How to use DSLR/compact camera as your new HD webcam

It's been six-seven months since the start of 'work from home' situation. Thus, face-to-face contact has been the core of communication in this day and age.  

From daily meetings to virtual on-boardings, besides phones, the presence of webcam has become the essence of present-day interaction in the Covid world.  

Over the last few months, camera manufacturers like Canon, Fujifilm, and Sony released webcam utility software that enabled users to use a high-end DSLR or compact camera for live streaming, webinars, and YouTube. 

Now that workplaces have opened up, stores have opened and e-tailers also selling in most areas. It is interesting to know that all this while webcams and laptops have been in high demand. There has always been a video tool that's been there and that would have been a compact camera and DSLR, which can be used along with your video setup for a quick conference.  

All that is needed is

1. Supported cameras. 
2. Table tripod/Mini tripod 
3. Headphones with mic (to connect to pc for audio). 
4. Camera’s USB cable.  

Below listed are the different camera companies and their official website utility stories to download the utility. Kindly check the compatible cameras section on those websites to know whether your camera is supported. 

These utilities were brought out in May, June as beta version Software with the final release being in the months that followed.

While most of the recent cameras are supported, the apps are available on Windows primarily with Fujifilm being the only manufacturer to have a macOS version of the webcam utility, while Canon’s utility for Mac is still in Beta. 

For Canon

Eos Webcam utility 

For Sony  

Sony Imaging Edge webcam

For Fujifilm  

FUJIFILM X Webcam Software

For Nikon  

Webcam Utility

Bonus addition:

GoPro Hero 8 /GoPro Hero 9-- One bonus is that the most recent versions of the GoPro action camera can be made into a webcam using the webcam utility available on their website. instructions are almost similar to the camera websites.

Steps

1. Look for the utility and the OS to which it has to be installed -- on the manufacturer's website. 

2.Install the utility, towards the end of the installation, go ahead with the webcam device drive installation. 

3.Check the Online FAQ section of the respective guide to know what settings to change on the camera so that it is recognisable by the pc. 

4.Switch on the camera, change the settings on the camera and then connect the camera via USB to the computer placing the camera on a mini tripod for support on the table where your laptop is. 

On a side note, audio will be an issue as the camera will only capture video and not audio, so it is best to have a separate mic attached to your computer and configure the sound input from the respective conferencing platform.  

Here's how to set it up with Zoom and other software  

1.Open the conferencing app say Zoom, Teams etc.

2.Click on the gear icon for settings.

3.Click on the video tab -look in the dropdown for your cameras webcam utility. 

4.Check your audio -check if an external headphones/mic is connected to the computer is connected and recognized as the audio source. 

5. Start the conference call in the preferred conferencing/ streaming client.