Updated (December 2020): New script now supports Canon EOS M100 firmware ranges from v1.0.0, v1.0.1 to v1.1.0.
Continue with our COVID coverage, having good audio and video setup at your home office has become an increasingly crucial step to succeed in working from home environments. If you have a DLSR or Mirrorless camera around you can use it as your webcam this will improve your video quality drastically.
Today we will look at how to turn your Canon EOS M100, an entry Mirrorless camera, into a webcam so you can use on your daily zoom video conference calls. Before we begin some background for this setup. If you are on the market to purchase a brand new Canon or any other new DSLR or mirrorless camera as your main webcam chances are the manufacture already has an updated software suite and you no longer need to follow this guide. However, if you happen to have a camera just like what I have and you want to take full advantage of the bigger sensor and high dynamic range of what a mirrorless can produce vs a webcam then follow along.
Canon created an EOS Webcam Utility that allows you to connect their DSRL or Mirrorless cameras as a webcam via regular USB connections, however, the program only tailors to the newer model of Canon cameras. If you have anything other than those cameras listed below then you are out of luck. (unless you have a new future model that has yet been released)
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19932987/Screen_Shot_2020_04_29_at_11.40.02_AM.png "How To Get Clean HDMI Out from Canon EOS M100")
Prerequisite:
- Canon EOS M100 (or other camera Canon does support)
- dummy battery for Canon EOS M series (so you don’t run out of juice after 1hr)
- microHDMI to HDMI
- HDMI Video Capture Card USB 2.0
- SD Card
This is a preview if you were connecting the camera directly to the computer as a webcam.
Before
After
As you can see if you have all the annotation overlays around your face that show where the autofocus is around your face during a video call things will get annoying quickly. Thankfully there are tools out there that leverage CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit) so you can get a clean HDMI out.
How To Apply CHDK Hack on Your Canon M100
First format your SD Card as FAT32, then download this tool called EOScard and make sure the SCRIPT is selected and nothing else. Select the SD Card and apply the script override. This will tell your Canon EOS M100 to execute the script during bootup, and the scripts you will dump here will hide all the overlay in the video preview.
Next download the two files we have prepared for you below and put it to the root of the SD Card.
Now eject the SD Card and put it into your Canon M100.
In order to tell the camera to load the script, you need to find the preview button (play icon) at the bottom of the wheel control, and rapidly hitting this preview twice, then hit the SET button twice, then hit the preview one more time.
With any luck, you will see a clean video output and any annotation or video overlays are gone. Now you can connect the HDMI to the USB video capture card, this will turn your HDMI signal as a webcam. From now on as far as Windows is concerned you have a webcam connected to the machine, use it as you see fit.
Hi Jonathan,
I have tried the process and it worked – no face cage and the session wasn’t curtailed after 29 mins. However, once I turned the M100 off and started a new session, everything reverted back type, the face cage returned as did the 30 minute limit. Am I right to assume that the process should only need to be performed once to keep these features?
Kind regards,
Rob W
Hey Rob,
That’s correct, everytime when you start up your M100 if you want a clean HDMI out you need to use the preview method to wake up the camera. Normal Power On will boot without the script, therefore all the overlays will shown.
Usually, I just leave the camera on all the time during the week and have it powered off during weekends.
It’s a bit inconvenient but the trade-off is much better image quality.
Hello,
for me it stopped working after the firmware update (1.1.0).
Can you confirm that?
Thanks for the great job.
I’m running firmware v1.0.1 as far as I’m aware that’s the latest.
It shouldn’t matter based on your firmware, the script should still run. Note every time when you shutdown and restart your camera. You need to follow the preview button step in order to enter a clean HDMI out mode. If you just power on regularly it will not run the script on the SD card.
Hi Sebastian,
Post has updated to support the latest Canon v1.1.0 firmware for M100. You have to download the extend.m file again and put that to your SD Card.
Hello,
there is an Firmware update to 1.1.0 Form canon (Oktober 2020). With the 1.0.1 Version, the script started.
Maybe i habe to downgrad again.
Thanks for the fast reply.
Do you mind sharing the steps for downgrading? I’m also on the latest firmware and the script is not working.
Thanks in advance.
Hi JaggValor,
Post has updated to support the latest Canon v1.1.0 firmware for M100. You have to download the extend.m file again and put that to your SD Card.
Hello,
I successfully make this work but my problem is I am experiencing a flickering colored screen.
I am using an hdmi with mini and micro adapter.
