For a long time now, people have been able to jury rig their digital cameras to be used as webcams. This usually involved the use of a desktop PC and a video capture card. But companies like Canon and Panasonic have released software that bypasses the extra hardware required, and now Sony has joined the bandwagon with its new webcam software.
Sony announced the Imaging Edge Webcam software yesterday. With this software, you'll be able to use selected Sony digital cameras as a high-quality webcam. The software already supports an extensive range of 35 Sony cameras, including full-frame mirrorless cameras like the newly launched Sony a7S III to the compact cameras like the RX100 VII. You can find out more about the software and the full list of supported cameras here.
All you need is the USB cable to connect your Sony camera to a PC or laptop. The camera needs to be set to Auto mode first, then once the live streaming or video call software you're trying to use has been enabled, switch the camera to Video mode. However, there are two caveats to this software. First, it currently doesn't support audio so you'll need a microphone for your PC. Secondly, the resolution would be limited to 1024 × 576.
The wide range of support cameras is great, but the software needs native support for audio recorded from your camera (whether built-in or external) and at least 1080p resolution for it to be great. Hopefully, Sony will be able to improve on the software soon. But what do you think about it so far? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.
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