The coronavirus changed many facets of daily life throughout March 2020, and one of the lesser-mentioned complications it caused was an intense scarcity of webcams. Right now most online storefronts are completely sold out of webcams of all kinds, and the reseller market is full of preposterously marked-up listings.

This predicament is a result of people being forced to work from home. Initially, most people assumed video chatting with the camera on their laptop and phone would be sufficient, but, judging by market trends in the last three weeks of March, they soon discovered the importance of a quality, dedicated webcam. Social distancing, in general, has fed the scarcity as well. Those who don't work from home still rely on technology to communicate with friends and family, and many people would rather trust a Logitech device over whatever their phone or tablet is pointing at them.

Related: How to Setup Skype/Hangouts Happy Hour & Group Video Calls During Quarantine

A report from Yahoo! Finance explains that PC hardware and accessory sales are up across the board right now, as people reexamine the capacity for productivity within their living spaces. The virus has triggered a buying frenzy, however, one analyst quoted in the article suggests we may already be beyond the peak. The idea is that we've seen places sell webcams from a stockpile built up at retailers last year, as they feared the US's trade war with China would disrupt tech supply lines. As a result of that, the market was caught unprepared for those stockpiles to suddenly be depleted within a month. There's a decent chance we'll see more normal purchasing patterns for webcams later this month and into May, but rather than wait, we can explore other options.

Upgrade Your "Set" Instead of Buying a Webcam

Lighting Rig

The first thing to consider about any on-camera scenario is that lighting is the most important thing. An average camera with great lighting will always produce a better result than a great camera with no lighting. Anyone stuck with a laptop webcam can either arrange some furniture to get a light source closer to their workspace, or consider natural lighting. Most work-from-home related chat instances occur in the morning, so why not have that meeting by the window if possible? If there aren't any decent light sources at home, consider purchasing a lighting rig online. Retailers such as Amazon still have them in stock, with many priced well under the $100 mark.

Another important, easy upgrade is device positioning. Most laptops have a built-in webcam above the screen, so positioning it doesn't leave a ton of wiggle room. However, phones and tablets bring more flexibility. Try leaning a smart device on books or some other object. It's easy to get a much better angle than the forehead view from a laptop webcam, and adjusting the position of the shot opens up even more lighting options. Or, just buy a tripod designed for tablets and phones. There are tons of options. With smarter positioning and thoughtful lighting, a smart device can produce great visuals on the mobile versions of Zoom and Skype. Best of all, these sorts of options will still be useful once it becomes easier to purchase webcams again.

Use a Traditional Camera in Place of a Webcam

Camera Plus Cam Link

This method takes more effort than simply purchasing a webcam, but the result will almost always produce a much better image. For those who already own a standard camera, consider researching devices like the Elgato Cam Link, which gives users the option to pipe the image from a point-and-shoot, a dSLR, or a Go Pro camera into a computer. They're similar in price to the more popular webcams, they work with a wide variety of devices, and they usually include software to tweak things like contrast and brightness. From there, just put some thought into the "set" as mentioned above.

Next: This Video Chat App Will Remove The Background: What You Need To Know

Source: Yahoo! Finance