Topic: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

Hi all,

At the moment using D-SLR for brickfilming is generally off limits unless you want to splash out on something like Dragonframe. However, today I came across digiCamControl, a free program for Windows that allows you to make your D-SLR appear to applications as webcam and hence let you it in Helium Frog, Monkeyjam, Heron Animation, Boats Animator... etc.

If you are using a Mac checkout CamTwist or a paid solution for Windows is SparkoCam.

I'd thought share how to set it up:

  1. Download and install beta version 2.0.17 (IMPORTANT) or above of digiCamControl.


  2. Open digiCamControl and in the menu bar navigate to "File > Settings"


  3. Select the "web server" tab and tick "use webserver". For privacy reasons I'd recommend making sure that the "allow public access" option below this is unchecked.


  4. Restart digiCamControl with your camera turned on and connected to your computer via a USB cable.


  5. Click "allow access" if a Windows Firewall alert appears.


  6. Press the "Live view" button in digiCamControl (it has an icon with "Lv" on it).


  7. Open the program you want to use the camera with and choose "digiCamControl Virtual WebCam" as your video source.


Note: If a green focus rectangle is displayed on the image you can hide it by unchecking "show focus rectangle" in the display menu of the live view window of digiCamControl.


I hope this is helpful to someone and feel free to comment here or on the blog post I made regarding this if you have any questions! mini/smile

Boats Animator
Free stop motion software with 1080p support!
YouTubeBrickfilms WikiBoats Animator

Re: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

Just a quick note, using a program like this is allowing you to use your DSLR's live view as a webcame an you are not taking pictures with the main sensor. Now maybe you can use two programs, like Canon's EOS utility to take a frame with the camera for every shot but the brightness in the shot might not correspond directly to your cameras settings, for example in this Dragonframe shot I had +4 exposure correction on the live version which causes a lot more noise.

The option to control your DOF and the focal lenth of your lens might be worth it but keep in mind you don't get those 18 megapixal frames, you get a glorified web camera which is much lower res, these live view shots I have are 960x640, but that might be a technical limitation on Dragonframe so it runs smoother.

http://i.imgur.com/mugxg1S.jpg

Re: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

This is really cool! Word of warning, though, this WILL crash SkyStudioPro - and cause it to autocrash until you uninstall digiCam so you can switch sources in SSP. mini/tongue

ALSO, it looks like the other programs and things that are installed along with digiCam (IP Camera something-or-other, I think specifically) will cause HeliumFrog to crash on startup. So be wary.

Last edited by Mighty Wanderer (May 18, 2016 (01:49pm))

Re: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

Hi all, I came across digiCamControl while Googling and followed BoatsAreRockable's tutorial. All works well except OBS does not recognise any other camera aside from my webcam. Any tips? Thanks

Re: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

3p wrote:

Hi all, I came across digiCamControl while Googling and followed BoatsAreRockable's tutorial. All works well except OBS does not recognise any other camera aside from my webcam. Any tips? Thanks

May I ask for more information on this? Why do you use OBS for exactly?

Andrew BrickMovies - Stop Motion Animator

Re: How to use a D-SLR as a webcam in Windows FOR FREE!

Hello,
I came across the same problem, acted as BoatsAreRockable recommended, digiCamControl works well, however not Boats Animator nor AnimaShooter Capture don't show live view picture. Boats Animator doesn't show digiCamControl in cameras' list altogether, AnimaShooter does show it in the list however fails to connect to it. I tried also Heron Animation (doesn't see digiCamController) and SkyStudio Pro (sees it, but freezes once DigiCamController is switched on).

Windows 10 Pro
digiCamControl 2.1.4.0
AnimaSHooter Capture 3.9.0.2
Canon EOS 850D

Any recommendations? thank you in advance!

Last edited by zusjok (January 19, 2022 (08:38am))