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I've done this with the Elgato Camlink 4k on linux with a Lumix G7 that has an HDMI output, and it's pretty nice. Sadly there's a bug in the firmware I think t

by cbanek 6y ago

I've done this with the Elgato Camlink 4k on linux with a Lumix G7 that has an HDMI output, and it's pretty nice. Sadly there's a bug in the firmware I think that reports a bad colorspace, but there are ways to pass it around using v4l loopback devices. It's really nice to have a tripod with a camera on it, and the lens can zoom in or out to show more of my room. Although depending on the camera and what mode it's in, the HDMI output can be quite different, causing headaches and crashes sometimes in apps like zoom. I've also ended up using my dashcam for a timelapse camera, since I'm not driving much. Also, in terms of audio, just as a PSA: please get and use earbuds or headphones for your meetings. It's not so much for you, but everyone else can hear the echo.

orliesaurus 6y ago
That's a US$500 camera, if I was going to spend that much money on a camera I would purchase one that comes with vendor software that turns it into a webcam, I think Fujifilm and Canon do have this. Or maybe you just had an expensive camera lying around, haha.
- ornel 6y ago
  My setup for this purpose (on Linux Mint) uses that camera, a Lumix G7, which is indeed about $500, compared to a Logitech HD Pro webcam for about $100, it is totally worth it. I can pick up the Lumix, which uses my existing collection of micro four thirds lenses, and bring it on vacation or whatever, as opposed to the Logitech which is useless for any other purpose. The reason the Lumix is good for this is because of the "clean" HDMI output, i.e. without any camera overlays. I added to this a micro HDMI to HDMI cable ($10), a DC coupler ($22), a cheap Neewer tripod ($35) and an HDMI capture card ($15). I've optimized the card[0] and set up udev rules to use the optimized settings every time I plug it in. If I want fancier settings I use OBS. It looks orders of magnitude better than any webcam. The weakest link in the whole setup is the micro HDMI cable -- they all tend to be very rigid compared to the size of the connector and I already had to throw away one cable, it helps to attach all wires with velcro to the tripod to reduce wiggle. [0] http://ciko.io/posts/cheap_usb_hdmi_2/ http://ciko.io/posts/cheap_usb_hdmi_2/
- rasz 6y ago
  >That's a US$500 camera yes, its on the cheaper side >I would purchase one that comes with vendor software that turns it into a webcam all currently available on the market offer vastly inferior experience, like 720p30 max
tpolzer 6y ago
There's an ld preload hack that is simpler and potentially lower latency than the loopback device: https://github.com/xkahn/camlink https://github.com/xkahn/camlink

by cbanek 6y ago

orliesaurus 6y ago

That's a US$500 camera, if I was going to spend that much money on a camera I would purchase one that comes with vendor software that turns it into a webcam, I think Fujifilm and Canon do have this. Or maybe you just had an expensive camera lying around, haha.

ornel 6y ago
My setup for this purpose (on Linux Mint) uses that camera, a Lumix G7, which is indeed about $500, compared to a Logitech HD Pro webcam for about $100, it is totally worth it. I can pick up the Lumix, which uses my existing collection of micro four thirds lenses, and bring it on vacation or whatever, as opposed to the Logitech which is useless for any other purpose. The reason the Lumix is good for this is because of the "clean" HDMI output, i.e. without any camera overlays. I added to this a micro HDMI to HDMI cable ($10), a DC coupler ($22), a cheap Neewer tripod ($35) and an HDMI capture card ($15). I've optimized the card[0] and set up udev rules to use the optimized settings every time I plug it in. If I want fancier settings I use OBS. It looks orders of magnitude better than any webcam. The weakest link in the whole setup is the micro HDMI cable -- they all tend to be very rigid compared to the size of the connector and I already had to throw away one cable, it helps to attach all wires with velcro to the tripod to reduce wiggle. [0] http://ciko.io/posts/cheap_usb_hdmi_2/ http://ciko.io/posts/cheap_usb_hdmi_2/
rasz 6y ago
>That's a US$500 camera yes, its on the cheaper side >I would purchase one that comes with vendor software that turns it into a webcam all currently available on the market offer vastly inferior experience, like 720p30 max

tpolzer 6y ago

There's an ld preload hack that is simpler and potentially lower latency than the loopback device: https://github.com/xkahn/camlink https://github.com/xkahn/camlink