My bet is that Apple purchased a ton of webcams years ago and they're still depleting stock.
Can't find any other rational explanation for it.
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Sony Cameras Can Now Be Used as Webcams for Macs
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Can't find any other rational explanation for it.
This year, the main camera makers have all released software for this purpose. Often explicitly presented as a response to the much increased demand for videoconferencing during the pandemic, not least for professional purposes where looking good over video would be the equivalent of being dressed nicely for work.
- Canon (Windows version in April, by September: "Mac version at top of the to-do list")
- Fuji (Windows version in May, macOS in July, version 2.0 for both in September)
- Panasonic (very basic version in June, much better one in October, both times Windows & Mac)
- Olympus (Windows version in July, unsure when exactly the Mac version came out)
- Nikon (Windows support in August, macOS in September)
- Sony (Windows support in August, macOS in October)
I think it probably has more to do with the lid thickness on the MacBooks fitting in complex camera modules. Imagine how much people would complain if the MacBook lids had a camera bulge. Once they put Apple Silicon in that ISP should greatly improve the camera quality.
Software usability has always been Sony's Achille's heel (with the exception of PlayStation). They make beautiful hardware and pack tons of thoughtful features on their devices, but it's always hidden behind complicated UI or software that barely works even after reading their manuals and guides. It's such a shame because they could obviously be so much more competitive by valuing the user experience more.
Sony today made its Imaging Edge Webcam software available for Macs, letting Mac uses transform their Sony cameras into webcams that can be used in lieu of built-in Mac webcams.
Sony first unveiled its Imaging Edge Webcam software for PCs in August, with the initial software limited to Windows 10 machines. At the time, Sony promised a fall expansion to the Mac, which has now happened.
Imaging Edge Webcam works with a wide range of popular E-mount, A-mount, and DSC cameras, with a full list available on Sony's website.
If you have a compatible Sony camera, the Imaging Edge Webcam software is free to download from the Sony website. macOS 10.13 to macOS 10.15 is required for the software to run.
Article Link: Sony Cameras Can Now Be Used as Webcams for Macs
Great for Zoom meetings. To bad max resolution is limited to 1,024 × 576 pixels.
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If the Sony software doesn't work out for you then try using iPhone as a webcam with FiLMiC Pro app.
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Sony A6400 ... installed the software, set the camera to the correct settings and ... nothing
The camera only say "Connecting..."
Same camera and same issue with my iMac
Oh wow! At first I was like damn, my A6000 just misses the cut (all the other A6*** models are included), but now I'm like, oh well, it's not like I was going to ever bother doing this anyway
Many cheap USB cameras can do that without any extra software.
Including some of Logitech ones.
DO NOT INSTALL. Does not work half the time. Poor performance, low resolution. Why would Sony even release something so crappy? As brilliant as Sony is with their hardware, their camera apps are just laughably bad.
MacBook Pro 13" 2018 + Sony A6400 here. Doesn't work at all. I do get to select "Sony Camera (Imaging Edge)" in Quicktime Player New Movie Recording, but neither cable HDMI-USB C nor Mini-USB-USB-C yields any picture. Tried different settings on the camera, yet nothing.
UPDATE: I got it to work.
1. Works over USB, needs to be connect via Mini-USB to USB-C
2. "Ctrl w/ Smartphone" in Settings "Network1" must be turned off. "USB-Connection" in Settings "Setup4" must be set to "PC Remote"
3. The Webcam only works with Webcam Software such as Zoom or Youtube live. Does not work with Quicktime Player.
4. To start the Webcam in Zoom I needed to go to Settings and switch back and forth to the internal MacBook Webcam, then the Sony came live.
UPDATE: I got it to work.
1. Works over USB, needs to be connect via Mini-USB to USB-C
2. "Ctrl w/ Smartphone" in Settings "Network1" must be turned off. "USB-Connection" in Settings "Setup4" must be set to "PC Remote"
3. The Webcam only works with Webcam Software such as Zoom or Youtube live. Does not work with Quicktime Player.
4. To start the Webcam in Zoom I needed to go to Settings and switch back and forth to the internal MacBook Webcam, then the Sony came live.
