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Comment by larodi | Hacker News Reader

If I’m to get a secondhand camera to run MM which would your recommend? 200D or 600D?

I wouldn't recommend the 600D if you want to do video. For stills it's perfectly acceptable. Auto-focus will feel slow compared to a modern cam. If you're going for an old / budget cam, try and reach to the 650D or 700D, those are a newer generation of hardware.

200D is much newer, but less well supported by ML. I own this cam and am actively working on improving it. 200D has DPAF, which means considerably improved auto-focus, especially for video. Also it can run Doom.

Are there any ML features in particular you're interested in?

I'm interested in using all kinds of devices for streaming live video from live (think music) events via OBS with minimal effort. Current setup is with a device (just an old iPhone can do) which provides WiFi connectivity, then another (or the same device) runs DroidCAM which them streams into a nearby laptop with OBS (typically capturing the audio needed) and this is then sent to wherever we decide (twitch, RSTP, etc). We've tried this setup with as many as three droidcam phones, and it is just fine on... a legacy MacBook Pro with Intel + 1500MB Iris card.

So ideally I'd imagine getting a second-hand 600D or 200D and having a similar setup. We did have a setup (previously) where a GoPro or mini-HDMI campera is captured and then processed by a RBPi 2/3/4, but this seems an overkill compared to the DroidCAM Setup.

And, of course, the optics on the 600D/200D are expected to be much more correct than those on an iPhone or similar phone/mobile device.

Thanks for your kind attention.

With 600D you are stuck to 1620x912 in video mode embedded in 1080i59.94 8-bit. Black borders around and you have to crop and - maybe - scale up. 200D HDMI stream with ML is clean with MF but AF will still draw a focus rectangle. But at least true FHD via HDMI.

AF with 600D in liveview: Phase detection only. Focus hunting galore. 200D comes with usable DPAF.

I prefer 250D for streaming. Dual display support, no 30 minute limit for HDMI out (but cam display will go dark until some button action).

But there’s no way to skip HDMI right? I mean I’m not familiar with ML, but think whether some wiring can be spared. Don’t these cameras expose wifi of some sort?

IMHO even 800x600 is okay for most streaming needs. And particularly when sound quality is of primary importance.

600D doesn't have WiFi. You can stream via HDMI or USB. USB stream for cams not supporting UVC (in general every EOS before Digic X and even some of those) is limited to 576p. Don't get your hopes high subscribing to EOS Webcam Utility Pro. Canon says it is able to deliver 720p and 1080p but they are scaled up from 576p. And you need a dedicated mic. No audio support via USB or HDMI in early cams.

Thanks for taking time to explain. Perhaps I should also take time to share our setup in some sort of blog or gist.

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