How to use your iPhone as a second camera on Ecamm live or OBS

iPhone as a second camera

If you are looking to use your iPhone as a second camera to mirror it to a broadcast studio program such as Ecamm live or OBS, while having a clean screen, you are in the right place.

In this post, I will show you exactly how to do that without any overlays on your phone screen, zero lag, and cheap!

The best way to use an iPhone as a second camera

I use my old iPhone as a second camera often with the Shoot - Clean Camera Feed app, and I've found that this is the best way to use a second camera cheaply and easily.

What Shoot - Clean Camera Feed does is that it feeds the output from the camera to the screen, and nothing else.

So It lets you stream a clean feed via AirPlay to an Apple TV or a Desktop App like AirServer. Then, you could stream to Twitch via a Syphon connection to OBS.

This will also work directly with Ecamm live, which is what I use for my videos and presentations. 

Shoot - Clean Camera Feed is easy to use and has many useful features that will help you on your virtual journey, such as:

  • No overlays, images, or buttons (literally nothing) on screen ever, except the camera feed.
  • Prevents screen auto-lock.
  • Press and hold anywhere on the screen for auto-focus and auto-exposure.
  • Gesture guide via the Settings app.
  • Maximizes camera resolution to match your device (this is useful on iPad Pro).
  • Switch between front, back, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses easily.
  • Lock white balance with a two-finger long press.
  • Settings available to prefer 60 FPS.
  • Additional options are available in the Settings app.

Some things to consider when using Shoot - Clear Camera Feed

The app costs $3.99, so this makes it one of the cheapest ways to have a second camera.

Please note that this will NOT work on Zoom directly, but rather through a virtual camera such as Ecamm live, OBS, or similar software. Also, this app doesn’t support sound, since it is strictly designed to display a clean camera feed on your iPhone/iPad screen and nothing else.

It is also important to consider that the app will prevent the phone from going to sleep.

It will not, however, prevent notifications from popping up, so you might want to disable them when you are using your iPhone as a second camera.

And finally, the app is meant to be used horizontally, It will not adjust to a vertical setting.

Free option to Shoot - Clear Camera Feed:

Since I wrote this article I came across another app that does the same thing and it’s even better!

You can use either the back or front camera and you can also use it in vertical mode (Shoot can’t do that). On top of all that, it is FREE! Yes, 100% free and they don’t try to force any upgrades on you.

It’s called Full-Screen Camera by Family Church of Heritage Green. Enjoy!

Why should you use your iPhone as a second camera?

You are probably reading this because you are looking for a second camera for your broadcast or maybe you are doing a presentation and need to use your camera phone while displaying it, but webcams and adapters are expensive these days, so here is a simple solution.

Your phone camera can be as good as any other webcam, that’s why I use an iPhone as a second camera with Shoot - Clean Camera Feed, keep in mind you can also use the Full-Screen Camera app.

This will help you on your virtual journey by giving you the possibility of having different shots on your videos.

If you are interested to see a comparison of the quality displayed between an old iPhone 7 with Shoot app, a 4k Panasonic camera, and a 2019 Macbook Pro Facetime camera, check out the following video:

Likewise, the quality of your camera and microphone must be high -without meaning expensive- to make your content the best, so if you haven't seen it, visit my previous blog What is the best microphone setup for virtual entertainers? and check out these recomendations.

Keep up the good thoughts,

Alan Chamo

Entertainer, Mentalist & Keynote Speaker
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