How to use a DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam [2022]

We’re in a weird time for certain tech niches that used to be quite limited. Live streaming had somewhat been relegated to a somewhat small subset of people and connecting your camera to your computer …

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We’re in a weird time for certain tech niches that used to be quite limited. Live streaming had somewhat been relegated to a somewhat small subset of people and connecting your camera to your computer for broadcasting was pretty much seen as a “hobby” or only for gamers or kids. But with so many people now working from home (or out of work), more and more people are looking to get better streaming video by using their camera as a webcam.

It’s definitely not hard to connect your camera to your computer to use it for streaming in applications like OBS, Streamlabs, Xsplit, or other streaming-specific applications that can see most capture devices. But unlike these applications, video calling or conferencing applications aren’t built with this robust support.

Why do USB webcams work in video conferencing apps and cameras/video capture devices don’t?

Applications like Skype, Zoom, Hangouts, and others are built to work with webcams that everyone has in their laptops, or connected via USB to their computer. The protocol being used here is called UVC, or USB Video Device Class. Basically, this is a protocol that advertises the device with a certain configuration that these applications can see without requiring specially dedicated drivers.

UVC is really meant for consumer webcams, which more specialized video capture devices technically are not. But as more and more people get into streaming, they also want to use these setups as cameras for Skype and other platforms, and more manufacturers are building in UVC support to their devices.

Unfortunately, not even all modern capture devices support it, and figuring out if a device you are looking for does support UVC can be difficult, requiring reading a bunch of specs lists to come up with an answer.

We’ve received enough comments, tweets, and other interactions asking about whether devices support UVC or why their capture device won’t work in Skype that we’ve decided to put out a list of our suggested UVC-supporting devices so you can use your DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam.

Unlike many of our guides, we’re not going to go into features or anything in the list below. Just our favorites and some others that may be good alternatives if the top picks aren’t available given the current circumstances.

Our top pick: Elgato Cam Link 4K

Elgato Cam Link 4K, External Camera Capture Card, Stream and Record with DSLR, Camcorder, ActionCam as Webcam in 1080p60, 4K30 for Video Conferencing, Home Office, Gaming, on OBS, Zoom, Teams, PC/Mac
  • Professional Webcam: easily connect your DSLR; camcorder or action cam to your PC or Mac.
  • Stunning Quality: broadcast live or record in 1080p60 or even up to 4K at 30 fps.
  • Ultra-Low Latency Technology: go live on any platform in no time.

Last update on 2023-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

As is the case with our previous streaming camera guide and how to live stream guide, the Elgato Cam Link 4K gets our top nod. It’s easy, inexpensive, and works excellent for streaming as well as providing a great UVC interface for video calling applications.

Unfortunately, it’s also sold out pretty much everywhere. We’ve provided some options in our best alternative live streaming equipment guide, but not all of those are UVC-compatible. All of the below devices are, however. Not all of them will be available, but they’re worth listing in case they somehow become available in the future.

Best alternatives to the Elgato Cam Link to use your dslr or mirrorless camera as a webcam

BlueAVS Audio Video Capture Card

No products found.

Elgato Game Capture HD60 S+

Sale
Elgato HD60 S+, External Capture Card, Stream and Record in 1080p60 HDR10 or 4K60 HDR10 with ultra-low latency on PS5, PS4/Pro, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One X/S, in OBS and more, works with PC and Mac
  • 1080p60 HDR10 Capture: share your gameplay in superb viewing quality.
  • 4K60 HDR10 Zero-Lag Passthrough: play your high-fidelity Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One X, PS5 and PS4 Pro games in original format.
  • Instant Gameview: power your workflow with ultra-low-latency technology.

Last update on 2023-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Note: While the names are similar, the Game Capture HD60 and HD60 S do NOT support UVC. The HD60 S+ is the first and only in the HD60 line that does support this protocol.

AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus

Sale
AVerMedia GC513 Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus - 4K Pass-Through Capture Card for Game Streaming, Full HD 1080p60 Recording & Content Creation on Windows 11 and MacOS 10.13 or Later
  • AVerMedia GC513 Live Gamer (LGP2): Suitable for any streamers; content creators or hobbyists, new or experienced, this portable capture card allows you to enjoy 4K gameplay and easily edit in 1080p60
  • Pass-through technology: The LGP2 allows you to record amazing gameplay at Full HD 60 fps without experiencing annoying lag and in 4Kp60 thanks to the lag-less integrated pass-through feature
  • Plug and play technology: Ready for use at any time, the LGP2 uses the latest UVC technology making the process easy - simply plug the LGP2 into your mac or computer and you are ready to stream

Last update on 2023-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

AV.io 4K

AV.io 4K – Grab and Go USB Video Capture for HD 1080p 60 fps and UHD 4K 30 fps
  • DVI-D and HDMI video audio capture - UHD 4K at 30 fps and HD 1080p at 60fps
  • Rugged and portable plug and play video capture for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux
  • Supports aspect ratios for 4:3 TV, 16:9 Widescreen, 16:10 and 5:4 monitor

Last update on 2023-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

AV.io HD

AV.io HD - Grab and Go USB Video Capture for VGA, DVI, and HDMI up to 1080p at 60 fps
  • VGA, DVI, HDMI (with audio) graphics and video capture up to 1080p at 60 fps
  • Rugged and portable, plug and play with Windows, Mac OSX and Linux
  • Supports aspect ratios for 4:3 TV, 16:9 Widescreen, 16:10 and 5:4 monitor

Last update on 2023-11-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra

Sale
AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA – 4Kp60 HDR Pass-Through, 4Kp30 Capture Card, Ultra-Low Latency for Broadcasting and Recording Xbox series x/s, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Windows 11/ macOS 10.13 (GC553)
  • 4K HDR Pass-through: The Live Gamer Ultra delivers 4Kp30 capture while its pass-through allows gamers to experience lag-free 4K HDR at 60fps; The video capture card can pass-through high refresh rates of up to 240 Hz on a Full HD signal to PC monitors
  • 4Kp30 & 1080p60 HDR Recording: This capture card records 4K 30fps video from your next-gen game consoles: PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, also captures HDR footage at 1080p 60 frames per second; Note: only NVIDIA graphics cards are supported
  • High Frame Rate Capture: The LGU with its high frame rate capture ability of up to 120fps on Full HD 1080p signals delivers super smooth recordings to your video archive

Last update on 2022-07-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

AVerMedia BU110 ExtremeCap UVC

AVerMedia BU110 ExtremeCap UVC, Multi-Colour
  • Use your Android device or computer to stream and capture with your DSLR camera. HDMI to USB 3.0 converter
  • Uncompressed Full HD Video at 1080p60
  • Plug and play, no driver needed

Last update on 2022-07-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

PUTELTAL 4K HDMI to USB 3.0 Video Capture Card

Last update on 2022-07-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

MiraBox

Mirabox Capture Card for Nintendo Switch,USB3.0 1080P 60FPS Video Audio Capture Card,Support 4K@30Hz Input and Passthrough for PS4 PS5 DSLR Xbox Streaming and Recording by OBS
  • 【4K@30Hz Input and ZERO Latency 4K@30Hz HDMI Loopout】This capture card support 4K@30Hz input and 4K@30Hz Zero Latency Passthrough, noted: this capture card just support 1080P@60Hz capture, it can not support 4K capture.There is no latency when you use the hdmi loopout port, the hdmi loopout port is very usefully when you are making a game live streaming.
  • 【Stronger Compatibility】This 4K hdmi capture card can be compatible with all 4K@30Hz 1080P 720P hdmi device, such as Wii U, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, Switch, DVD, camera, ZOSI security camera, DSLR and set top box etc.
  • 【USB3.0 YUY2 4:4:4 1080P With 60FPS】The HD video capture card can support 1080P with 60FPS, it is very suitable to use it for game live streaming.

Last update on 2022-07-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Magewell USB Capture HDMI Gen2

Last update on 2022-07-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Software options: SparkoCam, CamTwist, Canon EOS Webcam Utility Beta (new)

If you really can’t get a hold of a UVC-compatible capture device and still need to use your camera as a webcam, there may still be hope. Various software solutions exist to take the USB feed from your camera and then capture that via screen capture and turn it into a virtual UVC device that your applications can see.

Update 4/28/20: Canon has released a new Windows-only beta software called Canon EOS Webcam Utility, which allows select compatible EOS and PowerShot cameras to function as a high-quality webcam over USB as a UVC-compatible device.  We’ve put together a quick overview of the Canon EOS Webcam Utility Beta software announcement for you to take a look at, and if you have a compatible camera this may be the best way to go without buying new hardware.

SparkoCam is the most popular option for using Canon and Nikon DSLRs as webcams. There is a free download that will leave a watermark on your video, but it works pretty well. Unfortunately, SparkoCam is not available for macOS, but is a great option for Windows if you don’t mind a watermark (or want to spend nearly as much as a capture device for a license).

SparkoCam interface

There is an option for Mac users to get your Canon camera (provided it’s on the compatibility list) to work with a two-application system using Cam Live and CamTwist. We’re not aware of a software solution for Nikon, Sony, or others so if you have one please let us know in the comments below!

Using a Canon DSLR as a webcam on macOS

  1. Install Camera Live and CamTwist on your Mac
  2. Open Camera Live > connect your DSLR to your Mac via USB
  3. In Camera Live, select your camera, it should say “Ready”
  4. Open CamTwist
  5. Select video source “Syphon” > set Syphon Server to “Camera Live”
  6. Open your video conferencing application of choice and change the webcam to “CamTwist”

Software solutions vs video capture devices

We’ll be honest, the software option is not the most ideal way to go, especially for lower power machines. If at all possible, a capture device would be best. But we also get that it’s a bit difficult to get hardware right now, and if it’s this or nothing, it’s better than nothing for sure.

Final thoughts

While there are hundreds of capture devices out there that work excellent for typical live streaming, they all don’t let you connect your mirrorless or DSLR for use as a webcam. Finding the devices that support UVC protocol may be a bit tricky, but we hope we’ve provided a list for you to get you started.

Do you have any suggestions that aren’t on the list? Questions about a particular capture device that you own? Feel free to drop a comment below, or reach out to us @creatorbeat_ on Twitter.

Lou Wheeler is a musician, photographer, tech enthusiast and IT professional from Sacramento, CA, with experience in a wide array of technical and creative areas, including music production, light design work, photo/video for bands and management, video creation, and has a general love for creative technology.

He can currently be found working on too many projects at once and spending time with his wife and two cats, exploring new places to eat, and occasionally getting out to disc golf.

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