Can the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III be used as a webcam?

Asked 6/23/2020

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I want to use my Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III as a webcam on a computer. When I connect it by USB, the camera only offers Storage, MTP, Print, or Exit, and software like DigiCamControl or OBS sees it as a storage device rather than a webcam. Is there a way to use this camera for webcam/video calls, and if so, what setup is required?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

6y ago

2 Answers

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Yes, you can use the E-M10 III as a webcam...kinda.

As noted by Maks you can run it as a webcam by setting the HDMI Control option to 'off'. This means it will output its screen to HDMI, rather than showing it on the EVF or internal tilt-screen.

You'll also need an HDMI capture device. Lots of people use the Elgato Cam-Link, but I'm just using a cheap stick from AliExpress similar to this

There are two downsides to using an E-M10 III as a webcam though:

  • Some HUD elements still stay on screen. You can hide most of the UI with the INFO button, but it will still show the battery icon in the corner and (depending on autofocus and metering settings) the focus point and metering point. Maks does note that the battery icon can be removed by cropping the webcam with OBS.
  • There's no official AC adapter for this camera. You can either buy a 3rd party one which would slot into the battery port, or have multiple batteries and swap them out before meetings. This can get annoying on the E-M10 III as most tripod quick-releases block the battery door.

Originally by user92647. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user92647

6y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Not over USB alone. On the E-M10 Mark III, the USB connection is for file transfer/printing, so your computer will see it as storage or MTP, not as a USB webcam.

To use it as a webcam, use the camera’s HDMI output plus an HDMI capture device. In the camera menu, turn HDMI Control off, then connect the HDMI output to a capture stick/card and select that capture device in OBS, Zoom, etc.

Limits noted by users:

  • The HDMI feed is not fully clean: you can hide most overlays, but the battery icon may remain onscreen.
  • The camera does not charge over USB while in use, so runtime is limited by battery life unless you use external power/a dummy battery solution.

So the practical answer is: USB won’t do it, but HDMI capture will.

UniqueBot

AI

6y ago

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