Use Canon 80D As Webcam For Mac10/25/2021
If you happen to have a DSLR, mirrorless or compact camera, you may be able to put it into service as a high-quality webcam. By connecting your Canon camera to a computer with a USB cable, the camera will be available as a video source for many video conferencing and streaming applications.Here’s an option you may not have thought of. Sell, rent Electronics - laptops, tvs, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners(ac), Mobiles & Tablets- newused Apple iPhones, redmi, note.EOS Webcam Utility 1.0 is a software solution which unlocks webcam-like capabilities for select EOS Inter-Changeable Lens and PowerShot cameras.8 IS STM Macro Canon RF 24-105mm F4L.The results can even be much better than a webcam, making you the most presentable person on your Zoom call. Webcam Utility (Mac) Full Ver. If you own a Mac or another camera model, however, you’ll likely need to get a video capture device.Cannon 600D connected to laptop via USB cable and running EOS Utility in live view.
Now, here’s a quick guide on how to connect your camera and PC.Before we talk about hardware and software, don’t forget that you actually need to mount your camera somewhere. While we’re not recommending any particular camera, nearly any model will likely deliver a better image than what you have now. Luckily, we’re here to help. Depending on your computer, camera and any third-party hardware, setup can be challenging, and you may have issues like out-of-sync audio. The problem is that PCs don’t have built-in video capture cards. For USB-C cables, I’d recommend the Anker Powerline II and Amazon Basics for HDMI to HDMI, mini and micro cables.Connecting a fancy mirrorless or DSLR camera to a computer might not seem that hard, given that most have USB and HDMI outputs. Generally, there’s no need to pay a lot for such cables, but do choose a reputable brand. Make sure to check what kind of HDMI output connector your camera uses, be it micro, mini or regular HDMI. If you want something sturdier, take a look at something like this clamped articulating arm from Fantaseal, or if you don’t mind a few holes in your desk, this model from Arkon.You might also need either a USB Type C or HDMI cable, depending on your hardware. Just be aware that it’s pretty easy to knock over your several thousand-dollar camera and lens if it’s set up that way. Use Canon 80D As Webcam Movie Mode AndNext, you turn on your camera, put it in movie mode and adjust the exposure and focus settings to get the look you want. You download and install the beta software, restart (ugh) then connect your compatible Canon camera to your computer using a USB cable. Most of those are fairly recent, like the EOS R, EOS 5D Mark IV, Rebel T7i, EOS M6 Mark II and Powershot SX70 HS (for a complete list, check here).As shown in the video above, setup is relatively simple. Canon recently unveiled the beta EOS Webcam Utility software (Windows only) that allows you to output video from select models directly to your PC. And while you can input to a USB port, most cameras can’t convert video to an IP (streaming) signal.Many Canon and Nikon models can stream video without too much effort, however, so let’s start with those. Suffice to say, I put them to shame during our weekly meeting (above).While Nikon doesn’t seem to have a webcam utility, you can go hardware-free with an app called SparkoCam (Windows only). With my loaner Canon EOS R and a 50mm f/1.2 portrait lens, I got a cinematic image with awesome background bokeh, which looked so good that my Engadget colleagues accused me of using a fake background. And because it takes a while to process the camera signal, your video image will be slightly behind your audio — by about a quarter second, in my case.Still, the results were worth it. You can’t use your Canon camera’s built in microphone (nor an external microphone), so you’ll need a headset or external mic. Microsoft office for mac free trial 2011As with Canon’s utility, audio from your camera isn’t available, so you’ll need a headset or external mic and will have the same sync issues. When you open a video conferencing app, SparkoCam Video appears in your list of webcams. (SparkoSoft keeps a comprehensive list of supported models here.)To use it, you download and install the utility, then plug in and select your camera. On your PC or Mac, you’re going to need Sony or Canon’s remote software, OBS Studio open-source streaming software and the OBS virtual cam plugin.To make this work, you first stream the Sony or Canon cameras to your computer using the remote software. First off, you’ll need a recent Sony model (including later RX100 models, A7R II and up, A7 III, A7S II and A6300 and later) that has a PC remote option under the USB connections menu. On the plus side, buying the app gets you extra features like green screen and limited video effects.If you’re willing to do a real kludge, there’s another method that works for both Sony and Canon cameras, with the bonus that it works on Macs, too (though currently not with Zoom and WebEx, see update below). For a more precise description, see this video.If you own another camera, you’ll likely need to splurge $100 and up on some extra hardware. This time, it’ll be even more out of sync with your microphone audio, but at least it works. You’ll find that the video and audio are out of sync by as much as a half a second, but OBS will let you delay the audio so the video can catch up.Then, when you go into Zoom, Skype and other apps, you’ll see OBS-camera as one of the webcam options. Finally, you turn OBS Studio itself into a webcam by setting it to output as a virtual camera (I did warn you that it was a kludge). Then, you can expand and move the video until it’s centered in the screen. Most of the time, you just need to install the included software, plug your camera into the capture card then plug the capture card into the USB port on your computer.Once set up, any video conference app should recognize your camera as a webcam both on Mac and PC computers. The challenge is that just as with webcams, many of these items are out of stock due to the lockdown.If you can get your hands on one, however, they’re pretty easy to use. Other good models include the $100 IOGear HDMI to USB Video Capture Adapter, the $199 Blackmagic Design Intensity Shuttle, $239 Elgato Game Capture HD60s or if you want a lot of fancy switching features, Blackmagic Design’s $295 ATEM Mini (above). The article has been tweaked to reflect that information. After a bit of work, I looked like I was in a Terrence Malick film and definitely enjoyed seeing the mild envy on my fellow editors’ faces.Update 12:57 PM ET: As pointed out by several readers (thanks Dave) and Twitter user Zoom has “ temporarily removed” macOS support for virtual cameras used by OBS and CamTwist. Another good option is NDI, which made its NDI HX camera app free in response to the pandemic.The ordeal was worth it for me because I had access to awesome equipment, and I enjoy dabbling with gadgets — I’m sure you do, too, if you’re reading this article. If you really need your PC, you can use Android or iOS devices with your computer via apps like DroidCam (Android) or EpocCam (iOS). A smartphone is another option, as most video conferencing apps work on phones, too. It will stay in sync with the video and you’ll also get a lot less lag than you would with the software-only solutions mentioned above.Doing this is a lot of trouble and possibly expense, so is it worth it? For some folks, a webcam is certainly the least amount of hassle (if you can get one).
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