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Comment by awoodbeck | Hacker News Reader

Some camera manufacturers offer software that uses your mirrorless camera to emulate a webcam without requiring a capture card.

For example, Fujifilm's X Webcam software[1] would allow the author to connect his X-S10 to his PC using a USB-C cable, and use it as a webcam. The downside is X Webcam lacks support for Linux.

[1] https://fujifilm-x.com/global/products/software/x-webcam/

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It looks like Nikon supports this functionality[0] through their "Nikon Webcam Utility"[1].

Z 9, Z 7II, Z 7, Z 6II, Z 6, Z 5, Z fc, Z 50, D6, D5, D850, D810, D780, D750, D500, D7500, D7200, D5600, D5500, D5300 and D3500.

I think the Z 50 (and updated, but cheaper construction Z fc) are the cheapest options here out of the mirrorless cameras.

[0]: https://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-and-explore/webcam-utility...

[1]: https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/products/548/Webca...

I used this for a while with my D850. It installed okay and worked, technically. I stopped using it for video calls because it was a hassle positioning the relatively heavy DSLR on my desk during calls and because it eats cam batteries for breakfast (you need a power lead that that slots into the battery location on the camera, which I don't own).

The (free) version of the webcam utility doesn't give you full tethered photographic control of the camera, which might have made it more useful to me.

And my X-E3 is not supported, but the practically identical X-T2 is!

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