Use Your Canon EOS 1000D As Webcam! *UPDATED*

by somsof62

276K3636

Intro: 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.

STEP 2: Creating the Webcam

Download the VH Screen Capture Driver here: http://www.hmelyoff.com/index.php?section=9
It's free and a useful software solution. After you downloaded it install it.
You can find it now in your startmenu, look at the picture and start the config.
Click on "Create a new one".
Now place your LiveView windows in a good positon where it doesn't annoy you, if you have another monitor place it there(I placed it onto my PSP, tuts are aviable somewhere else). Press the button that's named Region in the lower middle on the window from configuration of VH Screen Capture Driver.
With this tool you select the area of Live View that shows what the camera sees. Close the config and you're done ;-).
Get your messenger on and do some video chat :-)
Have fun.
If you have any questions you can send me a PM or make a comment.

Mine :-P:


35 Comments

Dwargh 4 years ago

For anyone who don't have the Canon CD.
You don't actually need the provided CD to get the EOS Utility installed ;)

The installer is just looking for a certain registry entry.

Create 2 text files.
Name the first "EOSx86.reg", the second "EOSx64.reg".

Edit "EOSx86.reg" with notepad, insert the following text between the dashes (not the dashes themselves!):
----------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Canon]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Canon\EOS Utility]
----------------------------------------------------------

Save the file, execute it. Let it make a new registry entry.

Edit "EOSx64.reg" with notepad, insert the following text between the dashes (not the dashes themselves!):
----------------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\EOS Utility]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\DPP]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX\Settings]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\ZoomBrowser EX\Install]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\PhotoStitch]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\EOS Capture]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\EOSViewerUtility]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Canon\ODSK]
----------------------------------------------------------

Save the file, execute it. Let it make a new registry entry.

Execute the Canon "updater" euw2.14.20a-updater.exe, it should work now.

anuragsrathor 9 years ago

I am using the EOS Utility and a USB cable, but I am unable to select the "Camera Settings/Remote Shooting" option on the utility app. Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

ned103 7 years ago

I realize your message is 2 years old, but, I ran into that problem too in the past, and again today. You need to upgrade your EOS Utility software. I upgraded to EOS Utility 2, and the problem went away. I was able to have full access to my Canon 7D again via my PC.

ned103 7 years ago

On a side note though, it'll same images to you computer but it won't save video feed. That is still saved to the memory card and you have to later upload that to your computer.

Paula Pinto 7 years ago

Hi! With this you can record continuously without time restrictions? Or, as when you record directly to the camera, you can only record for 30 minutes? Thanks!

SyedZ2 9 years ago

Worked for my 650D

A word for those who couldn't succeed... first make sure you have all the drivers installed.

DéboraM1 9 years ago

I tried everything you said but whenever I try to use EOS camera movie record it says it doesn't find the camera and that the connection is lost even tho every window is open and the cable is connected.

mfarooqi 11 years ago

lovely... it's beautifull.. i don't know how long old this tutorial is.. but i got updated EOS Camera Movie Record... it automatically records .. no screen cap required..


beautiful man!!!!

somsof62 11 years ago

well the eosmovrec is supposed to record video. my idea is to use the eos as webcam or do you mean the new version of eosmovrec include a webcam function?

Spectrace 15 years ago

I wonder if this would work with the rebel XSi.

sbustos 12 years ago

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

robleeisgreat 14 years ago

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 14 years ago

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 12 years ago

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