Whats In the Bag? | Essential freelance photography gear review.
By Rodrigo Gaya - 5/30/2020
Using a mirorrless, ASP-C sensor Fujifilm XT-2 camera, makes traditional webcams look totally outdated. Useful and easy to set-up if you're lucky to have compatibility, but short of game changer. Here's Why:
Overview:
Fujifilm releases software allowing Fujifilm X-series cameras to be used as webcams while tethered to the computer.
Sounds promising until we get into the details. If you are lucky to have compatibility, it can produce high-quality streaming video, but it's use is limited to a few basic streaming platforms.
As inter-connectivity and video conferencing become increasingly important to all of us, we are happy to announce a simple and free way for compatible Fujifilm X Series/GFX cameras to operate as webcams. If you own a compatible Fujifilm camera and a Windows 10 PC, download FUJIFILM X Webcam Support today!
Compatibility on 3 factors
- Only for Zoom, Google Meet, and Skype
+ Windows 10 PC
+ Higher-end Fujifilm Cameras (no xt-20,30)
Falling short of being useful for live streaming on platforms like Streamlab OBS/Twitch/Youtube. Hopefully on future updates, but I couldn't get it to work on my system with these live broadcast software.
No camera audio, you'll still need to use the microphone on the computer.
For Xt-20,30 owners, seems the hardware isn't compatible.
Im going to keep trouble shooting the webcam for Streamlab and Twitch Studio Beta. It pops up in the options, but the picture stays black.
Quality:
After going through the process of installing the driver, downloading the zoom software onto the computer... this was the upgrade in video quality.
Laptop webcam //// Fujifilm XT-2 23mm 1.4
Clearly a massive upgrade.
The wide, low angle of the built-in webcam isnt flattering. Neither is the size and quality of the sensor.
The Xt-2 + 23mm 1.4 lens gives that clean shadow depth of field and true color reproduction.
What Youll Need:
1. HDMI Cord
2. Figure out if your camera is supported:
The following X Series and GFX System digital cameras are supported:
GFX100/GFX50S/GFX50R
X-T4/X-T3/X-T2
X-H1
X-Pro3/X-Pro2
3. For now, supported on Windows 10, 64x PC Only
4. Download and Install the FUJIFILM X Webcam Support Installer
5. Connect to Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet, and just switch the input or webcam to the Fujifilm X Webcam option.
Deeper Dive:
Although its great to have your camera provide another high-quality use....
Ive already used it to broadcast my friend's yoga class on Zoom with no issue.
The Verge has a run-through of everything you'll need to use the a mirrorless camera as a webcam with the capture card instead of this Fujifilm software.
Fujifilm provides a somewhat useful video for this update: