V002 Camera Live – Zoom with Your DSLR as a Webcam via USB

rayshan | 111 points

Am I the only one with strong objections to using Zoom as a verb?

Putting aside the fact that it's already a verb, which courses plenty of confusion, I can go along with using Photoshop as a verb, because it is objectively the most powerful and widely used tool with a very long legacy.

But Zoom is a clunky insecure mess with impressive, but not nearly leading market share. Is this really who we want to be gifting the recognition (and money) that comes with generic verb for all videoconferencing? At least Adobe did something to earn their verb...

P.S.: I see no mention of Zoom in the page. Does this fall under the "don't mess with titles too much" rule of HN?

franga2000 | 4 years ago

Please take care when using your DSLRs for video. Often the sensors are not adequately cooled for long term usage as a video camera (>30m). You have the potential to damage the sensor if it is not designed for continuous use and doesn't have proper thermal protection. Newer cameras will shut down if they get too hot, or have limits to how long you can run in video mode.

Stackoverflow discussion: https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/21932/can-continuo....

Ductapemaster | 4 years ago

Why not use Canon's own EOS Webcam Utility?

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/about/news...

jammmety | 4 years ago

Switching to a "real" camera has been such a huge, huge improvement for me on video calls all day, I machined a custom vesa mounting arm to hold my camera in just the right spot.

https://lightroom.adobe.com/shares/088254b7439745b982784c0a4...

BobVawter | 4 years ago

This is possible in Linux using v4l2loopback and gphoto2.

reedlaw | 4 years ago

For folks with Nikon DSLRs and Windows, there's an app called SparkoCam which uses the your camera as a video feed source and appears to the host operating system as though it were a webcam. Works for Canon as well though Canon and at resolutions higher than are currently supported by Canon's "use your camera as a webcam" software.

The best results require the use of an HDMI capture device... and all of the good ones sold out almost immediately when the quarantine started.

mikece | 4 years ago

For non-Canon cameras I've been having luck using Cascable Pro Webcam:

https://cascable.se/pro-webcam/

evan_ | 4 years ago

It works(ish) but worked better before most of the major players locked virtual cameras out with updates. Issues with unsigned code, so then some folks started unsigning apps smh. Still works with Chrome based version of several tools, and it’s cool when it works, but definitely a bit on the fragile side. The Canon software has the same limitations and just lets you use software from a perhaps more trusted source depending on your perspective…

pocket | 4 years ago

I listed the gear I use for high-resolution video calls at https://slack.org/high-resolution-video-calls, along with links to other people who’ve done the same.

sqs | 4 years ago

> The camera sends the image used for Live View - the dimensions will not match the camera's movie recording settings.

This sounds like a bummer. I want to try this anyways to give my old Powershot a new purpose.

Did anybody check this out yet?

dgorges | 4 years ago

with your Canon* DSLR....

boromi | 4 years ago

Is there something like this but for GoPros?

whoisjuan | 4 years ago

Is there action camera or mirrorless camera that has webcam feature natively?

wellthisisgreat | 4 years ago