3 Easy Steps To Use DSLR Camera As A Webcam

During this covid time, no matter if you’re a student or even a developer ( or gamer :D) everyone needs to attend an online meeting or class or something which is related to video call/stream/record.

so for these types of reasons everyone expecting a better video quality from their webcam camera.

but as you know if you’re looking for an easy solution then you can buy a good laptop, but then you need to pay extra right!

so in this article, I’m sharing some simple and easy solutions to convert your existing DSLR camera to a webcam.

For photographers

yes, believe me, you can easily use your existing DSLR camera as a webcam.

all you need to do is follow some important steps, which I’m going to share with you in this article.

so now, without talking more about it, let’s get started…

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3 Easy Steps To Use DSLR Camera As A Webcam

Before you get that answer you need to be clear about your motives and your needs.

Webcam isn’t just a video call or zoom/google meeting tool to get a face-to-face experience.

It has multiple uses which include the following;

Content creation
Diy baby monitoring
Live to stream
Home security
Space photography
Security for your device and many more…

To set up a DSLR as a webcam you can use any of the three ways in the following;

One requires Camera manufactures software.
Requires a capture card.
Requires Broadcasting software.

now let’s go through each point in-depth to start using your DSLR Camera As A Webcam.

USB Connection

Depending upon your camera and your computer you can use a USB cable to hook your camera to your computer.

For instance, the modern canon camera, Sony and Nikon, and Windows PC using apps like droid cam, ivcam, webcam, canon camera connect, and USB camera are the most used.

these PC apps let you hook up the camera to your computer over standard USB and use it as a webcam.

Most people require extra hardware to convert a camera’s HDMI output into a USB input.

These devices are popularly known as USB capture cards.

The most famous Products are Atomos Connect, the Elgato cam link 4K [$130], and the Blackmagic ATEM Mini [ $295].

The few more well-known capture cards are in the following:

You will certainly require an HDMI cable that can plug into your camera, which likely refers to a micro HDMI on the end which goes to your camera.

As soon as your camera gets connected, you have to enable “clean HDMI” output.

which will ultimately give you an unobstructed video feed. Depending upon your camera this can simply be done by putting the camera in its video mode.

In USB capturing devices or software for your computer, you will also want to have some way to adjust your camera for video conferencing.

For this, you can try using a tripod which is the most preferable and reliable option or you can just simply put it above the computer to get a webcam vibe.

but this can make things a bit complicated as it can result in doubtful positioning and unstableness of your camera.

There are mounts and clamps you can purchase to affix your camera to your desk.

and bring it to the perfect level of eye contact and give it perfect positioning with stableness.

Few elegant solutions are in the following:

Tripod.
Monopods.
Chest mounts and shoulder rings.
Clamps.
Suction cup mounts.
Tabletop tripod and short supports.
Varizoom StealthyGo multi-user support and stabilizer.

Using your camera as a webcam refers basically to streaming video to your computer.

Remember you will require an A/C adapter to power your camera instead of relying on short scope batteries.

or you can even use USB-C, battery banks, and chargers to charge your camera.

Make sure you disable every automatic feature of your camera.

Softwares to use | while converting DSLR as a webcam

now let’s talk about some important and free software which you can use after you convert your DSLR as a webcam.

You can use Nikon’s webcam utility software just by downloading it for free and connecting your camera to your computer through a USB and use it as a webcam.

In case you are using an external mic, you would need to plug that into the computer’s mic port after this any video conferencing portable would work fabulously for you with ultimately giving you the best results.

Some video conferencing software are the following:

Zoom meeting
Google meet
Microsoft teams
Skype,etc

This software simply helps you to connect your Nikon’s camera to a computer.

no matter it is windows or macOS.

It is ideal for people seeking a high-quality video stream and a simple setup and the best part of using this software is it requires no extra hardware.

To use this software you would require, a USB cable, camera, video conferencing software, Nikon webcam utility, and a perfect battery backup.

This software supports the following digital cameras…

Z 7ll ,Z 7 ,Z 6ll,Z6,Z5,Z 50,D 6,D 5,D850,D810 ,D780, D750 , D500, D7500, D7200, D5600, D5500, D5300.

Some other popular software which you can try & use

Other things to remember are the following;

Make sure you use the widest lens for your DSLR as webcams usually have a wide-angle lens.

The widest lens can help you use to fit in the frame perfectly.

Try using a lower aperture as it will give a blurred and pleasant look.

The most appropriate aperture can be f/2.8 or f/1.8.

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Using your camera continuously can heat it up to avoid that you can shut it off for few minutes.

Now it would be appropriate to tell you the secret of how to use a DSLR instead of a webcam?

Benefits of using a DSLR instead of a webcam

There are a lot of benefits in using a DSLR instead of a webcam and here are few reasons…

Scope of improved image quality.

as you know, it’s always better to improve quality.

and after using your DSLR camera as a webcam, you can easily see the difference.

You can use different lenses and have multiple options.

this is the option which I like the most.

because of multiple lenses, if you’re a gamer then you can use your camera as a webcam while streaming and you can even use it for vlogging and photography.

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DSLR has bigger sensors to avoid noise in the image.

You can set the white balance, aperture for a shallow depth of field & many more things, which helps you to get better video quality.

It allows low light focusing, plus a High burst rate without blackout.

also, the DSLR camera comes with some extra additional features like autofocus, diffrent modes like manual, shutter-priority, etc…

so you can easily get a better shot in every single situation.

It has more autofocus points and allows a better spread.

you can even Preview every single effect.

as you know the overall quality is going to improve after attaching the DSLR camera, but with that, you’ll also get some creamy & blurry background.

you can use a wide-angle lens with an aperture of 1.4-2.8.

If you’re using a mirrorless camera, then I personally suggest sigma 16mm F1.4 ( it’s very sharp and perfect ).

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so these are all advantages of using a DSLR camera as the webcam, now let’s talk about some disadvantages which I found…

Disadvantages of using DSLR as a webcam

these are some minor issues I found after using a DSLR camera as a webcam, so make sure you remember each point…

Audio Sync Errors

These issues are very common with a streaming video camera.

and it usually has occurred due to a misstep in the setup process.

so while setting up all the stuff, make sure you check every single audio-related stuff.

Battery Problems

The battery of the DSLRs is the biggest disadvantage of using it as an alternative to a webcam.

and battery drains faster while live streaming, so makes sure you are ready to face this problem and have an alternative solution to this.

as I mentioned earlier, you can attach USB type charger with power banks or direct connection.

so you never run out of battery while streaming.

I would suggest you try and review it for better performance in your desirable uses.

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So, that’s all from my side, comment below your favorite DSLR camera to use as a webcam, if you’re already using it.

if you like this article then make sure you share it with your other friends, have a good day.

About Author

Manthan

Hi, I'm Manthan I'm a professional photographer and founder of photographywith.com. this site hosts all of my writing on photography stuff like blogs, reviews, editing, and much more. whatever I learn new, I publish here as a blog with some good and easy examples. Cheers, Manthan

photographywithdc@gmail.com

https://www.photographywith.com