Use Your Sony Camera as a Webcam | Sony A7siii, A7iii

Looking to use your sony mirrorless camera as a webcam? It's easy. Here's how.
Step 1. Download this application: geni.us/KQk1iH
Step 2. Make sure your camera settings are correct.
Step 3. Choose Sony camera as a video source.
Filmed this vlog using this: geni.us/yAYVHH
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[@scottmckenna]

The easiest solution in 2024: amzn.to/48gU0ZS

[@asnproductions8921]

so usbc isn't as good anymore?

[@scottmckenna]

It doesn’t work most times unfortunately. All the software updates for the cameras and the Mac’s make it not work in most apps. The camlink works every time.

[@MichaelWarthStudios]

LOL, I was using my Camlink for a meeting and afterwords found this video and thought I would try the usbc functionality. I got frustrated with the usb issues and found this comment as I was trying to re-watch the video. I'm going back to Camlink. Thanks, Scott.

[@GMDJBeeZee]

Would the Razer Ripsaw HD work as well?

[@scottmckenna]

@@MichaelWarthStudios Unfortunatley, the USB C method doesn't work great any more.

[@JesseKatches]

i literally just watched this video 15 min before my zoom meeting and i had my a7siii set up as my webcam with time to spare. thanks man!

[@amandarichardsonbrandphoto6044]

Thank you so much! I watched SO many videos that were so complicated and this was the first one that actually made sense and didn't make it complicated!

[@AlexVizeo]

Great and simple vidéo ! thanks a lot Scott

[@michaelpoczynek]

Hi Scott. Thanks for making this video. It was VERY VERY helpful. I just bought my first Sony Mirrorless camera, the A7siii, and loving it. Almost want to buy a second one, I love it so much. Have a nice day! 😀

[@jeremyarodriguez]

ran around in circles between usb and hdmi options just to find the most direct and simple solution in this video. Thanks man!

[@imjosephbobadilla]

Glad you uploaded this - this process got so much easier than a couple months ago! Had to run my A6500 through a virtual cam software, then send that feed through to Zoom and it would still lag and not work all the time. Thanks heaps Scott!

[@scottmckenna]

Yes. So much easier now.

[@BrianRodgersJr]

Awesome! I had no idea that Sony had native software for this. I kept seeing a bunch of videos that used multiple pieces of software to make this work. This is much much easier. Thanks for making this video man, cheers!

[@raeyonna1]

Oh my goshhhhhhh!!!! Thank thank thank you thank you!!! I was having such a hard time trying to set it up as a monitor. These were perfect instructions!!!🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🥰🥰🥰

[@IRV707]

Very well explained! Thank you!

[@lucas.5am639]

Thank you for covering the audio aspect. That's exactly what I was curious about.

[@dereck_MT360]

Thank you! I watched several other youtubers videos and yours helped the most!!!

[@scottmckenna]

Awesome glad to help

[@theyogaplace]

thnx sooo much scott u made my day, my webcam suddenly stopped and did not know what to do, folled yr instructions,just connected the a7iii to zoom and i am ready for my yoga class 🙏🏽

[@dlred]

Thanks! Perfectly explained!

[@CearaKirk]

This was so helpful, thank you so much!!!

[@ukmonk]

thank you so much! easy and works great!!

[@dwightskrappreynolds]

works as advertised! thanks for the tip! I Uploaded the app, changed settings in A7sIII, plugged USB-C in to both my Mac Pro and the Camera, Opened Ecamm Live, switched the output to 4k and Voila!! deciding now what to do with my Elgato 4k60

[@viapropria]

So thankful. Very well explained.

[@Zboyzcrew]

Awesome stuff my guy

[@ChrisA2617]

Great video. Thanks man

[@Melissapher]

Thank you so much! I just got the Sony a7iv recently and the process has simplified even more. You don't have to turn off the smart phone control. It's so slick. My virtual classes are going to be 100000x better now! Thank you.

[@mathew227]

you have to use a separate mic ? or you can attach one to the camera ?

[@Melissapher]

@@mathew227 a separate mic is always going to give you better audio quality, but it does come equipped with a mic in the camera.

[@kisha7270]

Could you tell us what has you experience been with overheating?

[@innocentthoughtsofaguiltyman]

How long can you use the A7IV for? Is there a setting you have to use to get it to stay on for 60minutes?

[@arturoescamilla4695]

it worked for me in a Mac with M1 and RX100 -M4. Thanks for the video.

[@RickSmithJr]

Quick question. Have the sony A7iii - now on ecamm live / zoom I see the Sony camera, but I’m still getting the thumbnail, not the feed. What am I doing wrong?

