If you choose to pay, you get new features like streaming up to five cameras at once via USB, wireless streaming with one camera, 60 fps support, finer controls for custom scene profiles, watermark insertion, control over your camera settings via the user interface and some more detailed adjustments. While much of that sounds good and can make for a better experience when using the EOS Webcam Utility, the Pro version tops out at just 1080p (the free tier is still stuck at 720p). That seems a bit poor for a paid service that uses a variety of cameras that can output 4K through their HDMI ports.
Look, I get it: camera companies are thirsty for recurring revenue streams just like everyone else – and normally their only source is a pro-service program like Professional Canon Services (CPS). But while some of these new features added to Canon’s webcam software seem useful, I can’t help but believe that basic shooting maps now really cheapand two years of this service costs about the same as buying one Elgato CamLink 4K for yourself – which supports the same 1080p/60p and goes up to 4K resolution even without a subscription. As for all advanced software controls, OBS can be tricky to learn, but it’s free to use.
I get it: camera companies are thirsty
It’s a relief to see Canon keep the free tier for owners who just want the basics and don’t bother buying additional streaming hardware, but now it seems like a safe bet that most of the new features are kept behind the paywall. . To solve the hassle of using your mirrorless camera for Zoom calls, you’ll need to budget for an external power supply anyway, so adding a capture card to the mix for a little more money makes more sense than paying a subscription.
That’s mainly the route I’d go if using the Pro version of the EOS Webcam Utility continues to be as frustrating as the time I tried the free version with a Canon EOS R last year. It didn’t take me long to get the hang of it. uninstall software and start screaming back at my capture card.