WARNING Webcam Utility DOES NOT WORK with Mac M1 running Big Sur versions past 11.0

[reeceguida]

I want to save others the trouble: Webcam Utility will ONLY work for Mac M1 (AKA the 2020 models that don't have the Intel Chips) running Big Sur 11.0. Stop searching for a fix because there isn't one.

Canon: is adding support for this on your Webcam Utility roadmap? Can you PLEASE post a fix to your software? My only option is to revert back to Big Sur 11.0, and I can't do that because I don't have a backup.

I was so excited to use this beautiful camera for work/streaming and now I feel like I just put money in a paper shredder. I will glady return it for another if there's no promise of a fix.

[sogrady]

Just found this thread after failing to get the utility working on a new M1 Mac Mini. I reverted Chrome from the M1 version to the x86 version, running under Rosetta, but the webcam utility still didn't work. 

This was on Big Sur 11.3. Really hoping Canon updates this because I'm going to have to keep a dedicated second machine around just for the webcam until it works. 

[tokris]

I had the same problem. There is a workaround however annoying. Revert your Google Meet, Zoom or whatever software you are using to the Intel version and do not use the "universal" version for the m1 chip; it works like a charm for now. It does mean that you can not use Safari plugins, however, because you can not revert to the Intel version of that software. Canon's software does not play well with any updated software. Hope this helps and I hope that Canon updates their software soon (sadly, it will likely take them until the ned of the year).

[sogrady]

This didn't work for me, unfortunately. Hoping it gets updated soon, and/or I find something else to use besides the EOS Utility.

[sogrady]

I ran out of time waiting for Canon to make the EOS Webcam Utility compatible with whichever of Big Sur and the M1 chip that broke my setup and found an alternative. I initially was going to go with the Elgato Camlink but that doesn't appear to work for a 7D, only the 7D Mark II, so I looked around and finally found Cascable Pro Webcam for the Mac. It picked up the 7D just fine and - so far at least - has worked without issue. 

It's $40, unlike the free Canon utility, but if you need it for work and can't wait just a heads up that it works for me with the aforementioned 7D running on the M1 under Big Sur. 

[Sidewinder3000]

Are you serious? This is 100% Canon's fault. Millions of the best videographers and photographers use Apple Macs as their computer of choice. Apple announced their change to Apple Silicon months ago, and create a developer kit that makes it relatively simple to update existing software to work with what will be, literally, the future of Macintosh computing. The vast majority of Apple macOS software updates don't "break the codebase" for software that was developed properly for macOS. 

Canon, I hope you are monitoriing this and understand how massively frustrating it is that you STILL haven't updated the EOS Webcam utility to work with M1 Macs on Big Sur. Please do this ASAP! If you don't communicate something about how this software update will be available soon, then you are forcing my hand to make the decision to switch ALL my camera gear to Sony. Please be the camera company we all want and need you to be and update EOS Webcam to work with Apple Silicon Macs. 

[tokris]

I agree entirely!

[ecachucho]

Could not agree more. Canon software has always been about 5yrs behind the curve on Mac and even on Windows, so I don't think this is the case of blaming Apple - def with the impression that Canon doesn't prioritise this.
But otherwise thanks @sogrady ! Cascable Pro works flawlessly! Great to not have to wait for years for Canon to respond. (it will be years, might as well move on)

[robtain]

From my understanding, Apple gives developers plenty of time and documentation to address system-level changes that might break an application. It's incumbent on developers to respond to upcoming changes before they break. My experience with canon software for the Mac is checkered. They have been very laggard with updates for the EOS Utility and other driver tools for cameras and printers. They also abandon software on the Mac side long before they do the same on Windows.

[Waddizzle]

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@robtain wrote:
From my understanding, Apple gives developers plenty of time and documentation to address system-level changes that might break an application. It's incumbent on developers to respond to upcoming changes before they break. My experience with canon software for the Mac is checkered. They have been very laggard with updates for the EOS Utility and other driver tools for cameras and printers. They also abandon software on the Mac side long before they do the same on Windows.

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Your understanding of software development on the Apple platform seems incomplete and inaccurate.  

MS Windows has an "open architecture" while the Apple platform does not.  Software developers for the Apple platform must pay a licensing fee just to use the software development tools.  Apple controls the entire software development process, so don't be so quick to blame third parties.  

Canon is hardly alone when it comes to their software breaking following an Apple update.  Every company goes through this same cycle with Apple over and over, and over and over again.  Every major OS update from Apple usually means paying Apple new licensing fees to for the new software libraries to update your software.  

This business practice was behind the "Big Blue" lawsuit against IBM some 50 years ago.  Google it.  IBM lost, and rightfully so.

[EdMartin]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

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Your understanding of software development on the Apple platform seems incomplete and inaccurate.  

MS Windows has an "open architecture" while the Apple platform does not.  Software developers for the Apple platform must pay a licensing fee just to use the software development tools.  Apple controls the entire software development process, so don't be so quick to blame third parties.  

Canon is hardly alone when it comes to their software breaking following an Apple update.  Every company goes through this same cycle with Apple over and over, and over and over again.  Every major OS update from Apple usually means paying Apple new licensing fees to for the new software libraries to update your software.  

This business practice was behind the "Big Blue" lawsuit against IBM some 50 years ago.  Google it.  IBM lost, and rightfully so.

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I'm sorry to veer off the helpful content of this thread by going in the "whose fault is this?" direction, but @Waddizzle, your clear bias against Apple is just too much.  Enough so that I registered for an account so I could reply. 

Fine... you don't like closed systems.  Enjoy Windows, Linux and Android.  That's great!  But just because Apple prefers a closed system doesn't make it wrong. It's just not your preference.  Many people (deveopers & consumers) like Apple. You essentially cutting & pasting the same anti-closed-system rant is counter productive to the question(s) and helpful answers. We heard you the first time.

Before you go off on me with "Your understanding of software development on the Apple platform seems incomplete and inaccurate", I've spent the last 30+ years developing on many platforms through engineering, production and ultimately management and ownership of development studios.  Windows, Mac, iOS, Android... you name it. [Oh, and I even worked for IBM many years ago.]

As a developer, I can say that this is NOT Apple's fault.  This is Canon.  As pointed out by several people, Apple developers have early access to new OS versions months before public release.  In fact, the new macOS, Monterey, is available to developers right now... and it won't be released in final form until this fall. 

All Canon has to do is pay their annual developer fee (as low as $99... but to Canon the enterprise cost would be a whopping $299) and they have access to the code, libraries and support resources.  Canon has made the decsion to delay on this.  Big Sur has been out publically since last fall (and to developers since last spring).  Dev kits for M1 Macs have been around since last summer. And M1 Mac hardware has been publically released since late fall/early winter.

I'm sure that Canon looks at their install-base of users and make decisions based on priority.  But I still find it ridiculous that they continue to push off on M1 Mac and Big Sur support at this point.  We're talking about hardware that has been public for more than 6 months and an OS that has been available to them for a year.  Good God... Adobe has Photoshop and Creative Cloud running on M1's and Microsoft has all of Office running on M1's.  Canon can't get a simle camera pass-through app to work?  Yikes.

P.S. Huge thanks to @sogrady for mentioning Cascable Pro Webcam. I downloaded it on my M1 MacBook Air and it recognized my R6 immediately.  Now THAT is a great example of a productive reply to a question! [And betwwen the 2 of us, our purchases have pretty much paid Cascable's Apple Developer fee for the year!]