Thanks,
hmm I didn’t run into any of those issue. Worth check the firmware version and maybe get a different HDMI cable?
Hi Jack, I have the same problem with mine. Have you solved the problem?
Hi is there a MacBook alternative to this? thanks!
you have to install and run Windows in Mac as a virtualized environment. Or ask to borrow a Windows laptop all you need is to format the SD Card to run the script and have the two files copied over to the root of sd card.
Yes, there is a Macbook alternative. No Virtual windows needed. Use Macboot to prepare card for script. As a matter of fact, Macboot will make the script.req file for you. There are two versions of macboot that u will download in one shot. Macboot.Classic and Macboot.command. Depending on your OS version 10.12 and earlier need to use classic. 10.13 and higher, need to use command, when you double click, it starts terminal because you need to give macboot root access first. Type in your password, it will not show up, hit enter, macboot will start up. Run macboot to prepare card and create script.req file. So all you have to do is download the above extend.m file and put it on card. Voila. I will disagree with article on having to push the preview button twice and OK button twice. BULLSHIT, I only have to press and hold the preview button for one second to start it up, when it says no images, press okay once. Then press preview button. Voila…
Joe, you are a wizard! Less people talk about the Mac way to do this and NO ONE talked about the macboot.command. Thanks for this!
One thing is that it seems you don’t need to copy over the 2nd file posted here. JUST put the extend.m file on the card and boom! It works!
Happy to try this instead of getting an M200 just to make it a webcam.
Also, thanks, Jonathan!
Dave
Where do I download MacBoot? Googling for it (even tried DuckDuckGo :/) doesn’t help me at.
i cant seem to make it work 🙁
ive tried multiple times and my firmware is 1.0.1
if you confirm the SD card created correctly, it must be the order of the starting button wasn’t done correctly. Try repeatedly and rapidly press those buttons in the correct order. Also note, every time you power off, you have to power on with the preview button again.
Hi,
regarding the Firmware 1.1.0 check this link
https://chdk.setepontos.com/index.php?topic=13489.msg140443#msg140443
there is a change in the extend.m file
copy the text and edit the existing Canon M100 extend.m file
Thanks, Marcus for the resources! this is useful!
Hi thanks for this, I have one question?. Does this actually give true hdmi clean out (1080) or does it just clear overlays? Some cameras have a 720 output on the hdmi and even if you load a script the output will still be lower than 1080…
This gives you 1080p resolution out.
I can’t seem to download the eos card link, I’ve tried on so many links and sites and it is not available. Do you have another link? Thank you
On eoscard I am not able to write it successfully it says “failed” when I open up the software and I am not able to click on the “script button” or any button. Do you know what the problem could be ?
try to run the EOScard app as administrator?
also worth to check the SD card formatted correctly and has write permission enabled?
It worked I had to use a external SD reader.. however i did all these steps and there is still not clean overlay. I believe I have the firmware v1.0.1. So I am not sure what the issue is. any ideas for trouble shooting?
the script is updated for all available firmware out there. You might have to keep trying a few times until you get the right ‘speed’ to trigger
We had this working on our M100 unfortunately, there is a time in which it suddenly turns the screen to green and we still have to wake it up by soft pressing the shutter button. Is there a way for us to disable the auto sleep function? Thank you and your reply is much appreciated.
if you have this script running you probably want to change the M100 camera’s setting to never go sleep. You should be able to find it under page 2 setup > Power Saving.
Works great, thanks very much for this. Now I can use my M100 as a 1080p Webcam and unplug my Canon RP for real shooting, now spring is returning!
Oh, either double press Play or long press Play followed by OK + Play works for me.
hi Jonathan!
why does my video stops at around 40mins whan i am using zoom or streamyar? it turns multicolor. can someone here help me on this?
that never happens to me, are u using a dedicated power supply?
Hi, I can’t get it to work, I always see the writing … I’ve done updating, formatting … I click the right buttons but nothing
I solved ….. after pressing preview + ok + preview … you have to click on info 3 times. I discovered by chance after 2 days that I tried. thanks a lot to everyone
Files are no longer available on your website
Invalid File Type (/srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/download-manager-files/1607887544wpdm_extend.m)!
Hi Jonathan,
I was really excited when I saw this page and eager to try it out on my M100. Though, it seems I cannot download the file type as I just get an error message, same listed in the previous comment on this post…
Is there a way to get these files? I would love to be able to do this…. Thanks so much!
HELLO!!! Where else can I download the files!!! I would really appreciate them!!