Five months ago Canon rolled out its Webcam Utility Beta software that turned compatible cameras into a live streaming webcam. It was a no-brainer idea during the height of the pandemic and nearly all of the major DSLR and mirrorless camera manufacturers followed suit. While that initial release was the Window's beta version, it worked exceptionally well and was followed up with a macOS version several weeks later.  

Canon has now released the official software for Windows and updated it to be compatible with over 40 camera models and a dozen different applications including YouTube, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, and Slack, among others. 

Using the software is straight-forward. After downloading the program and installing it on your Windows 10 computer, it's simply a matter of connecting your camera to the computer with a USB cord. Once connected, the utility allows users to access nearly all the functions and settings of the camera including autofocus and operating modes. For audio, either the camera's microphone or computer's microphone be used. All you have to do is make the microphone selection in the application it's connected to. 

With the official release, Canon included the EOS-1D X, R5, and R6 as well as some classics like the 7D, Rebel T3i, T5, and T5i. You can download the official version through Canon's website. If you need any troubleshooting tips, Canon has a FAQ page and a forum for guidance. 

canonwebcamwebcastinglive streamlive streaming
Cinematography & Cameras