Elgato - Cam Link 4K – Windows & macOS - Black

I've been using both a built-in camera and Logitech webcam for the past two years for both online work meetings and online Dungeons & Dragons games (via Zoom). We started streaming some of our D&D games on Twitch, so I wanted to use my Canon Rebel T5i compact DSLR for a better video. I checked the Elgato website and noticed that my camera was not listed, which I read to mean that neither Elgato nor Canon confirmed the T5i would work with the Cam Link. So I bought it anyway to try it. I can confirm that the T5i does not work as expected for video calls and live streaming. So I replaced the Canon with a Sony A7C. I can confirm that the A7C works, as long as you use a micro-HDMI (not mini) to HDMI cable. The Cam Link is plug-and-play for both Mac (my home computer is a late 2013 Macbook Pro 15) and Windows (my work computer is a 2021-22 HP Elitebook). Elgato recommends using their Camera Hub software for Mac (free download from their website), and it works fine on my 8-year-old laptop. The Cam Link is pretty wide, so Elgato included an 8-inch USB-A extension (pictured) so users like me can plug it into the the USB port next to the HDMI port. One thing to note is that Elgato states on its website that the Cam Link only works in a root USB port, and my attempt to use it with a USB hub (mine is not powered) did not work. The video image through the Cam Link looks really good, especially when I use a low-aperture lens to blur my background in-camera. I suggest checking your camera settings to make sure that it doesn't shut down during a longer session (this has to do with the camera, not the Cam Link). I ran a four-hour game over Zoom and didn't run into any issues while using the Cam Link. I chose to give the Cam Link five stars because the Cam Link itself is plug-and-play, and Elgato maintains useful information on its website. This dongle exceeds my expectations from both set up and effectiveness, and it even works with my dinosaur of a computer. The included short cable makes it easy to plug into any USB-A port. It may seem pricey, but I find the support and the ease-of-use make it worth the cost.

These are awesome for a couple reasons. First, they are super easy to use. Literally just plug and play. 9 times outta 10 they work on the first try. The only time I had a minor minor hiccup what is fixed by putting it into a different USB slot on my computer. Turns out not all USB slots are equal some have a tad bit more power and that's the secret. Second reason these are awesome is because the 4K quality is insane. I built four or five complete YouTube/podcast Studios so far and have you to these in all over them multi camera set ups, etc. these are so awesome. And they're cheap.

Works great! Easy to use and download the software. It comes with adapters which was a nice inclusion. I use it for streaming and it’s very user friendly.

It's a small device that does exactly what you want it to do. Something to keep in mind: it tends to run hot, so it's wise to disconnect it when it's not in use. But other than that, it's a great device to connect your camera to your computer for streaming or recording!

I read SOOOO many amazing reviews about this Elgato CamLink 4K device from numerous YouTube reviewers. Bottom line, they all said this works great for practically any camera/camcorder that has an HDMI outlet. Sure enough, all those YouTube reviews are correct. This device is truly plug and play and works great in providing "clean" HDMI for live streaming online. By the way, clean HDMI means not showing all the exposure/EXIF info seen on the camera LCD screen. I tested this CamLink device using the free OBS streaming software app, and it worked perfectly with my Canon EOS 90D DSLR and my Canon Vixia G60 4K camcorder. I'm glad I waited to buy this on Best Buy during the very brief time it was available because Amazon resellers are hiking up the prices more than double currently. There are other HDMI capture cards out there for a lower price, but might only be 1080p resolution, whereas this CamLink device is 4K resolution which is why I want this particular device because my Canon cameras shoot in 4K video quality. 5 stars for this product!