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Can I Use The Sony A7 IV as a USB Webcam?

Yes, you can use your Sony A7 IV (also known as the ILCE-7M4) as a webcam using a USB cable. 

All you need is:

  • The correct USB cable 
  • The correct software 
  • A compatible webcam application

How Do I Use My Sony A7 IV as a USB Webcam?

To use your Sony A7 IV as a USB webcam you will need to:

  1. Have the right USB cable – Use the one supplied by Sony or a replacement cable which has data transfer. It should be a USB Type-C cable.
  1. Have the Sony Imaging Edge Webcam software.
  1. Have a compatible application to use such as Zoom, Skype or OBS Studio.

This post will teach you how to achieve high quality video by using your Sony A7 IV as a webcam using USB. 

What USB Cable Do I Need to Use My Sony A7 IV as a Webcam?

To use your Sony A7 IV as a USB webcam you will need to use the USB cable supplied with the camera.

The USB cable supplied with the Sony A7 IV is a USB Type C cable with data transfer capabilities.

What Software Do I Need to Use My Sony A7 IV as a USB Webcam?

You will need to download and install the latest Imaging Edge Webcam software.

Here’s how to do that.

  1. Go to the support website for the Imaging Edge Webcam software.
  1. Click on ‘Download’.
  1. Scroll down to the section where it asks you to choose your camera model. You will want to choose the ILCE-7M4 which is the product code for the Sony Alpha 7 IV.
  1. Scroll further down and click on ‘Download Windows’ or ‘Download Mac’ depending on what type of device you have. 
  1. Choose a suitable location to save the application on your device. The file should look something like ‘IEW111_2108a.exe’ if you are on Windows.
  1. Once it is downloaded, open up the downloaded file and it should start going through the installation and setup wizard. 
  1. Follow the instructions that are shown until setup and installation is complete.
  1. Once installation is complete you should restart your computer.

Now we will move on to show you how to set up your Sony A7 IV to work as a USB webcam with the software you just downloaded.

How to Set up Sony A7 IV as a USB Webcam

There are specific instructions you need to follow to ensure that the Sony A7 IV can work with the Imaging Edge Webcam software.

  1. Make sure the Sony A7 IV camera is not connected to a smartphone. You can do this by doing both of the following on the camera:
  • MENU -> Network (this will have a globe symbol) -> [PC Remote Function] -> [PC Remote] -> [On]
  • MENU -> Network (this will have a globe symbol) -> [PC Remote Function] -> [PC Remote Cnct Method] -> [USB]

Now that the settings are correct you can move on to the next step.

  1. Adjust the camera settings until you have your desired look in ‘Movie’ mode.
  1. Connect the USB cable we mentioned above to the Sony A7 IV. Connect the other side of the cable to your PC.
  1. If you are unable to connect then make sure you are not using ‘Imaging Edge Remote’. If you are then exit ‘Imaging Edge Remote’ and try to connect the camera again.
  1. Now open up your compatible application on your computer. This could be something like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype etc. Most video conferencing/streaming programs should work fine.
  1. Locate the Imaging Edge Webcam 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.
  1. You should now have a much better quality image for your online video conferences or live streams. 

Further resources