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Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp

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Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#71

Post by siod »

gonehome wrote: post #6

It's kind of wild to me how there's such a product vacuum for this stuff. I've dug around and the only real option is an HDMI capture card paired with a decent camera (I read this Sony software option is lower quality, but at least it's progress). LG camera setups target businesses and are generally overpriced crap (I have one - the LG meetup) with proprietary connections and mediocre cameras, and crappy mics/softwar…

I thought the same and went looking recently, Black Magic gear looks well suited.

Camera:

- https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicpocke...

- https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicmicro...

Capture card:

- https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/atemmini

- https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/cam-link-4k

- Generic eBay capture card

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#72

Post by dognotdog »

modeless wrote: post #20
gonehome wrote: post #6

It's kind of wild to me how there's such a product vacuum for this stuff. I've dug around and the only real option is an HDMI capture card paired with a decent camera (I read this Sony software option is lower quality, but at least it's progress). LG camera setups target businesses and are generally overpriced crap (I have one - the LG meetup) with proprietary connections and mediocre cameras, and crappy mics/softwar…

Totally agreed. My old NEX-5 doesn't work with this new Sony software, and I was thinking about getting a new interchangeable lens camera mostly for webcam use. I think the right prime lens with a huge aperture could go a long way to making me look more presentable in video calls. In this environment it's an investment in your appearance, similar to buying nice clothes, a gym membership, etc. Unfortunately there's ve…

I do use a D800 with a 50/F1.4 lens for video conf calls.

A lot of the current generation DSLRs do provide XGA, 1024x768 sized preview images when tethered, as, surprise surprise, that is the resolution of their viewfinder/screen. Older cameras, like the D800, only do 640x480, though IMO that is still a vastly superior image for video conferencing.

I've put together what I've found out so far at https://github.com/dognotdog/ptpwebcam/blob/master/CAMERAS.m...

Sony ILSM cameras seem to all do 1024x, DSLRs mostly do 640x480 unless they're from the last 2 or so generation of cameras. I have most complete information for Nikon, as they actually publish specs for the cameras PTP interfaces, unlike Canon or Sony, which have to be reverse engineered.

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#75

Post by evan_ »

floatingatoll wrote: post #63
evan_ wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you copy the FaceTime app and save it with a different name ("FaceTime copy") you can run that and it will let you pick any webcam, even virtual ones. If you do this you need to remake the copy whenever the OS update or else Spotlight will crash whenever your phone rings. (took me awhile to figure that one out) I don't know whether or not this will get the Sony driver working. Obviously it would be better if it ju…

That’s a bug worth reporting - it shouldn’t crash, and it’s trivial to accidentally duplicate an app!

Hm, I would report it but I’d be afraid they’d “fix” the copied app workaround as well.

I suspect it crashes because Handoff tries to start the last FaceTime binary I used, but some kind of signature has changed so it kills it immediately.

I’m not sure why it’s spotlight that crashes except that maybe its index is used to launch the last FaceTime I used?

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#76

Post by jiofih »

siod wrote: post #71
gonehome wrote: post #6

It's kind of wild to me how there's such a product vacuum for this stuff. I've dug around and the only real option is an HDMI capture card paired with a decent camera (I read this Sony software option is lower quality, but at least it's progress). LG camera setups target businesses and are generally overpriced crap (I have one - the LG meetup) with proprietary connections and mediocre cameras, and crappy mics/softwar…

I thought the same and went looking recently, Black Magic gear looks well suited. Camera: - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicpocke... - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicmicro... Capture card: - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/atemmini - https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/cam-link-4k - Generic eBay capture card

Except that is a $1000+ setup.

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#77

Post by jiofih »

wlesieutre wrote: post #28
samatman wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think they can, is the thing. My iPhone is at least three times as thick as the screen of my MacBook, and I'd be surprised if they aren't using at least some of that depth on the front camera. What I would like to see is official support for using the back iPhone cameras as a webcam, but I don't expect to: it looks like Apple wants to remove the last port on the phones, no matter how dumb an idea that might b…

Not official, and no personal experience with it, but it sounds like this is what you want: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/epoccam-webcam-for-mac-and-pc/... > Just download drivers to your PC/Mac and you're ready to go! Connection is fully automatic, no need for manual setup. You can connect wirelessly over WiFi network or with with a USB-cable.

I use this. It kinda sucks, and the battery goes way too quickly.

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#78

Post by dognotdog »

seltzered_ wrote: post #66
asimpletune wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried it and I haven’t been able to use it for literally anything.

I just tried it as well and haven't had luck. Tried doing this: - installing the linked 'imaging edge webcam' software. - restarting - hooking up my sony camera (it's compatible per the list) over usb - opening Quicktime Player, going to "new movie recording", selecting "Sony Camera (Imaging Edge)" - Instead see a logo for the software (instead of the camera output) but no connection. Tried futzing with opening camer…

The CoreMediaIO DAL plugin path is very fraught because of GateKeeper/SIP mechanism all trying to stop 3rd party code from being loaded into apps.

The macOS kernel does have, in theory, the possibility to create a .kext that emulates a UVC USB device, so in theory all one had to do was to write a .kext that captures the DSLR/DSLM camera in kernel land, and brings up a virtual USB device that is then recognized by the standard UVC driver (eg. same as any other webcam).

Of course, that doesn't provide any camera settings controls, and the practical side of it is quite complicated, with sparse documentation and difficult development processes, it being a kext. Hence, nobody's done it, yet.

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#79

Post by fomine3 »

siod wrote: post #71
gonehome wrote: post #6

It's kind of wild to me how there's such a product vacuum for this stuff. I've dug around and the only real option is an HDMI capture card paired with a decent camera (I read this Sony software option is lower quality, but at least it's progress). LG camera setups target businesses and are generally overpriced crap (I have one - the LG meetup) with proprietary connections and mediocre cameras, and crappy mics/softwar…

I thought the same and went looking recently, Black Magic gear looks well suited. Camera: - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicpocke... - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/blackmagicmicro... Capture card: - https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/au/products/atemmini - https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/cam-link-4k - Generic eBay capture card

Mirrorless without auto focus for webcam? Sony's RX100Mx should be fine.

Re: Sony cameras can now be used as webcams for Mac

#80

Post by paulirish »

52-6F-62 wrote: post #11
gonehome wrote: post #6

It's kind of wild to me how there's such a product vacuum for this stuff. I've dug around and the only real option is an HDMI capture card paired with a decent camera (I read this Sony software option is lower quality, but at least it's progress). LG camera setups target businesses and are generally overpriced crap (I have one - the LG meetup) with proprietary connections and mediocre cameras, and crappy mics/softwar…

There was the Canon EOS solution they published the beta for earlier this year. I have an old Rebel T5 that I decided to try out, even though official support bottomed out at the T6. No capture card required, just the EOS Webcam utility and a USB connection. It runs very slowly, though. The latency is bad and so is the frame rate, though the picture itself is great. I've heard that reported for many supported cameras…

On Mac OS, I run Camera Live (which works off the EOS sdk), and then CamTwist. I use these with a Canon EOS M6 Mark II.

I have solid 720p video 30fps video, no problems.

You don't need a capture card unless you want better than 720p30fps. (Then again, I have no idea about the linux/windows situations)

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