[@Fiction_Beast]

the same here

[@MehdiBarakchian]

same

[@dopplers]

have u turned on the right usb connection method on your cam? and also went sure that you turned off your control with phone?... those could actually be the only 2 reasons.. and u also have to make sure u chose the right download link on Sony's website, with the right camera

[@daveyandsky]

Had the same issue. Clicking between options made it switch to our a7iii

[@StartSomewhereMedia]

I did too after 3 restarts and 3 uninstallations it finally started working oh and try different usb ports in your computer after each restart a lot of trouble shooting ended up working at the end but following all the instructions on sony beforehand

[@garyfox-entrepreneurpodcas8893]

Quality video. Simple and not over complicated. Cheers

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks a lot. Glad it was helpful.

[@KingstonPlays]

Very helpful, thank you !!

[@sander6851]

Great tutorial!!

[@Francescaricciyoga]

Thank you so much!! So useful!

[@Fernwehklicker]

Thanks to answering the important question and that is the power functionality over usb-c.

[@MaskedNozza]

Absolutely. Too many people just get it started up on a cheaper camera like the a6000 series and that's all they show

[@MaskedNozza]

Thank you for mentioning the charging! Also noticed the switch pod - nice

[@scottmckenna]

The charging is a great perk for sure.

[@MaskedNozza]

@@scottmckenna Not nearly enough people talk about the charging aspect of it which really makes a huge difference. No need for dummy batteries at all, so you could effectively have a single cable and be able to live stream for hours with it. Now we just need USB 4.0 to be a thing, and we could, with a single cable, charge the camera, fully power it, get video and audio to the computer, and transfer recordings off all at once!

[@MRGNSMNE]

so helpful -- thank you!!!

[@Marco_MM7]

Thanks a lot! This simple tutorial solved a lot of problems for me. 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@scottmckenna]

Glad it helped!

[@jorgeloaizaarias5689]

thank you so much for this! still working flawlessly :)

[@scottmckenna]

Glad to hear.

[@LaurenceAdams]

Thanks for this video!

[@alexanderdowney1964]

Thanks Scott, great content. It's 100 better.

[@richperez9015]

thank you this quick video got me out of a jam!

[@thealexasterphe1138]

GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU!

[@JMEDINAPRODUCTIONS]

Thank you great video!

[@AriannaElizabeth]

This worked PERFECTLY! No need to even purchase any extra cords!! Wow🎉🎉 thank you!!

[@scottmckenna]

Glad to help.

[@NUUYORK]

Yes. Very simple. Thanks

[@haylow213]

Thank you! Huge help.

[@tmuka]

thanks for clarifying the part about the sony edge webcam software not supporting audio. I hope Sony adds audio support in the future. Now i'm going to look into if a 3.5mm cable between the camera headphone jack and my laptop headset jack would work. thanks!

[@vlads.9972]

This Worked! Thank you, my image is inverted though for some reason (mirrored left to right)

[@WAirles]

Thx man, i just gona use my old a7 for first time streaming, gona try it out 👍

[@FreakishiGaming]

YOU ARE MY HERO!

[@SmallPound]

Thanks!

[@Pompsie]

I love you. That is all 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@ROIoanaPetresco]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@EmilyBeauchamp]

This saved me! Thank you sooooo much! :-D

[@scottmckenna]

Glad to help.

[@Manorathan82]

Thanks man!!!

[@scottmckenna]

Happy to help.

[@bibleboardgames5199]

Thank you! I will try with my A7R3. For Content Creation, I saw OBS + Window Share -> Sony Edge can be done but it would be cool if OBS + Sony WebCam works in fewer steps.

[@arshaadali3]

Thank you!

[@KevinFedde]

I'm currently using my A7siii as a webcam with my 35mm f/1.8 and its killer compared to using my Panasonic GH5. That eye autofocus is great while I'm moving around. That being said, I still use the HDMI out for it going into an ATEM Mini with a separate mic so I can get it closer to me on my desk. So a MUCH more complicated setup, but dropping the Sony camera in was a really easy switch to do for a huge upgrade in quality.

[@scottmckenna]

The autofocus is outstanding for sure.

[@petercho5291]

Does using the USB C drain the battery or does it charge at the same time?

[@iutiubdotkomm]

Using an a6400 with a Sigma 16mm f/1.4 you can not use the eye autofocus when in USB mode or when HDMI out is connected

[@tombeckerle7974]

I don’t know if I want to drop $3500 on a webcam. I’ll probably do some desktop vlogging on top of webcam. Curious if the A7IV will suffice.

[@davinshi.visuals]

@@petercho5291 it charges it! So cool!

