Canon has just released EOS Webcam Utility Beta software that lets you turn your DSLR, mirrorless or PowerShot camera into a webcam. With most of us working from home now, the demand for webcams has increased immensely, so this solution could be great if you just want to use the camera that you already have.
Tatsuro ‘Tony’ Kano, executive vice president of the Canon U.S.A., says:
“In unprecedented times, it’s imperative for Canon to provide our customers with useful, simple and accessible solutions to assist them in whatever imaging needs they have. Our goal is that the EOS Webcam Utility Beta software can help reduce some of the remote workday stress for employees who are tasked with video conferencing and virtual meetings.”
The software is still in beta, so if you decide to use it, Canon is seeking your feedback on Canon Community forum, where you can also find some useful tips. You’ll need to download the software for your camera model, and you can find all the links and the instructions here. The following cameras support the software:
There are ways to turn your DLSR into a webcam, but they require a third-party software. So I believe that Canon users will appreciate the native software from the same brand. On the minus side, there are some limiting factors: not many camera models are supported, and only folks from the U.S. can use the software. I hope that it will at least be expanded to more cameras in the future.
As a Nikon user, I would like to see something like this from Nikon as well. I could rock my meetings with the team and online drinking with best friends! Joke aside, I recently bought a new desktop and I haven’t bought the webcam, which leads me to the next point.
The current COVID-19 situation has forced many people to start working from home. I bought a computer shortly before the emergency, and tried to find a webcam about a week later. And I couldn’t find one that doesn’t cost a fortune. The demand is huge, and so is the delay in delivery. Not to mention that the prices went higher even on the generally cheap models. So, the possibility to use the camera I already have, with a software from the same company, seems pretty tempting to me. What do you think? Do you find something like this necessary and would you like to have software like this for your camera brand?
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