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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

#101

Post by m463 »

jseliger wrote: post #10

It's fascinating to watch the camera companies slowly catch up to where Elgato was years ago; their failure to "think beyond the box" may help explains why camera sales peaked around 2012 and have been falling ever since. Don't get me wrong: I still have a standalone Fuji camera, but I'm unusually interested in photo aesthetics. For most people, ease of use and convenience wins, and that it took this long for Sony to…

I don't think it's ease of use or anything more complicated than your phone is closer.

It's kind of like when your remote control is in the other room.

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

#102

Post by mjsweet »

ihuman wrote: post #69
mjsweet wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So far I have tested the following: Skype: "No device found" (laptop closed) Zoom: Only FaceTime HD Camera detected Quicktime: Captures only the Imaging Edge Webcam logo screen OBS: Works great - added a "Sony Camera" perfectly first time If anyone wants me to try something else, let me know.

Here's the compatibility list for the mac obs webcam plugin. I wonder if Sony's driver has the same issues. https://github.com/johnboiles/obs-mac-virtualcam/wiki/Compat...

OBS is the only app I have been able to get working so far.

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

#103

Post by mjsweet »

ihuman wrote: post #69
mjsweet wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So far I have tested the following: Skype: "No device found" (laptop closed) Zoom: Only FaceTime HD Camera detected Quicktime: Captures only the Imaging Edge Webcam logo screen OBS: Works great - added a "Sony Camera" perfectly first time If anyone wants me to try something else, let me know.

Here's the compatibility list for the mac obs webcam plugin. I wonder if Sony's driver has the same issues. https://github.com/johnboiles/obs-mac-virtualcam/wiki/Compat...

I will definitely to this soon though... but it would be good to do quick Zoom meetings without using OBS.

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

#104

Post by tupputuppu »

rektide wrote: post #65
rektide wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd cite portrait mode as counter-example. The optics are irrelevant if the software can emulate the look. And thus far, from what I understand, portrait mode systems have not had to use the depth sensors/lidar that's available!!! I would be very wary of assuming the larger format optics are necessary or helpful! The look can be done. There are some advantages retained by the larger sensor but it's a category that wi…

This post is obviously wrong, in that you cannot hack the same quality out of a smaller cheaper lighter sensor. There's a lot that will remain out of reach. Yet still, there's a lot that can be done to bring the appeal of one to the other.

I think the post is half right. Right now the macbook webcams get zero help from any computational photography unless your video call software has something like that (e.g. Zoom's background blur). Apple could do a lot more with both the physically design as well as with drivers, which they aren't doing today.

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

#105

Post by tupputuppu »

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've got the A7 which is not supported by this. You can get one used for 200usd. I put on the Sony 35 or 50 F1.8. I've also got a 40usd LED panel for lighting and both camera and lights are on fixtures connected to my desk via camps, 20usd from Amazon.

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

#108

Post by 52-6F-62 »

paulirish wrote: post #80
52-6F-62 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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)

Do you have an instruction set? I tried following most others I could find and they all tended to fail at some stage.

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

#109

Post by rektide »

jseliger wrote: post #10

It's fascinating to watch the camera companies slowly catch up to where Elgato was years ago; their failure to "think beyond the box" may help explains why camera sales peaked around 2012 and have been falling ever since. Don't get me wrong: I still have a standalone Fuji camera, but I'm unusually interested in photo aesthetics. For most people, ease of use and convenience wins, and that it took this long for Sony to…

> It's fascinating to watch the camera companies slowly catch up to where Elgato was years ago;

What's most amazing to me is how ineffective camera company's have been at getting a healthy ecosystem of tools/softwares growing. There was a brief bold attempt with the Samsung Galaxy Camera[1] to mate a decent camera with the Android OS & bring the well-known development environment, but it didn't take off. I still think this is the best chance camera folks have to be relevant, but there needs to be a bigger base of developer know-how incubated & grown. Starting expert communities is hard.

Meanwhile, it turns out Sony's modern cameras actually do run Android, they just don't expose it. There are some really neat apps, for time lapse, for uploading to photo services, for a bunch of random itch-scratch wants/needs built atop this. It's all unofficial apps. I don't think there's much work done with video & video streaming, which is where, I think a lot of the ubicomp/ubiquotous & pervasive computing currents wants & needs are. But this is, from what I can see, one of the most interesting & open places for playing with media, short of buying an Android phone & relying on it's sensors.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_Camera

[2] https://github.com/ma1co/Sony-PMCA-RE

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

#110

Post by modeless »

tupputuppu wrote: post #105
modeless wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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've got the A7 which is not supported by this. You can get one used for 200usd. I put on the Sony 35 or 50 F1.8. I've also got a 40usd LED panel for lighting and both camera and lights are on fixtures connected to my desk via camps, 20usd from Amazon.

Perhaps unsurprisingly the used camera market seems to have exploded. The current used price seems to be $600+.
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