How to use Caira as a webcam

October 10, 2026
by Camera Intelligence

Caira with an iPhone attached, mounted on a tripod head, lens facing the camera

If you spend a lot of the day on video calls, your webcam is the camera people see you through most. Most laptop webcams pair a tiny sensor with a tiny lens, and it shows: flat light, soft detail, and a grainy picture as soon as the room gets darker. From the week of 12 October, Caira works as a webcam over USB-C, so your calls can come through a Micro Four Thirds sensor and a proper lens instead.

What you need

  • A Caira, updated to the latest software.
  • A USB-C cable.
  • A laptop with a USB-C port.
  • Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet.
  • A tripod or desk stand to hold Caira at eye level.

How to set it up

  1. Mount Caira on a tripod or stand, with the lens at about the height of your eyes and close to the top of your screen. That way you look into the lens when you look at the people you're talking to.
  2. Connect Caira to your laptop with the USB-C cable.
  3. Open the video settings in Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet, and choose Caira from the camera menu.
  4. Check the preview, and adjust the framing and the light before you join the call.
A card reading Caira is now a webcam: plug in with USB-C and pick it from the menu, with a diagram of Caira connected to a laptop and the apps Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet
Caira connects to your laptop over USB-C and shows up in the camera menu of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

Why a camera makes a better webcam

A much bigger sensor. Caira's Micro Four Thirds sensor is 400% bigger than an iPhone's, and a laptop webcam's is smaller again. A bigger sensor gathers more light, so the picture stays clean in an ordinary room in the evening, where a webcam turns grainy.

A real lens. With a fast lens like the Lumix 25mm f/1.7, the lens we sell with Caira, the background falls softly out of focus while you stay sharp. There's no software blur cutting around your hair or your headphones.

Your choice of framing. Caira takes over 100 Micro Four Thirds lenses, so you can pick a wider lens if you want your desk or bookshelf in shot, or a longer one for a tight head-and-shoulders frame.

Caira on a tripod with a phone clamp mounted on top, photographed outdoors
Caira on a tripod. Any tripod or stand that holds the camera at eye level works for calls.

Tips for a better picture

Choose the lens for the distance. A Micro Four Thirds lens frames like a lens twice its focal length on a full-frame camera, so a 25mm looks like a 50mm. Sitting at a desk, that gives you a natural head-and-shoulders frame. For a wider view of the room, try something around 12–15mm.

Face the light. Put the window in front of you or to one side. A window behind you turns you into a silhouette, whatever camera you use.

Keep the camera at eye level. A camera looking up at you from the desk is rarely flattering, and a small tripod fixes it.

Get started

Webcam mode arrives in the same update as stronger Wi-Fi, and you can read about both in Stronger Wi-Fi, and Caira as a webcam. If you're after one camera for your photos, your videos and your calls, pre-order Caira on our website.