How can I take a full HD Camcorder and use it as a webcam?

Jecht0089

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
6
0
10,520
I've been wanting to do this for years now..I make a lot of videos and I'm getting tired of using a shitty webcam. I really want to buy a 60 fps full hd camcorder and put it on a flexi arm and use that as a replacement for my webcam, how would I go about doing this? I've been thinking of purchasing the Canon VIXIA HF R70 camcorder..but I'll gladly switch it up if that camera doesn't have the capabilities to do this
 
Solution
You could use a capture card as most camcorders do have a mode that lets you see what you are recording over HDMI or something. That said though unless you have ridiculously good internet the resulting data stream is likely to be too big to stream over the internet. Upload sure, stream probably not.

Spectre694

Estimable
Feb 28, 2014
167
0
4,710
You could use a capture card as most camcorders do have a mode that lets you see what you are recording over HDMI or something. That said though unless you have ridiculously good internet the resulting data stream is likely to be too big to stream over the internet. Upload sure, stream probably not.
 
Solution

BZRKturbo

Commendable
May 10, 2016
59
0
1,610
I personally use a GoPro for a face cam and Just set it on a tripod and record it to the SD card and sync in with the audio in post processing ( youtube vids ect.). for streaming IDK.
 

Jecht0089

Honorable
Nov 10, 2013
6
0
10,520


Thats typically what I do as well with a camcorder, I'm just looking to get rid of the step of having to port it over to my computer afterwards. I want to be able to have my hd camcorder recognized as a webcam on my computer so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Will any old capture card work? Or should I be looking into things more like a blackmagic intensity as opposed to something like the avermedia/ elgato capture cards?
 

BZRKturbo

Commendable
May 10, 2016
59
0
1,610


I see, just plug it in through HDMI and see if it will recognize it. then if not try USB.
 

Spectre694

Estimable
Feb 28, 2014
167
0
4,710


I would think most any capture card would work. Shouldn't be too much weirdness with a camcorder. Just have to make sure it captures audio as well