Using a "proper" camera as a webcam • Hacker News Board

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#121

Post by moduspol » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

ldayley wrote: post #53

moduspol wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just failed at this recently. Apparently the camera needs to support "clean HDMI out," which many don't. Mine (for example) has HDMI out, but it's for like a "preview" screen for a photographer--it doesn't just output a clean, high-res HDMI stream. There's a web page on Canon's site here: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/se... You'll see one list of cameras on there, but at the bottom, you…

Yes, that is a gotcha, as some of the cheaper or older camera models have no HDMI out or the require proprietary conversion with a vendor driver. I haven’t run into this often myself yet since most people I know have been buying newer and more video focused cameras over the past couple years. EDIT - For your case perhaps using camera settings to minimize the data (ISO/aperture/shutter etc) being shown on on the scree…

> EDIT - For your case perhaps using camera settings to minimize the data (ISO/aperture/shutter etc) being shown on on the screen works well enough to use what you have?

I saw a few threads with that suggestion, but I wasn't able to minimize the data being shown, or confirmation that anyone with a Rebel T7 was able to do it.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#122

Post by ISL » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:33 PM UTC

jonpurdy wrote: post #73

What I am surprised about is that nobody has made a high quality UVC camera with a large sensor and great lens, specifically for videoconferencing. Even the "good" webcams (like the Elgato FaceCam and Logi Brio) have tiny sensors with small lenses. And iPhones (with Reincubate Camo) have bigger but still relatively tiny sensors. Pair an APS-C sensor with a ~24mm f/2 lens, with no controls; just a USB connection. This…

Yep -- I'm real surprised Logitech hasn't shipped such a thing. $2-400 is the sweet spot. At ~$600, one starts being able to use a Canon M50 and a 22mm f/2 for plug-and-play high-end webcam usage.

There's a huge market there that doesn't know it wants one yet, but it will once it becomes available.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#123

Post by ratsimihah » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:34 PM UTC

I've been using a Sony A7iii and it's been great until I switch to an m1 mac. No compatibility anymore.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#124

Post by chrisseaton » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:34 PM UTC

ldayley wrote: post #42

One thing that I’ve been trying to educate my colleagues about (including the A/V folks!) is that one can bypass the need to fiddle with drivers by using a generic hardware HDMI -> USB video conversion stick utilizing the mirrorless/DSLR’s HDMI output. It’ll mount as a generic video input that Zoom/Teams/OBS can use. You can find these for $40-$100 and it allows one to switch out hardware brands at will without insta…

Isn’t the video interface over USB standard? You don’t need drivers do you? Just plug and play.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#125

Post by dekhn » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:34 PM UTC

JamesMcMinn wrote: post #120

I've been using an A6300 with a Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens (both of which I already had), mounted to the monitors stand using a basic clamp. It works great, looks fantastic [3] and I still get a lot of compliments for how good my video quality is. One issue I did run into was getting a decent HDMI -> USB capture device that works with Linux. My first choice was a high end (~£200) ClonerAlliance Flint 4KP [1] which worked f…

My only suggestion was going to be "get the cheapest HDMI->USB you can find", but I see you also discovered that trick :)

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#126

Post by ISL » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:36 PM UTC

ClumsyPilot wrote: post #69

pmoriarty wrote: post #15

If you're willing to throw $1000 at a "proper camera" of the sort the author recommends, then sure, it would be very disappointing if it didn't outperform the webcam built in to most laptops or phones. But is there a "proper camera" for under $100 that can also offer an improvement over a webcam?

$100 can get you an excellent microphone with a boom arm and that will be appreciated by your colleagues much more than being able to count your stubble in 4K 60 fps. I actually don't want colleagues to be able to inspect my face in immaculate detail, and the amount of ceremony and awkward stands begind the monitor, etc. do not make sence to me. The more expensive webcams do a decent enough job.

No boom needed for a big improvement -- the Blue Yeti Nano sits nicely on my desk, gets the job done.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#127

Post by [deleted] » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:36 PM UTC

awoodbeck wrote: post #12

Some camera manufacturers offer software that uses your mirrorless camera to emulate a webcam without requiring a capture card. For example, Fujifilm's X Webcam software[1] would allow the author to connect his X-S10 to his PC using a USB-C cable, and use it as a webcam. The downside is X Webcam lacks support for Linux. [1] https://fujifilm-x.com/global/products/software/x-webcam/

[deleted]

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#128

Post by ldayley » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

jannyfer wrote: post #108

ldayley wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Currently using an Atomos Connect since theyre compact and not expensive. Good luck!

FYI, online reviews say the Atomos Connect is just a repackaged version of the same generic HDMI-to-USB converters with the ms2109 chip that sell for $10-20 on Amazon (like the one linked in the original article).

The recently viral “USB hubs drove me crazy” post forced me to realize that all commodity outboard consumer hardware are probably identically sourced boards/chips, with western branding responsible for the markup— but this one survived where a previous cheaper one failed, YMMV.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#129

Post by james_xu » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:37 PM UTC

Hamcha wrote: post #75

Only tangentially related but if you already have a popular Logitech webcam (like the C920) chances are you can find a kit to mount C/CS/D-mount lenses on it, like with this one: https://www.kurokesu.com/shop/C920_REWORK_KIT2 C/CS/D mounts are for CCTV camera so you can find new and used lens for cheap. They will not fix a cheap/bad sensor, but they will definitely get you extra flexibility in what kind of framing/sh…

This right here is the best solution I've found. I have their Brio kit w/2.8-12mm CS lens and it's excellent in a small package. Low light conditions are still a challenge due to the tiny sensor.

As a bonus, you can disconnect the built in mics and opt for a nice boom mic with a hardware cut off switch.

Re: Using a "proper" camera as a webcam

#130

Post by jimhefferon » Tue, May 17, 2022, 5:38 PM UTC

callumprentice wrote: post #106

jimhefferon wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I appreciate the cleverness of your approach. But is it possible to take a C290-ish webcam, chop off the left and right, and maybe the top and bottom, until it is the width of a dime, so I can suspend it in the middle of my screen? Unlike the thread's original post, I am not overly concerned with image quality, but the "not looking" effect that you mention is an issue for me.

Yeah - that's what Center Cam does I think. You might be able to make both the lens and the support really small and/or transparent these days too.

Cool. Thanks, somehow I didn't understand that it is a product instead of an idea. (I have a microphone and can put it off camera. The quality of the picture is not critical for my application, and my personal eye does not find it a bother. I just want to look at the screen.)