[@spearcy]

Other important considerations include resolution and potential sensor overheating.

[@mr_alden7924]

The video is concise and well put together. Well done friend. I do want to point out that I'm having 0 success though. I downloaded the software with the ILCE-7SM3 driver for my a7Siii and plugged in several USB-C cables. Testing on discord I get a black/no screen, while on OBS it doesn't even recognise the cam as a device. PC remote is set to USB and detected on the cam. Smartphone Control is off. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong at this point. Any tips?

[@AkashHansFilms]

im having the same issue right now. did you ever figure it out

[@AVdigitalPRODUCTIONZ]

Nice...thanks.

[@SideHustleInspiration]

I purchased the Sony a73 camera earlier this year and it's still sitting in the box brand new unused. I am looking to use it for live streaming at home and sometimes on the go. Thank you for this helpful video.

[@Astrojamus]

is it a good camera for live streaming? I was thinking about the sony 6400 because there's tons of streamers using it but. idont seem to find much using this camera

[@EthanSmith]

This guy looks chill and happy

[@scottmckenna]

Thanks. I am.

[@emirchan6516]

This is a cheat code thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@GuilDormeus]

Hey dope video! Is the quality lowered? Hope not

[@ZokArts]

Hi, great video, really helpful, but I have a question. I have a sony a7r3 and it has that damn 30 minutes limit. Can i livestream as long as i want or will it stop after 30 min?

[@helenarodriguez2986]

Thank u Scott, your video help to set my camera to in order to improve the quality of my yoga classes, I got a rode wireless pro and im not sure how can I activate it from the camera to zoom, could you help me with some tips?

[@thilinaalagiyawanna3680]

Thank you

[@TStvonline]

Hey Scott, I've been using my A73 as a webcam for awhile now. It recently died mid-stream. I was under the assumption it was charging while using but diddn't seem to be the case for me. Do I need to turn on a setting on my Sony settings to enable passthru charging?

[@s_tv_kw]

and the continue focus ? because I'm using 55mm and my Carma far from me ??

[@georgewashington7425]

Great video! Which Joby tripod are you using in the video ? Thanks

[@Justin_Allen]

Just found your video and wanted to know if you had any issues with the camera turning off after about 20 minutes while recording. I have my temperature setting at High so I was surprised this happened. This is the second time I have had this issue and only when using the USB connection. When I use a dummy battery it goes forever. - Great video, thanks

[@jmpclicks]

Thanks for the video, what are the camera settings you use? When I use auto mode, it constantly moves focus when I move. Should I switch it to video mode? Thanks in advance

[@TFRasheed]

Hello dear thank you for sharing

[@MrHeGotGame]

Great Post, does the 30 minute time limit still apply when using as a web cam?

[@Tabbzy82]

Thank you for this! Helped a lot. I have connected my rode wireless go II to zoom as an external microphone. Is that how you do it? I'm trying to save myself from buying another USB-C to USB-C cable.

[@KeystoneInternetServ]

Great video, easy to follow. My only issue is I have a Sony A7. The download page does not have a download file for a plain A7 and neither can I find instruction about this for an A7 anywhere, it is all for A7 III or A number or A Alphabet...hope you see what I mean. Can anyone help with advice, please...For a newbie in the camera world

[@StartSomewhereMedia]

Hey Scott great video I've just attached my Sony a6400 only problem is the half a second to a second lag on zoom or even obs do you know any ways you were able to fix this issue seems to be common on threads. Thanks mate!

[@littlenewton6]

Thanks. I want to know more about the output quality while A7S3 was connected to a PC/Mac as a webcamera.

[@rosesfromneptune]

Hello Scott, I'm new to the camera world, I just bought a Sony A7Siii and would like to know which models I should choose? I would like to know it in order to correctly download the application on my Mac, thanks in advance Scott!

[@maninyourhead1036]

Hey Scott. Great vid and helped me heaps to set up this for a client who uses Zoom a lot and for extended periods of time. His setup is a A6600 into mac book pro. Its been working fine for the first week then it started having intermittent drop outs where a restart of the camera is needed to get it connected again. all software and firmware is up to date and he is using a new macbook pro with 32 GB of ram. Have you heard of this before? Cheers for NZ

[@notmyname781]

The A6600 can overheat when recording video for extended periods, so it could be the same issue when using it as a webcam.

[@mikaboo43]

Thxx

[@visionmediaproductionsnz]

Outstanding my zoom meeting is going to look super sharp!!

[@scottmckenna]

Awesome

[@michaelmatzat]

Well don thanks!

[@joshnachoz2101]

in the beginning on the imaging edge webcam site, which box do we check off for the a7iii?

