Using a DSLR or Mirrorless Camera as a Webcam

Zoom, Hangouts, BlueJeans, Slack, and Teams. These are words that have taken on a whole new significance over the past few weeks. With so many of us now relying on livestreaming, video chat, and video conferences, the quality of connection and the quality of your image is increasingly important. It may be time to upgrade from the camera in your computer or the basic webcam that has been dangling off the side of your monitor for all these years. Joking aside, appearing clear, in focus, and well-lit is crucial when impressions are being made, whether that be for work situations or catching up with family and old friends. Fortunately, it’s very easy to turn your compatible DSLR or mirrorless camera into a high-quality webcam.

EOS Webcam Utility Beta Software

Canon has made it quite simple to use many of its EOS DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, and recent PowerShot cameras as a webcam for video conferencing with its new EOS Webcam Utility Beta Software. The free software, compatible cameras, and instructions to install are located here and you’ll only need your camera and a USB cable. After you install the software, you will have to restart your computer, but the plug-and-play set-up process is not complicated. Be aware that this beta software is not yet available for Mac systems and is supported only for U.S.- based users.

First, set your camera to Movie mode, and set the exposure to your liking (brighter for work meetings and dark and moody for a Zoom date?), then plug the USB cable into the compatible camera and into a USB port on your computer. Once the connection has been established, go to your preferred video meeting app, click camera settings, and open EOS Webcam Utility Beta and you are ready to go.