Cell Phone as web cam

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I've seen some information that you can use a cell phone as a security camera, but I'm not sure that'll do what I want. I don't have a separate web camera and I don't want to buy one if I can use something I have.

I need to shoot some close up pictures of small items and my hands aren't steady enough to hold that still.

I need to set something on a tripod, display the image on a screen and crop to take a screenshot. I have a couple of old cell phone with fair cameras that might work. They have USB ports and I can transfer still images, but what do I need to display a live image?

 

[sdifox]

I've seen some information that you can use a cell phone as a security camera, but I'm not sure that'll do what I want. I don't have a separate web camera and I don't want to buy one if I can use something I have.

I need to shoot some close up pictures of small items and my hands aren't steady enough to hold that still.

I need to set something on a tripod, display the image on a screen and crop to take a screenshot. I have a couple of old cell phone with fair cameras that might work. They have USB ports and I can transfer still images, but what do I need to display a live image?

If the cellphone is already mounted on tripod, I don't see why you can't just take a picture with it.


You can try Teamviewer I guess. You could also attach a mouse to your smartphone with an OTG cable.

 

[Geven]

You can also try using apps like DroidCam or iVCam. They let you use your phone's camera as a webcam via USB or WiFi, and they also provide a live view on your computer screen.
I used DroidCam when my web cam broke down and it did work quite well.
Also, as @sdifox mentioned, you could use an OTG cable to connect a mouse to your phone for easier control.