Dedicated webcams became something of a rarity earlier in the year as pandemic lockdown restrictions saw more people working from home, and videoconferencing being the only way to see friends and relatives.
Canon launched a beta Windows utility in April that allowed owners of some of its cameras to use them as high resolution webcams, and now that software has come out of beta with improved compatibility.
The imaging giant says that the beta version of the EOS Webcam Utility software has been downloaded more than 700,000 times since release, allowing folks to attend virtual office meetings and webchat with loved ones using EOS interchangeable lens cameras and PowerShot snappers. At that time, the utility could be used with 25 models only, but that number has now been bumped up to 42 for the official release – with additions including the EOS 5D, EOS R5 and R6, the Rebel T3 and T8i.
Canon says that another aspect brought up in beta user forums was compatibility with third-party videoconferencing applications. For the full production version, the utility has been confirmed as working with 13 video chat and streaming apps, including Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Messenger, Skype and Microsoft Teams.
Users also now have the ability to record the session to the camera's memory card just by pressing the record button on the camera, instead of fiddling around in the software. And the full version is being made available outside the US.
The EOS Webcam Utility for Windows is available for download from Canon's support portal. The Mac OS version remains in beta for the moment.
Source: Canon
