With numerous country-wide lockdowns in full force and self-distancing measures that will likely last for many months to come, many of us are relying on video calls to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues. That’s why Canon and Fujifilm have released new software that lets you connect your camera to your computer and use it as a webcam. Requiring only a USB cable, it is a simple and free way for compatible Canon EOS DSLR, mirrorless and PowerShot cameras; and Fujifilm X and GFX system cameras to operate as high-quality webcams. Want to know if your camera is compatible with these software? Here are the details:

Canon – EOS Webcam Utility

  • EOS-1D X Mark II, EOS-1D X Mark III, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 5DS, EOS 5DS R, EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 77D, EOS 80D, EOS 90D
  • EOS 200D, EOS 250D, EOS 1300D, EOS 750D, EOS 2000D, EOS 800Dm EOS 4000D
  • EOS M6 Mark II, EOS M50, EOS M200, EOS R, EOS RP
  • PowerShot G5X Mark II, PowerShot G7X Mark III, PowerShot SX70 HS

*Available for Windows and Mac computers.

Fujifilm X Webcam Support

  • GFX: GFX100, GFX 50S, GFX 50R
  • X Series: X-H1, X-Pro2, X-Pro3, X-T2, X-T3, X-T4

To set up your X Series or GFX series camera as a webcam, all you need apart from a Windows 10 PC is a USB cable. Once installed, certain camera settings need to be set before connecting the camera to your computer. Cameras need to be set to Stills mode, Drive mode to “S” (single-shot), and the USB connection mode set to either “USB Tether Shooting AUTO” or “USB Tether Shooting FIXED.” For autofocusing, you will need to enable “Pre-AF” when using the webcam software. Exposure mode is left up to you, with Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual exposure all supported.

Once installed and connected, you can then select your Fujifilm cameras as a webcam in a variety of video-conferencing applications, including Zoom, Skype and Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

*Available for Windows 10 computers; details on when or if a macOS-compatible version will be released has not been announced.