Use your Canon EOS 1000D as Webcam! *UPDATED*

Hi,
in this tutorial I'll show you how to use your Canon 1000D (the others would work, too, but I couldn't test any other) as a webcam without any hardware/software hacks, just software solutions ;-).
Sorry my English, if you find mistakes please notify me.

You'll need this stuff to use it as a webcam:
- Mini USB cable
- a PC ( I don't know how to do this on Macintosh) *EDIT* : Liveview works on OSX 10.5.2 but I don't know a program for the screen capture, yet........ ;-)
- EOS Utility (not downloadable, you should get it from the EOS Solutions Disk that is usually bundled with your camera.
-Free OpenSource alternative http://sourceforge.net/projects/eos-movrec/
Supports even AF !!!
A little video:

Step 1 Getting started

Take your Canon EOS 1000D and open the cover on the left side.
Get your usb cable and plug it into the camera and into the PC.
You should have EOS Utility installed, now turn the camera on.
Start the application EOS Utility and choose Camera Settings/Remote Shooting (don't worry why mine is so called, it's German).
After you've chosen the third option a new window appears. Click on the third radio button at the bottom.
Again a new window appears that'll show you what the camera sees, change the lens to manual focus and adjust the focus till you see everthing sharp in LiveView.

Now you can see what your camera sees on your computer screen but you still can't use it as webcam. The next step will show you how to do this.

Comments

[cantidepresivo]

Muchas gracias, es un tutorial muy claro.

[Spectrace]

I wonder if this would work with the rebel XSi.

[sbustos]

It should, as long as it has live view, which it must have considering the XS does

[robleeisgreat]

didn't work for me....maybe because direction descriptions didn't match buttons on the canon utility application or the capture config settings...i dunno

[ruleoffire]

Me either. what model camera do you have? It all depends on the model as each model has a different interface when u click on "camera settings/remote shooting". I have the Xti or 400d which simply does not have the live view mode. I have searched for other software with no luck.

[sbustos]

It needs to have live view for this tutorial to work, I'm sorry :/

[somsof62]

try EOS MOV Rec ;-)

[amorsli]

Did try step by step all the thing, i'have an EOS 500D and Windows 7, it doesn't work :(
Really tried for hours, doesn't want to get working
Is there a free version of Extrawebcam it seems to be more simple and easier !!

[Syonidism]

is there a way to use this with a mac? ive managed to record video with my 450D but i cant find a software thatll either show it as a webcam or capture a part of the screen and broadcast it as the webcam video. halp!

[themagictoast]

Try downloading something called CamTwist, you can use it to capture your screen as a webcam :) There's also ManyCam, but that isn't as good.

[somsof62]

mhh just running windows with bootcamp or virtually. or you could port the Eos Movie Record software for windows to macintosh, source here http://sourceforge.net/projects/eos-movrec/files/eos-movrec/0.1.8_beta/eos-movrec-0.1.8_beta-src.zip/download and add a webcam function. that would be much work, but could be done.

[Syonidism]

yeah ive found a port for mac however couldn'T find a program that will let me use the screencast as a webcam or vice-versa

I honestly have no idea how to "add a webcam function" to that program... if i did I wouldve done it ^.

[ao_]

I've found a simplier solution, but it's shareware
http://extrawebcam.com/ExtraWebcam_Setup_EOS_beta.exe

[NiZZiDK]

i dont have the 4 buttoms :/

[somsof62]

which 4 buttons ? on the camera ? it'll work too if you have the software

[ctin]

how do you placed on the psp??and were can i find de tutorials for that?

[somsof62]

just take a look here http://www.instructables.com/id/Set_up_your_PSP_as_a_Secondary_Monitor_Windows/
;-) But you need a custom firmware and this is not really legal :-D

[ctin]

thx a lot

[PKM]

It would settle my OCD if you gave what the "third option" is meant to say in English- the computer scientist in me cringes at listing something as "the third thing in this list" rather than "the button called camera settings", because as soon as Canon release a new version of the software where they rearrange that list... Otherwise, a good simple Instructable, I had no idea you could do stuff like this (I see DSLRs as being totally opposed to taking video).

[killerjackalope]

Mine has video mode, however it has never been used... To me this sounds like a big waste of effort, considering it'll go through it's batteries anyway, they're not USB powered in anyway, on the upside to that you can plug them in to Mac keyboards without Hub wetting itself all over the desk and making a mess...

[somsof62]

just corrected the instructable, thx for the tip