Canon announced a set of webcam accessories for a selection of its DSLR and mirrorless cameras and built on the Webcam Utility software that the company launched last year to use a Canon camera as a high quality webcam to make it easier.
There are currently three versions of the utility available at two prices. The most expensive package works with the EOS RP mirrorless camera and sells for $ 159. For something less at $ 89 each, two other kits support the EOS Rebel T3, T5, T6 and T7 cameras or the EOS M50, M50 Mark II and M200 cameras.
A Canon representative confirmed that the higher price for the EOS RP Kit is mainly due to the different batteries needed to power the camera.
The actual components in each box vary, but all three of the kit options include a USB cable to connect the camera to your computer, as well as a battery insert with a power connector to keep the camera continuously from a standard socket to operate.
The EOS R5 and R6 are not as compatible with the RP kit because the DR-E18 connector that comes with the kit cannot fit in the two cameras (they need the DR-E6 clutch).
Canon originally launched its Webcam Utility software in April last year with limited support for a small subset of cameras, only 25 models, and also only Windows machines and a limited number of video chat applications worked with the tool. A month later, Canon launched the same software, still in beta, for Apple computers. By November, the software had officially come out of the beta series, supporting nearly twice as many cameras as at launch with wide support for 14 of the most widely used video chat applications.
While not all of the cameras supported by the Webcam Utility are considered compatible with these kits, Canon has probably researched which cameras are commonly used by people unfamiliar with the individual items they need to get a to make webcam. their Canon cameras. In the same thread, DPReview note that buying Canon kits does not save you much money than buying all the components separately and clearly targets those who simply appreciate the convenience of an all-in-one package or address the segment of the market that may not know exactly what they need to use their Canon cameras effectively as webcams.
Turning cameras into webcams without using capture cards and now also using pre-built converters clearly indicates that Canon now sees the value in supporting the feature, especially given the number of people still at home amidst the coronavirus works. pandemic.
(via DPReview)
Editor’s note: The original story contains a remark that the RP Kit would work with the EOS R5 and R65 cameras, as noted by a Canon representative with whom PetaPixel spoke. Shortly after publication, Canon corrected the statement and made it clear that the connector included with the RP Kit is not compatible with the R5 and R6 cameras. This fix was noted above and we apologize for the confusion it caused.