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Using The Canon EOS R50 As A Webcam – Solved

Ok so there are 2 ways to use the Canon EOS R50 as a webcam and one is better than the other in my opinion.

First of all, at the time of writing (May 2023) you can’t use the Canon EOS R50 with the Canon EOS Webcam Utility Pro, but you don’t need to.

This is because the Canon EOS R50 is a UVC and UAC compliant camera.

Here are the two ways to use your EOS R50 as webcam for streaming: 

  1. (I recommend this method) You can use the EOS R50 as a webcam by just:

    • Connecting your EOS R50 to your computer using the IFC-100U cable.
    • Selecting the right setting on your Canon EOS R50
    • Using a compatible video call / streaming application

OR

  1. You can use a capture card like the Elgato Cam Link 4K. (can get slightly better quality, but not worth it in my opinion on the EOS R10):

    • Connect your EOS R50 to the capture card using a Micro HDMI cable,
    • Use a clean HDMI output on your EOS R50.
    • Use the feed from your Elgato Cam Link 4K on your streaming software of choice on your computer.

Can you use the Canon EOS R50 with EOS Webcam Utility?

No you cannot use the Canon EOS R50 with the EOS Webcam utility but there’s no need to because the EOS R50 is a UVC and UAC compliant a camera.

How To Use The Canon EOS R50 As A Webcam Without A Capture Card

This is the best way to use your EOS R50 as a webcam.

It requires less parts, it’s easier, it’s cheaper and it gets up to 1080p resolution at 30fps.

First make sure you have the IFC-100U USB cable (the camera won’t come with this so you’ll need to get a replacement cable yourself).

The IFC-100U is basically a standard USB-C cable with data transfer capabilities for visuals and audio.

I’ve linked a Canon version and a third party version below:

Here’s how to use the Canon EOS R50 as a webcam using just a USB cable:

  1. On your Canon EOS R50’s menu go to the Yellow Wrench icon.
  1. Go to the 4th tab of this wrench icon.
  1. You should now see the following options:
    • Touch control
    • Choose USB connection app
  1. Select the ‘Choose USB connection app’.
  1. You should now see the options:
    • Photo Import/ Remote control
    • Video calls/ streaming
    • Canon app(s) for iPhone
  1. Select ‘Video calls/streaming’
    • Switching this on will mean your computer can’t read camera files. Switch back to ‘Photo Import/ Remote control’ when you’re done with using your R50 as a webcam.) 
  1. Now your EOS R50 is ready to be used as a webcam for video calls and streaming

It’s that easy!

Now all you need is a compatible app, this can basically be any popular webcam app or software e.g. Zoom, OBS Studio, Skype etc. 

Just bring up the feed for the Canon EOS R50 in your favourite streaming app and you’re good to go.

The max resolution for this USB method of using the Canon EOS R50 as a webcam is 1080p Full HD (1920×1080) at 30 fps. (That’s pretty damn good!)

In fact, using this method is actually a higher resolution than the paid version of the EOS Webcam Utility Pro. (The paid version of EOS Webcam Utility Pro maxes out at digitally upscaled 1080p rather than native 1080p)

There’s another method of using your Canon EOS R50 as a webcam too and it’s by using a capture card and a clean HDMI output.

Using EOS R50 As Webcam Using Capture Card

The main reason you would want to use the Canon EOS R50 as a webcam with a capture card is if you want to use a resolution higher than 1080p or if you want 1080p at 60fps.

And in my opinion, if it’s just for video calls or live streaming then 4K is overkill for the EOS R50 and it’ll just make your camera overheat or run out of battery faster. 

Of course for other cameras using a capture card is better.

e.g. I’d prefer to use the Canon EOS R10 as a webcam by using the Elgato Cam Link 4K but that’s because you’re limited to Canon’s Webcam Utility if not.

But here’s how you’d use a capture card on your Canon EOS R50 in case you are interested:

  1. Get an Elgato Cam Link 4K (this is the capture card that you’ll use)
  1. Get a Micro HDMI (Type D) to HDMI cable (the camera won’t come with this).
  1. Take the small side of the HDMI cable and plug it into the micro HDMI out port on the side of your Canon EOS R50.
  1. Plug the other side of the HDMI cable into your Elgato Cam Link 4K.
  1. Enable clean HDMI on your Canon EOS R50 (make sure it is in movie mode first then, just press the ‘INFO’ button until your screen is clear).
  1. Plug the Elgato Cam Link into a USB 3.0 port on your computer. (a USB 3.0 port is a standard USB port with a blue color on the inside)
  1. Now your set up should look a bit like this:
    • Computer -> Elgato Cam Link 4K -> Micro HDMI to HDMI cable -> Canon EOS R50
  1. Now just open up your video call or webcam application on your computer and choose the feed for the Elgato Cam Link and you’re done!

If you only have UBS-C / Thunderbolt ports on your computer / laptop then you’ll need the right adapter so that your Elgato Cam Link 4K can be plugged in.

You basically need a USB 3.0 to USB-C adapter. You could either get a standalone adapter or a hub. I prefer to use a USB-C hub with my Macbook air m1 because it gives me more options.

Basically you’d plug the Elgato Cam Link 4K into the adapter and the adpater will be plugged into your UBS-C / Thunderbolt port on your computer.

Here’s some adapter’s you can use.

It’s important you get the right type of adapter because you need a minimum data transfer speed for the Elgato Cam Link 4K to work properly. The two I’ve linked above will work because they follow the USB 3.0 protocol.

Further resources

For USB method

For Capture Card method

Further Reading:

The Canon EOS R8 can be used as a webcam in the same way as the R50 since it is also UVC / UAC compliant.