Can I Use the Canon EOS R as a USB Webcam?

Just to let you know, the ‘EOS Webcam Utility Pro’ used to be called ‘EOS Webcam Utility’ (without the “pro”).

So I’ll probably use both of the terms interchangeably, just know that I’m talking about the same thing.

How Do I Use My Canon EOS R as a USB Webcam?

To use your Canon EOS R as a USB webcam you will need to:

1. Have the right USB cable – Canon IFC-100U

2. Have the Canon EOS Webcam Utility software

3. Have a compatible application to use like Zoom, Skype or OBS Studio.

This post will teach you how to achieve high quality video calls and livestreams by using your Canon EOS R as a webcam using USB. 

What USB Cable Do I Need to Use My Canon EOS R as a Webcam?

To use your Canon EOS R as a USB webcam you will need an IFC-100U interface cable.

The IFC-100U interface cable is included in the box when you buy the Canon EOS R. 

If you need a spare cable then there are replacement cables on Amazon like the two examples below, either would work fine. 

The official Canon IFC-100U interface cable is a USB 3.1 Type C to Type C cable.

What Canon Software Do I Need to Use My Canon EOS R as a USB Webcam?

You will need to download and install the latest Canon EOS Webcam Utility software.

Here’s how to do that.

1. Go to the Canon support website for the EOS Webcam Utility software.

2. Scroll down to the section where it asks you to choose your camera model. You’ll want to choose the Canon EOS R.

3. When you click on the Canon EOS R you should be taken to this page which is a support page for the Canon EOS R.

4. Make sure you’re on the ‘Software and drivers’ tab and scroll down to the ‘downloads’ section.

5. Choose the correct Windows or Mac operating system, it should default to the correct operating system as it normally detects this automatically.
   
   For example, if you are using Windows 10, then it will most likely detect ‘Windows 10’ or ‘Windows 10(x64)’.

6. Go down to the list of software and download the most recent version of ‘EOS Webcam Utility Pro’ software for your operating system.
   
   Don’t get this confused with ‘EOS Utility’ which is different to ‘EOS Webcam Utility’.

7. Once it is downloaded, open up the downloaded file which should look similar to this ‘EOSWebcamUtilityPro-WIN2.0zip’. It might look slightly different depending on how recent your version is.

8. It should be saved as a ‘.zip’ file. Open and extract the ‘.zip’ file. On Windows you can normally do this by right-clicking and clicking ‘extract all’.

9. Read the ‘readme.txt’ file and run the ‘setup.exe’ file within the folder.

10. Follow the instructions that are shown until setup and installation is complete.

11. Once installation is complete you should restart your computer.

Now I’ll move on to show you how to set up your Canon EOS R to work as a USB webcam with the software you just downloaded.

How to Set up My Canon EOS R as a USB Webcam

1. Turn on your Canon EOS R camera and set it to movie/video mode. 

2. Adjust the settings until you have your desired look.

3. Connect the Canon IFC-100U cable to the Canon EOS R. Your EOS R should have a USB-C port which you can plug the cable into. 

4. Connect your Canon EOS R to your computer by plugging in the other side of the IFC-100U cable into the computer.

5. Now open up your compatible application on your computer. This could be something like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype etc. (I’ve included a more extensive list further below.)

6. Locate the EOS Webcam Utility feed in your video settings for your webcam app. This should connect your camera’s video feed to your live streaming or video conferencing app.

7. You should now have a much better quality image for your online video conferences or live streams. 

What Applications Are Compatible With EOS Webcam Utility?

At the time of writing this article (updated April 2023), the following applications are compatible with EOS Webcam Utility on Windows and Mac.

• Cisco Webex
• Discord
• Facebook Live
• Hangouts
• Hangouts Meet
• Messenger (Facebook)
• Microsoft Teams 
• Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
• Skype
• Slack
• Streamlabs
• YouTube Live
• Zoom

Related Posts:

Did you know you can also use your Canon EOS R as a HDMI webcam.

If you do end up using it for video, then you should definitely know the recording limits on the Canon EOS R.

Further resources

Now you should know how to use your Canon EOS R as a webcam using just a USB cable.

Here are some of the links in the post that you might want to refer back to:

• Canon Support page for Canon EOS Webcam Utility
• Canon Support page for Canon EOS R

The videos below are helpful as they also guide you through the set up process visually.

For Windows:

For Mac: