Kisight:- If I Don't Have or Want to Use My iSight What Can I Use ?

Question

kisight:- If I Don't Have or Want to Use My iSight What Can I Use ?
Or What Cameras are available for Macs ?
This question used to come up for Macs that did not have Internal Cameras and the User did not have an External iSight.
Since the advent of Intel Mac and the Internal iSight and OS 10.4.9 (late Tiger) the question has broadened from "What can I use with iChat ?" to "What cameras can I use with My Mac ?" and from there into the current Question this User Tip plans to answer.
On the whole it is a case of matching a camera for the type of application you are going to use it most with.
A web cam can be used in iMovie to create Email or Video Blogs although Camcorders do a better job. Camcorders can be used as web cams.
Camera Types
These fall into three main categories that themselves have subsets.
Your choice is going to be influenced by the Applications you want to use it with.
1) Firewire Cameras (Plug an Play)
a) The iSight (External) made by Apple and several other similar cameras have mostly disappeared off the market. (Although iSights seem to be still doing well on Ebay - See Version and Mounts).
b) Firewire Camcorders. These vary as to which apps that work with dues to the different Signal outputs they can do.
Apple Article TA26556 Highlights some that have issues due to their proprietary DV Format.
2) USB 1.1 able Cameras. (Not Plug and Play)
This includes most cameras pre Vista (more on that later)
Most of these will need a suitable Mac Driver either from the Manufacturer or from one of two Generic sources (macam and IOXeperts). Some manufacturers will include a Mac Driver on the CD that comes with the camera some will supply it as a download from their Site.
It is worth while saying at this point that iChat will also need this reasonably cheap iUSBCam Utility as well.
This Utility was originally designed for getting the External iSight to work on computers less than the G3/600Mghz spec for iChat. Then it included the ability to get USB cameras to work with iChat.
You will need one of these three options listed so far if you are OS 10.4.8 or below or have only USB 1.1 ports/sockets on your Mac.
3) USB 2.0 Cameras. (Plug and Play in most cases)
a) Those that are UVC (USB Video Class) Compliant (Also listed as Vista Certified)
Apple added a UVC driver to the OS at 10.4.9 but your Mac also has to have an USB 2.0 port that you can plug such a camera into (Some keyboard ports are not USB 2.0). This means that the camera is Plug and Play although it may not have all the features it has on a PC
b) Those that are USB 2.0 but are not Vista Certified/UVC compliant. (You are going to need Mac Drivers again)
This site about Apple Compatible cameras may be of some help.
A Note on quality of Pictures.
Firewire cameras of either sort are best with Camcorders being the best of all. (Generally more pixels delivered faster to your Computer)
The Newer USB 2.0 cameras are tending to exceed the 640 X 480 pixels that earlier USB1.1 cameras use with some currently giving 1.3Mp resolutions. It should be noted though that not all applications will use this format.
Look closely at the maximum Frame rate (fps) a camera can produce. You may not get it is every applications but something that starts with a max of 15fps is going to give you no leeway.
Applications
You may get some more insight into what to go for by asking in one of these forums:-
iSight Discussions,
iChat AV Discussions for iChat 3 and iChat 2 and Earlier,
iChat and iChat Sharing (in Leopard)
and iMovie Discussions
Please Note:- some of these are Category Links and you have to select a forum within the list at the top of the linked page.
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Versions and Mounts Which Version Am I Buying ?
First off I will not say so much on Buying a second hand External iSight other than making sure you use a reputable Selling site or an Individual Seller so that you have recourse if the device turns out to be faulty. Try and get to see the camera working if you can, preferably seeing it plugged in and working or by iChat and seeing the Pic it produces (Get the person to show you live Screen shots (or Screen Share in Leopard/iChat 4) of System Preferences > Sound > Input as the iSight will be listed)
What I will list here is info about the different versions.
There were three versions before the External iSight was discontinued. There is little outward differences as the main change is the mounts that are included with each version. They all function the same way.
The versions are distinguished by letters (Revision A, B or C) in addition to the base part number and an added slash (M8817LL/).The Last model included different mounts for Laptops, Desktop Stand, Magnetic mount and one for a Flat Panel iMac (the Lampshade one). See pictures in this PDF on page 6.
Apple no Longer sell the External iSight or the Apple M9314G/B iSight Accessory Kit either but you may find it at other places as well if the mount you want/need does not come with the camera. Pics of Box and Contents
It appears that individual iSight mounts and other items can be purchased though this iSight Service FAQ page
Remember the youngest External iSight is likely to be at least 4 years old. Current anecdotal information suggests the cost of an Apple Repair to a faulty External iSight exceeds the cost of a USB Replacement (Or the value in real terms, of the camera itself - although higher prices seem to be quoted on Ebay and Amazon)
First Draft
10:08 PM Sunday; May 17, 2009
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Answer 1

Thanks Nubz
I will review further an correct myself.
The last reads the way I meant as in physically getting to see it.
I am not sure you are reading it the same way.
As a consequence your suggestion seems a bit ambiguous to my mind.
Thanks for the input. I will read a digest context a bit more and see if I can rephrase.
8:12 PM Thursday; May 21, 2009
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"