[@Monuments_to_Good_Intentions]

Hey man. I tried to use my Sony A7iii for streaming live on youtube. One issue I had was the lag between camera and live. Its like 50 seconds. I have not tried with twitch. Curious if there is a better way.

[@SNEAKchannel]

thank alot man! i must buy dummy battery right?

[@scottmckenna]

The USB C should charge your battery at the same time it's using it.

[@matteosalardi]

@@scottmckenna NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[@hannahlingley6678]

Which dropdown did you select for the A7iii on the software page?

[@shimmymorris1]

Nice video thank you! It only does 720p, is there a way to do 1080p or 4k? I'm trying to use it for podcasts

[@scottmckenna]

Get a cam link. Much better option in 2024. amzn.to/47KLQc7

[@jebusisere]

great video , does it have to be usb C to Usb c

[@Craftefy]

Hi Scott! Quick question, I'm seeing like 10 fps on Zoom. Any ideas as to why? Im using tha a6300 over micro-usb.

[@mcmr92]

Hello, I might need a bit of help. Is it connected to the camera but on the zoom display it just shows the imaging edge webcam logo but I am not able to see the live image. ( I have an a6000 )

[@eatrunliftrepeat]

Hi there where can I buy that mic and camera stand? Also what lens should I have for it to use on twitch?

[@lecommis6842]

So I wanted to use my Fx3 with my Elgato Cam Link 4k and it worked but the fps weren't matching the regular 25/24fps out of the camera on Zoom on my MacBook Pro M1 (only USB C ports). I'm using a USB 3.0 hub to USB C to connect the Cam Link to the Mac and I assume this is the issue. I ordered an adapter female USB-A to male USB Type C (3.1) to see if there's any difference. For now I'm using the Imaging Edge method and it works perfectly fine. So thanks a lot for the video. That being said you won't get the best out of you camera with this method and in terms of pure image quality the Cam Link 4k does a far better job since I had no problem with my a6500 on my PC (Cam Link to USB 3), but I'll try tomorrow afternoon with the adapter. (I ran all my tests @1080p)

[@thehappyhatter]

Awesome video!! I was wondering if you mind telling me what microphone that is or that would suffice that also just plugs in my MacBook Pro via usb-c

[@scottmckenna]

That's the Rode Videomic NTG

[@masterchef5593]

Exposure mode should be Auto or Manual? HDMI resolution should be Auto? HDMI info display should be on or off? TC output should be on or off ? Control for hdmi should be on or off ? Thank you so much

[@playercool003]

Are there any overheating issues while livestreaming and on average how long wud we b able to stream ?

[@ashishchawla_]

can you help me which cable are you using ? i guess it is more than 2 feet i tried 2,3 different cables it doesn't charge well, but usually discharge more than that.

[@stephenmccain]

Will this work for the newer macs that have Apple Chips?

[@amberjames2576]

Is there a video on how to set up my rode mic to a laptop to use while using my a7iii on webcam

[@michaelevins]

I have a question about the Sony Camera Driver. After watching this video I realized that there is no program to open and this just works. That was great info to give. Is the Sony Driver the same way. I have a M1 Mac and I downloaded the program but it never asked me to restart. Now the Sony System Software Updater keeps closing as soon as open it and approve for the program make changes. Does the Camera Driver work with M1 Macs? Please help.

[@dawellness]

I have a A7iii and got ur info thanks. Now for the audio. I have a zoom h6 recorder and a rode lapel mic that I can run into the go system for cordless. So can I just interface the zoom h6 out to the headphone jack on my laptop?

[@scottmckenna]

Yes you can do that too.

[@jeremyprice7815]

Have you tried using QuickTime or iMovie? Seems like the camera won't record?

[@nadeemafzal8984]

Thank u Scott - most helpful Couple of questions 1. Can the continually charging battery last a few hours ? 2. The USB connector can it be to USB 3.0 on computer rather than USB-c to USB-c Many thanks

[@scottmckenna]

Yes it can charge and run for hours. I don’t know about your second question.

[@matteosalardi]

@@scottmckenna No! it can't

[@etu.185]

Got everything hooked up and running, however didn't charge my sony a6700 but good attempt though!

[@PE4Doers]

WOW Scott, I guess great minds think alike. I just made the same video on Wednesday, but using my Sony ZV-1 and running on a Windows PC. Also, I measured the latency difference between using the Sony Imaging Edge Webcam software as compared to a standard Webcam (illustrating the method simple I used to measure that diff), and their was an additional 65 to 75 ms delay added. That means the audio would not sync up using a standard Mic as the audio source, unless a delay is added on the audio to match that (and not all applications support doing that). I just wanted to pass that along.