Webcams have become somewhat hard to buy since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but Canon has developed some software that could let you use your EOS or PowerShot camera to video chat with colleagues or loved ones.
If you are now working from home and need to stay in touch with other members of your team, or you just want to look your best for video chats with your family and friends, a dedicated webcam can help. But high demand at the moment means that many models are continually sold out, and others have seen considerable price hikes.
For Canon camera users though, there's now a way to put your EOS interchangeable lens or PowerShot cameras to work as pseudo webcams. The EOS Webcam Utility Beta software will only work with internet-connected Windows 10 64-bit computers and laptops at the moment, and is restricted to select Canon camera models, but the only other thing you'll need is a spare USB slot.
Compatible cameras include the EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera, EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR flagship, EOS 90D prosumer DSLR, EOS M200 entry-level mirrorless, PowerShot G7 X III and the PowerShot G5 X Mark II. Some of the compatible cameras don't come with a supplied USB cable, so you'd need to buy your own, and you will need to go to the downloads page for your supported camera to get the software – though Canon has created a handy landing page for you to launch from. But the process looks fairly straightforward and could give your video calls a quality bump too.
The software is still in the beta phase of development and may have bugs, but you can share your experiences with the company via the Canon Forum and help inform future development.
Update May 27: Responding to feedback from users, Canon has now made the Webcam Utility Beta software available for macOS as well as Windows.
Source: Canon