# Elgato Cam Link 4K > Turns a camera’s HDMI feed into a USB webcam on your computer. - Capture card, High volume - Typical UK price: £85 to £100 (a typical band, not a live price) - Platforms: Whatnot, TikTok Shop, eBay, Vinted - Orders a week: 20–2000 - Not yet checked by a person A USB stick with an HDMI port that makes a mirrorless camera or camcorder show up as a webcam in streaming software. It takes up to 4K at 30 frames or 1080p at 60, from a USB 3 port. You need it to stream a real camera through a computer; a phone or USB webcam plugs straight in without one. ## Kit rankings - #1 in [Best capture card for streaming a camera](https://sellersetups.com/kit/capture) ## Setups - [Pro Whatnot streaming setup for card breaks](https://sellersetups.com/setups/pro-whatnot-streaming): A two-camera studio with app-controlled lights, a button pad for angles and a packing line, for card breakers posting 80 to 300 orders a week. ## A real camera on a computer stream You own a mirrorless camera, camcorder or action camera with a clean HDMI output and want it in your streaming software as a webcam. The stick sits between the camera's HDMI cable and a USB port on your computer. It fits a two-camera desk: a phone or webcam on your face, a real camera on the mat. If you stream from a phone or a webcam alone, you can skip it. ## Clean HDMI and the 4K30 limit It takes HDMI up to 4K at 30 frames or 1080p at 60, from a USB 3 port. Your camera must send a clean HDMI signal with no on-screen info; check the camera's display menu for the setting. Protected HDMI from games consoles or streaming boxes will not pass through. Read the camera manual for clean HDMI and auto power-off settings before you buy. ## Cable, port and camera menu Plug the stick into a USB 3 port on the computer. Run the camera's HDMI output to it, with micro, mini or full-size HDMI on the camera end to match. Set the camera to 1080p at 60 or 50 frames, turn off on-screen display on HDMI, disable auto power-off, and add the device in your streaming software. A dummy battery keeps the camera on mains power through the show. ## A capture card or a webcam instead A four-input internal capture card takes four HDMI cameras in one desktop, so choose it for three or more cameras. A 4K USB webcam needs no camera and no stick, so choose one if a webcam picture is good enough. If you already own a mirrorless vlogging camera body, this stick puts it on a stream through one HDMI cable and one USB port. ## Heat and freezes on long shows The stick gets warm during long shows. Put it on a short USB extension cable so it sits clear of the computer. If the picture freezes, unplug and replug the stick before restarting the software. ## Common mistakes - Use a USB 3 port. On USB 2 the stick won't carry the video. - With the camera's on-screen info left on, viewers see battery icons; turn off HDMI display info. - Disable auto power-off in the camera menu, or the picture ends mid-show. - Cameras take micro, mini or full-size HDMI, so check yours before buying a cable. - Plugged straight into a crowded port bank, the stick blocks the ports beside it. Use a short extension. ## Guides - [Whatnot production setup: lights, camera and audio](https://sellersetups.com/guides/whatnot-production-setup): Choosing which pro streaming kit to buy first, and which to skip, when your Whatnot shows outgrow a phone and a ring light. ## Questions ### Does the Cam Link 4K work with a phone? No. It turns an HDMI camera into a webcam on a computer. ### Does it need drivers? It shows up as a standard webcam on Windows and macOS. Elgato's app adds settings and is optional. ### Can I use it with a games console? No. Consoles send protected HDMI, and the stick can't capture it. ### Will it work with my old camcorder? With a clean HDMI output, yes. A camera that only shows a picture with on-screen icons won't give a clean feed.