You’ve sent off the self-tape you filmed with your crisp DSLR. Boom – in comes the email for a zoom callback. Great! But, now you have to redo the performance with your shoddy webcam. To that I say, “NO!” You should be using your DSLR as a webcam.
WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING YOUR DSLR AS A WEBCAM
I am more confident knowing my setup looks identical to the take the casting director liked. And I am less stressed because I know I’m presenting my work to the best of its abilities. Normal webcams don’t capture every minute facial expression. I don’t have to make any adjustments to my acting due to a different setup.
If you see something advertised one way, you’d expect the product to show up as exemplified. Give the casting director and the producers exactly what they’re expecting. Not only do you look professional, but you make the casting director look good to the producers. Help everyone do their jobs as best you can. Here’s how you start using your DSLR as a webcam.
WHAT YOU NEED TO START USING YOUR DSLR AS A WEBCAM
- USB cable – be sure to check it is camera compatible
- Free downloadable program from your camera producer’s website
HOW TO SET UP USING YOUR DSLR AS A WEBCAM
I’ve outlined how to set up using your Sony DSLR as a webcam. Most camera brands follow the same general process that you can apply to your situation.
Download and install Sony’s Imaging Edge software.
Change the USB Connection setting on your camera to “PC Remote.”
If you don’t have an external power adapter for your camera, also enable “USB Power Supply” to accomodate for longer meetings.
Connect your camera with a data-transfer enabled USB cable. If you aren’t seeing an image, you might be using the wrong USB cable.
Set your camera to movie mode. You might also have to start in Auto Mode and toggle to Movie Mode if you don’t see an image.
If you have the Imaging Edge Remote app installed on your phone, confirm that it is inactive.
The Imaging Edge software you installed will not appear on your computer as a standalone app. It is a setting enabler. You will only be able to see this option inside your video conference software under the camera selection setting.
Log into Zoom, for example, and change the camera source to “Sony Imaging Edge” and you should see your DSLR image active.
But none of this makes sense if…
You don’t have a good self-tape station at home to begin with! So check out this lesson here to make sure you’ve got a setup to show off your professionalism and stay a cut above the rest.
Questions?
Email me: https://krishnathekumar.com/question-submission-form/
What’s next?
If you’re new to filmmaking, this guide covers the top 3 pieces of equipment you need to make cinematic content. Use this to be smart about your purchases because camera gear can damage your bank account. Download your copy here.
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