Back in June, Panasonic released a half-baked tethering solution for using select Panasonic cameras as webcams. It got the job done, but it was far from intuitive and left much room for an official solution.
Now, such a solution is here, as Panasonic has released LUMIX Webcam Software, a beta program that allows you to use seven Panasonic LUMIX cameras with videoconferencing and broadcasting programs on both macOS and Windows computers.
Much like Canon, Fujifilm, Sony, Nikon and Olympus users, Panasonic users can now connect one of the following camera models to their computers via USB and have it show up as a video input source in a number of video conferencing programs:
Panasonic LUMIX S1H
Panasonic LUMIX S1R
Panasonic LUMIX S1
Panasonic LUMIX S5
Panasonic LUMIX GH5S
Panasonic LUMIX GH5
Panasonic LUMIX G9
Panasonic LUMIX G100 (Coming Soon)
Panasonic has shared the chart pictured below to show what programs have been tested and confirmed working with the LUMIX Webcam Software, but it’s possible other programs will recognize the video feed as well. Panasonic notes all camera bodies must be updated to their latest respective firmware updates and the USB mode on the camera needs to be set to ‘PC (Tether)’ in order for the feed to work.
Below are a pair of video tutorials showing how to get the program up and running on macOS and Windows computers:
LUMIX Webcam Software is in beta, so don’t be surprised if you come across a few bugs every once in a while. You can download the beta for macOS and Windows computers on Panasonic’s website.
. dpreview.com2020-10-14 17:00
