How To Use A Mirrorless Camera As A Webcam For Streaming

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Published: May 29, 2020 | Last Updated: September 26, 2024

You can use your DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam for streaming. All you need is a free piece of software like OBS, SparkoCam, or CamTwist and (for the best experience) an HDMI to USB capture device to pair your DSLR to your PC.

Hardware for connecting your camera to your PC

There are ways to connect your camera directly to software using a USB cable without a capture device, but the quality and user experience aren’t as good.

So, the first thing you’ll need is an HDMI-to-USB capture device (link to Adorama) to send the image captured by your camera directly to your PC. Several options are available on the market.

• The cheapest ones will let you capture the feed from your camera.
• The mid-tier ones offer more options for fx scaling and 60 frames per second.
• The most expensive ones will let you capture 10-bit colors, multiple sources for multicamera setups, and more. The latter would be great if you, for example, could do video podcasts with guests.

What Resolution should you get?

Some devices can capture and stream Full HD (1080p, aka 1920×1080 pixels), while others can stream Ultra HD (aka 4K, aka 3840×2160 pixels). Also, note that streaming 60 frames per second (fps) requires more bandwidth than 30 fps.

For Zoom meetings, a Full HD option is recommended due to bandwidth limitations that can affect image quality, especially given the varying internet conditions of different participants.

Streaming in 4K requires significantly more bandwidth, which can lead to poor image quality if the connection isn’t robust. However, 4K streaming might be more feasible for platforms like YouTube or Facebook.

Capture devices may downscale from 4K to 2K to better manage bandwidth. As streaming trends move towards 4K, investing in a 4K device could be worthwhile for serious streamers, though these devices are typically more expensive.

Software for Streaming

Several types of software will allow you to capture the signal from your camera; Some are free, some are only for specific cameras, some are only for PCs, and some are only for Macs.

There are three kinds of software that you should know about:

1. Software that makes your DSLR/mirrorless camera act like a webcam, like SparkoCam, CamTwist, and EOS Webcam Utility
2. Software that lets you broadcast yourself, like OBS.
3. Software for streaming (Zoom, Skype, etc.)

Here, we are going to focus on numbers one and two.

Camera Live + CamTwist (Mac only)

If you want to use your DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam on a Mac without a capture device, you’ll need two programs: Camera Live and CamTwist Studio.

Camera Live lets you connect your camera to your Mac via a USB cable to use as a webcam in the CamTwist Studio streaming application – without needing a capture device.

CamTwist Studio allows you to use it as a webcam for Zoom or Skype sessions.

CamTwist is limited to a 720p output, but you can upscale to FullHD if needed. It also has some special effects, most of which are useless, though you can also use title overlays that may be useful.

SparkoCam (PC only)

SparkoCam Virtual Webcam is “free” webcam software for broadcasting live—but only if you own a Canon or Nikon Camera (and webcams). It’s only available for Windows.

Also, the free version has a huge watermark, so you must upgrade to the premium version if you want to avoid this.

SparkoCam sells itself as a way to apply many “fun” special effects to your live stream, but in my opinion, that’s just a nuisance. However, it does allow you to use your camera as a webcam without a capture device.

If you own one of the compatible cameras (especially Nikon) and want free webcam software (with a watermark), check out SparkoCam.

Or, if you own a Canon camera, you could also check out…

EOS Webcam Utility Beta Software

Canon has created dedicated webcam software for Canon cameras that allows you to use your Canon camera as a webcam without a capture device.

The good news is that it is available for both Mac and PC.

Not all Canon cameras are supported, though. The full list of compatible cameras and download and installation instructions are here.

There are still some minor bugs to iron out and a few desired features, but Canon’s decision to make this software available is a nice move, as you don’t need to depend on third-party software for your camera.

Lumix Tether

If you own a Panasonic hybrid camera, you can use Lumix Tether together with OBS to stream yourself. But I wouldn’t recommend it because of the latency.

Lumix Tether isn’t designed to allow you to stream or use your camera. But there’s a small workaround you can do that lets you use Lumix Tether like the ones above if you need to.

It requires Lumix Tether and OBS:

• Install both software
• Open Lumix Tether, set your desired camera settings, and press the LV (live view) button:

• Now, in OBS, you can choose to add that particular window in the desktop streaming mode:

This is a quick, free workaround if you need to use your Panasonic mirrorless camera as a webcam but don’t have a capture device. It’s slow, but it works.

OBS Studio – Open Broadcaster Software (Windows, macOS, and Linux)

OBS Studio is a powerful free and open-source video and live recording software. You still need to use either the free software mentioned above or a capture device before OBS registers your camera.

OBS will allow you to simultaneously capture audio and video from multiple sources and stream it to various platforms. As shown in the Lumix Tether section below, it lets you capture, record, and stream your screen or even specific windows on your desktop.

The audio mixer is powerful and has useful filters, such as a noise gate and noise suppression. It even supports VST plugins.

OBS Studio is an extremely powerful piece of software. Coupled with a hardware capture device, it provides a solid base for streaming.

Summary

If you want the best streaming experience possible, I recommend purchasing a hardware capture device and pairing it with OBS Studio.

The small amount you need to pay for the hardware will easily outweigh the hassle and bad quality you get from using software to do the same.

I hope you found this article useful. If I forgot anything or you have tips and tricks, please share them in the comment section below.

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