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I too was having the issue where the camera was stuck on the "Connecting" screen," despite following Sony's instructions and having the driver installed.
After much tinkering and researching this is what I found to work for me. It turns out my Mac is recognizing the camera but Skype and Microsoft Teams were not.
Here is a link you could use to test whether your Mac itself would recognize the camera, but it only works in 3rd party browsers like Chrome (Safari, FaceTime, etc. are native apps that do not recognize "virtual" webcams no matter what). https://webrtc.github.io/samples/src/content/devices/input-output/
If the Mac is recognizing the camera, then the issue is with whatever videoconferencing app you're trying to use it with. I installed Camo Studio. There were a few workarounds (you had to go to "Help" and then select the apps you want, and "Install Integration") but I got both Skype and Microsoft Teams working!
Hope this helps some of you.
After much tinkering and researching this is what I found to work for me. It turns out my Mac is recognizing the camera but Skype and Microsoft Teams were not.
Here is a link you could use to test whether your Mac itself would recognize the camera, but it only works in 3rd party browsers like Chrome (Safari, FaceTime, etc. are native apps that do not recognize "virtual" webcams no matter what). https://webrtc.github.io/samples/src/content/devices/input-output/
If the Mac is recognizing the camera, then the issue is with whatever videoconferencing app you're trying to use it with. I installed Camo Studio. There were a few workarounds (you had to go to "Help" and then select the apps you want, and "Install Integration") but I got both Skype and Microsoft Teams working!
Hope this helps some of you.
Sony A6400 ... installed the software, set the camera to the correct settings and ... nothing
The camera only say "Connecting..."
A6400 here, installed the Sony Webcam and it works fine in Zoom. Anyway it's way better using the HDMI out with a USB capture card like the CamLink or the cheap Video Capture from Amazon.
Attachments
I tried with Microsoft Teams and FaceTime App ... but nothing
Zoom i don't have and don't use ...
Are you able to use the camera on FaceTime?
How is it "way better" than using HDMI to USB capture device? I've been using my Sony RX100 IV and a CamLink 4K since April and it's been flawless. No software to install, just appears as a USB device to all my video apps, Skype, Zoom, FaceTime. Hundreds of hours of use without a single issue.
Not sure a buggy software solution that apparently isn't working for many, and hasn't even been available until now, can be called "better". But I'm glad it's working for someone. Obviously the "free" aspect is nice, but I have zero temptation to try it from all the reports. Sony's about 5 months too late.
As far as poor camera quality in the Mac laptops, I have to agree but it goes beyond that. I use an external 27" monitor with my 15" MB Pro and keep the main Zoom gallery on the bigger screen. An external camera was more about being able to face that screen when conversing, than the quality of the MB Pro camera. But it's definitely nice to have the Zeiss glass and higher res as a bonus.
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This.
A lot of people are doing zoom meetings during this pandemic, and if your Mac is connected to an external display you simply don't have a camera unless you buy one.
I do all my conference calls on my iPad, but I'd rather use its camera or my iPhone with the sw running on the Mac.
It is something they could have done, is a sw feature and they have something similar for pictures called continuity camera
same here with a7ii and tested on a mbp 13" 2016 - works ok
my desktop is an earlier mbp connected to a Sony tv so I needed a camera for my infrequent videochats
Given the addition of Continuity Camera a while ago to use the iPhone as the Mac's still photo camera, I wouldn't be surprised if this is added in a release or two.
An iPhone front-facing camera has about 6mm; a MacBook's has about 2mm. It really is that simple.
I definitely think I the iPhone should be tetherable as a webcam but it’s unlikely that would be 10000% easier to do than a hand wash timer.
One requires getting all models of iPhone (or many) to pass video data over lightning (which is only like 35mbps) and having it seen as a webcam and not just as a device plugged in, and the other counts backwards from 20 when you move hands and it hears water.
Pretty sure it’s easier to program a timer.
It would be better if my Sony RX100 V wound't turn off after 5 minutes because it gets to hot... 🔥 Kinda makes it useless...