ExtraWebcam

ExtraWebcam is a handy piece of software that can turn regular Canon PowerShot digital cameras into webcams, fit for video chat. It does so by quickly capturing and compressing video streams from Canon PowerShot cameras connected to your computer.

The application allows you to use your Canon PowerShot digital camera as a webcam device, by simply connecting it to your computer via USB. This way, you can video chat with your contacts without actually owning a webcam device and, as long as you use the program, you do not even need to acquire one.

As a plus, you can adjust your camera so that it records you at optimal webchat quality, as the normal video stream provided by Canon PowerShot digital cameras has high quality and resolution, thus unfit for Internet live communication.

Once the application creates a virtual webcam using your Canon PowerShot digital camera, you can connect it to any program or service that supports live webcam feed. This works for both desktop applications, as well as browser based services. You can use ExtraWebcam to connect and live chat from either applications such as Yahoo Messenger, or from your browser for live user support, as an example.

Aside from this, the program can be used as a media capturing device, allowing you to pictures or record AVI videos in just a couple of clicks. Basically, you can use your Canon digital camera in any other way that you use a webcam, either for chatting, recording or as a motion detection device.

To sum it up, ExtraWebcam lives up to its name, at least for those who own Canon PowerShot digital cameras. Support for other camera types would significantly increase the flexibility and usability of the application.