, rather than directly to the phone or to a leather case (because stickers will probably damage the leather, and I didn’t want to risk marking my phone), and here’s what happened when I removed the magnet:

Logré que este soporte magnético funcionara con un iMac. Un gran inconveniente de esta montura fue que no era posible conectar el iPhone al revés, por lo que solo puede usar la cámara selfie con este soporte. Tampoco puede ajustar el ángulo del iPhone cuando usa este soporte, por lo que la imagen está ligeramente hacia un lado.

The second magnetic mount I tried was much more flexible. The IMstick phone mount was made up of one magnet attached to a wire, and a metal disk to stick to the back of your phone.

Debe pegar al menos un imán para que esto funcione, ya sea en su teléfono o en su computadora, pero el otro puede mantenerse en su lugar por el cable. Puede ver cómo conecté el soporte a mi computadora usando el cable, a continuación.

Esta es una opción bastante buena si desea flexibilidad o si tiene una situación de montaje complicada. No ocupa mucho espacio, y aunque es un poco complicado configurar el soporte, una vez que lo haya hecho, es fácil sacar y sacar el teléfono.

Sentí que mi teléfono era seguro, pero noté que se tambaleaba un poco más que la montura que usaba adhesivos y un imán, así que preferí la montura FLOVEME a esta, aunque si quieres mover tu cámara web un poco , tal vez prefieras este.

Titulares ranurados

Producto probado: soporte para teléfono móvil YUYITEK, Reino Unido £ 14.99, US $ 14.99

These let you rest your phone in place, rather than holding it securely. As such, they’re easy to get your phone in and out of, but they will wobble when you type. I found it was more difficult to get a good angle when using this slotted holder than with any other mount, as the phone couldn’t be adjusted as easily with these mounts, and would often fall into a different position, anyway.

El soporte ranurado se conecta a la computadora con un clip muy resistente. Pude conectar esto a mi iMac, pero dada la parte posterior curva de la computadora, dejarlo allí durante un largo período de tiempo podría hacer que se dispare inesperadamente. Ni siquiera quería intentar usar este clip con mi computadora portátil, ya que el accesorio del clip está tan apretado que parecía que podría dañar la pantalla.

Gimbals

Producto probado: Zhiyun Smooth 4 3-Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer, Reino Unido £ 89.00, US $ 99.00

I tried using a gimbal as a webcam, but it was a pretty impractical choice. The height of the gimbal isn’t adjustable, so you’ll either end up with your camera too high, or too low for your screen (as the image above shows, this works a little better with a laptop than a desktop, but neither is ideal). Yes, your gimbal will keep your phone stabilised while it’s being held, but, provided you're not moving your webcam around while you're talking, there really isn’t any benefit to this feature for webcam purposes. Additionally, the gimbal I used periodically turned itself off, causing the phone to drop down, and inserting an iPhone XS Max into the gimbal kept triggering SOS calls. You’d also need to keep your gimbal charged in advance of your calls.

Si ya tiene un cardán, y está convencido de que no quiere otro accesorio tecnológico, entonces intente por todos los medios, pero es posible que desee comenzar con una llamada informal, en lugar de una reunión importante .

bases para iPhone y teclados inteligentes

Productos probados:

• Apple lightning dock US $49.00, UK, £49.00
• Apple Smart Keyboard Folio UK £ 179.00, US $ 179.00

Si tiene una estación de acoplamiento para su iPhone, puede usarla, o puede usar un iPad si tiene una funda que funciona como soporte. Ninguno de los dos le dará un muy buen ángulo, pero ambos funcionan. También necesitará usar la cámara selfie para ambas opciones, a menos que encuentre una manera de elevar su dispositivo al nivel de la cabeza.

Improvisado / bricolaje

¿Qué pasa si necesita una cámara web ahora y no tiene ninguno de los anteriores? Experimentamos un poco y descubrimos que quizás el mejor puesto improvisado se puede improvisar con una pila de libros y una taza de café / caja de cartón:

It’s bulky, it doesn’t look great, and your phone might wobble around a bit if you’re doing a lot of typing, but it’s a quick and easy solution to start using your phone as a webcam today.

¿Tienes un mejor puesto improvisado? ¿Encontraste una mejor montura? Háganos saber en los comentarios a continuación.