How to Use Your Sony ZV-E10 as a Webcam

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Chance
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Looking to use your ZV-E10 for streaming, zoom or anything else that requires a webcam? In this brief and concise guide, I’ll cover two different methods for setting up your camera along with their pros and cons.

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Method 1

The first method is the easiest… you literally just use a USB-C cable. Here are the steps.

  1. Open Menu –> Tab 5 –> Pg1 –> Power Setting Options –> Auto Power Off –> High
  2. Menu –> Tab 2 –> USB Streaming (this puts the camera in “ready mode”)
  3. Plug USB-C cable into camera and connect the other side to your PC
  4. ZV-E10 should show up under available cameras in OBS/Zoom/etc.

Super easy and everyone has a million USB-C cables lying around. The caveat with this method, however, is that you’re limited to 720p.

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Method 2

For that reason, I suggest that most people use method 2. For this, you’ll need two things: a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable and something called a “camlink”. A camlink is an adapter that pulls HDMI signal from your camera and transmits it into USB (don’t worry, it’s not actually complicated).

You can get camlink devices pretty cheap, but low budget = low quality so I’d highly recommend the Elgato Camlink 4k as I’ve had way more luck with that versus the cheaper junky ones. Here are the steps for setup:

  1. Open Menu –> Tab 5 –> Pg1 –> Power Setting Options –> Auto Power Off –> High
  2. Menu –> Tab 5 –> Page 2 –> HDMI Settings –> HDMI Info Display — OFF
  3. Plug micro-HDMI into camera then connect the standard HDMI end to the camlink adapter
  4. Plug in the camlink adapter to PC and… that’s it. Your camera should show up labeled as something like “USB Camera” in your software.
Pretty easy.

As a YouTuber, I personally use method 2 for one obvious reason: I’m not out here trying to record my videos in 720p… I want 4k. Do keep in mind that if you’re streaming for an extended period of time, you’ll need persistent power. USB-C can mostly keep the camera charged, but it struggles to keep up. If you’re doing a VERY long stream at 4k, I’d suggest investing in a dummy battery (inserts like a battery and plug the other end into an outlet).

Finally, keep in mind that a good camera alone won’t create amazing results. For lighting, I’m lucky enough to have a giant window in my studio, but for most streamers I’d suggest a cheap light (you can upgrade to something expensive later). For a microphone, I just use my Fifine K688 (there’s PLENTY of good options out there). Good luck… and I can’t wait to see you on the frontpage of Twitch. 🙂

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