If you’re bored of looking at the same 720p look from your Mac, there’s a new update for you in town which is going to change your webcam experience for good. You do not have to switch now to your iPhones for better video calling quality. You can use an external camera (Canon EOS or PowerShot camera) as a webcam and get rid of that blurred and grainy Mac picture quality you hate so much.
“How can I use my External Camera as a Webcam?“
Well, first of all, you’re going to need to download the EOS Webcam Utility Beta software from Cannon. You’ll have to check the requirements of your specific camera and download the software accordingly. You can do so by visiting the official page for Cannon here.
Once you have the software downloaded, you will have to extract and accept the terms and conditions, after which you’ll be directed to the installation. Once you’re done with that, you’ll have to restart your Mac after which your software is good to go.
Now, connecting the camera to your Mac can get a bit tactical, so pay attention and take notes.
Step 1: Connect your Camera to the Mac using USB.
Step 2: Set the camera to Movie Mode
Step 3: If the EOS setup pops up, close it.
Step 4: Whenever prompted for a video call, select EOS Webcam Utility Beta from the list of webcam sources. And now you have your own Cannon Webcam!
It’s Still Beta, People!
But, as it has already been mentioned above, the software is still in a beta stage. Thus there are quite a few limitations.
Right now, the beta testing for EOS Webcam Utility Software is just available for the US mac users. When and how it will be released for the rest of us is not yet known, but a lot of it depends on how the beta testing performs. The beta software also works only on web-based video callings (on Chrome, not Safari). This means that your Zoom and Skype video calling isn’t supported as of now. And sadly, Facetime and Safari couldn’t make it to the list either.
But the beta testing could be a significant step in using heavy-end cameras as webcams for video calling, ridding us of the mandatory use of inbuilt mac cameras. Not that they’re bad, it’s just their quality often limits in low lighting conditions. Nevertheless, we’re looking at how the beta turns out, and eager to get our cameras hooked to our systems. Also, do you think ‘I’m calling from my Camera‘ is going to become trendy anytime soon? Guys? Anyone?