How to Turn Your DSLR Into a Webcam for HD Video Chatting?

Got a DSLR, but no dedicated webcam for your computer? If yes, then you can use your DSLR camera similar to a Webcam for your computer effortlessly. If you want to turn your DSLR camera or even ordinary camera into a webcam, then you have landed on the right website. 

 

These days, video chatting has become one of the essential aspects of our life. Following the ongoing outbreak, every nation is following social distancing to prevent potential health risks. While people are staying at home, they can still talk to their loved one face to face with the help of video conferencing.

 

However, most people either don’t have a webcam on their computer, or they are using the built-in webcam on their laptop. Sadly the default web cameras on most devices are not good in quality, and during a video call, they are not good enough to make the other person comfortable.

 

A DSLR camera can be used as a webcam for your PC or Mac in the hour of need for excellent quality video chat.

 

Let’s learn how to set up a DSLR as a standard video calling camera for your computer. 

 

Turning DSLR into Webcam: Things You Need 

 

You don’t need a plethora of techy knowledge in order to get this working. 

What you really need is just your DSLR and software that we will tell you. 

 Also arrange a Mini USB to Standard USB cable.

Nothing else!

 

Method 1: Use DSLR Camera as Webcam via SparkoCam

 

In order to use your custom camera as a webcam with your computer, you need to install a third-party utility known as SparkoCam. This software is surprisingly easy to install and use. It will enable you to turn it easily as a webcam without any hassle of managing dozens of different settings on your computer. 

 

Here is how to install and use SparkoCam on your device to use DSLR as a webcam:

1. First and foremost, you have to visit the official site of SparkoCam in order to download its installation package file.
2. Once you have downloaded the setup file, make sure to double-click on the downloaded file and then install it with the on-screen guidelines.
3. After that, gently attach the mini USB cable into your camera and the other end of the cable into your computer’s USB port.
4. Once the camera is attached with your computer via mini-USB cable, wait for the system to detect your DSLR camera.
5. When your system shows a notification that your DSLR camera is connected, close the window that appears automatically.
6. Now open the SparkoCam software that we just installed in our previous steps.
7. Navigate to the Device tab and then press on the checkbox located next to the name of your DSLR camera. Keep in mind that if you have only one camera connected to your system, then you will not need to select your camera manually.
8. This will convert your DSLR camera into a full-fledge webcam for your system.
9. Once that done, you will need to set the SparkoCam Virtual webcam as source webcam in the video conferencing app that you are going to use.
10. For example, for Zoom and Skype video calling services, you can go to settings and then head to video settings to change the source webcam as SparkoCam webcam.
11. Once that successfully changed, you are all set.
    
    
    

Bear in mind that your DSLR camera might not be able to use its microphone for streaming your voice. You will need to customize the Audio settings in the video calling app to use your computer microphone for the voice input. In case you are using a dedicated microphone, then simply choose it as the source microphone in your video chat software.