How to Use Your Canon Camera as a Webcam

Hey everyone, welcome to FilterGrade. Today we’re talking about something really cool that might let you make use of your DSLR when you’re at work.

With the rise of Zoom meetings and Twitch streams, it’s great news that in late 2020 Canon released a brand new driver that lets you use just about any camera as a webcam.

Obviously there are already cameras that can be used as webcams, but this driver unlocks a ton of potential and means you don’t need to use any janky workarounds. There is a version for Windows and for Mac.

Watch the full tutorial:

The Canon EOS Webcam Utility is compatible with all of the major video calling apps such as Zoom, Teams, Webex, and Skype. It also works with any sort of livestreaming app such as Streamlabs, OBS, Discord, or Facebook Live. There’s no additional software to make this work. After installing the driver, your connected camera will show up automatically on the list of available webcams. The driver is also compatible with a wide array of cameras – pretty much any EOS or PowerShot camera will work with the driver.

All you need to do is download the webcam utility for your camera from the Canon website, then unzip the folder and run the Setup file.

The only other thing required other than your camera is a micro-USB to USB cable. Open the side panel of your camera and plug in the micro-USB, then plug the USB end into your computer. If you want your camera to last long enough for a meeting or livestream then you’ll need a power supply kit that plugs into the wall and provides your camera with continuous power.

To get it to work, simply turn on your camera and open up the application you want to use, then select Canon Webcam Utility.

Now, there are a few limitations to using this USB solution. First of all, the resolution is limited to 1024×576 pixels, even if your camera can record video in 1080p or 4K. It will also be limited to 30 frames per second. While this isn’t necessarily ideal, many people including myself will happily accept the lower framerate and resolution in exchange for the vastly better image quality as compared to a webcam that can achieve 1080p 60fps.

There are, however, ways to get a better signal, which is of course with an HDMI capture device. Don’t worry too much about the price, as the devices can be had for under $20, along with a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. With HDMI capture you can transmit up to 4K and 60 frames per second. Then on your camera, you can go to shooting settings then select clean output so that there is no information on-screen. The capture device will then capture your video screen with no extra data covering it up.

Unfortunately this isn’t an option of every camera, which is why the Webcam Utility via USB is so great. The only Canon camera I have around is the EOS Rebel T5. But it doesn’t have an option for clean HDMI, so if I were to use an HDMI capture device then I would be left with a focus box on the screen. For me, the webcam utility is an awesome thing to have, and brings extra life to a camera that is lacking natural webcam features.

Comment down below if you’re planning on using a Canon camera lying around for this purpose. For me, it’s been great to incorporate my camera into my meeting and streaming setup and look a million times better than with my traditional webcam!

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