Disable iSight camera and use external USA webcam

We have a macbook and use a large monitor for managing brochures etc. I would like to mount an external USB webcam on the monitor and use it with Skype. However, whenever I open Skype it turns on the iSight camera (which is facing a wall). Is there any way to have the external webcam be the active camera and disable the iSight camera?
Thanks

Frodo 51 wrote:
We have a macbook and use a large monitor for managing brochures etc. I would like to mount an external USB webcam on the monitor and use it with Skype. However, whenever I open Skype it turns on the iSight camera (which is facing a wall). Is there any way to have the external webcam be the active camera and disable the iSight camera?
Thanks
I no longer use Skype, so I cannot test Skype's claims, but http://www.skype.com/go/help should best be able to help you use their product with your system.
I found this page http://www.skype.com/help/guides/skypeformac/skypefeatures/video.html that seems to address your specific question. The picture on that page shows that you should be able to select among connected cameras from the "Camera:" choices bar in Skype > Preferences > Video:
Of course, if you have only one compatible camera connected, only the one choice will show.
Use the latest version of Skype that is compatible with your system. If camera selection works as explained in the Skype Help page, there should be no need to "disable the iSight camera."
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.2) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.2)
LED Cinema Display G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

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How can I use the built-in Isight camera with an external camera (usb/firewire) at the same time?

How can I use the built-in Isight camera and an external video camera at the same time?
I'm wanting to stream over Oovoo/Skype/etc. using 2 cameras.
Thanks

Simple question with a not so simple answer.
(a) If you mean that you want to run multiple apps simultaneously using a different camera with each app, you may encounter computing power limitations. Digital video is processor intensive. The only way to know if your Mac can do this it to try it. If the video does not work together but each app works when it it the only app running, you are likely overloading your Mac's ability to process and/or move all the required data in your data bus. You can get a better indication of whether this is the case by watching your Activity Monitor utility while running the apps you want to use.
(b) If you mean that you want to have more than one compatible camera connected to your Mac simultaneously for ease of changing between video sources, some, but not necessarily all, apps you are using to operate your camera(s) allow you to select between your cameras.
How you select among connected cameras depends on which application you are using. Here is how camera selection works in a few examples:
(1) For iChat, you can choose which iSight you use in the "Camera:" choices bar in iChat > Preferences... > Audio/Video that appears when more than one compatible camera is connected. Although your camera choices will be different, the choices bar will look something similar to the Preferences settings shown here:
If you cannot see the "Camera" choices bar, your Mac is recognizing only one (or none) of your cameras. In that case, consider the suggestions fromhttp://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 for iSight problems or refer to your other camera's documentation for help.
This particular choices bar solution applies ONLY to iChat. Most other applications also have settings that allow you to choose which camera to use. However, they do not all work the same way.
(2) For instance, iMovie HD's camera choice is NOT set via Preferences. When you have more than one compatible camera connected, iMovie6 HD uses a drop-down menu choice something like this (depending on which version of iMovie you use):
Note: Because I had no built-in iSight connected when I made this example, and because my external iSight was not connected, the drop-down menu showed only "Time Lapse." Because your Mac has a built-in iSight, your built-in iSight would show in the drop-down menu even when no other camera is connected. Connecting an additional Mac compatible webcam should allow you to choose either camera.
Other iMovie versions work slightly differently.
iMovie 9 (from iLife '11) uses a different camera choice button shown in this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/9.0/en/mov39f84285.html
iMovie 8 (from iLife '09) is slightly different as explained in this article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/8.0/en/10172.html
In general, you can use your Mac's help for the application in use to find out how to select among more than one connected camera.
(3) Photo Booth in Snow Leopard 10.6.x and later uses the Photo Booth > Camera menu command to select which camera to use.
Note for readers with older Mac OS X: The previous version of Photo Booth that came with Tiger (10.4.x) is such a simple, basic app that it offers no menu selectable choice. Unless your built-in iSight is already occupied as the camera being used by some open application before you launch Photo Booth, Photo Booth will use ONLY your built-in iSight.
However, you can use the trick from ¶ 4 of http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302781 to let Photo Booth use an external camera.
(If you have an external Firewire camera connected, it may be used in preference to any USB webcam. If that is a problem for you, merely disconnect the problem Firewire device.)
(4) For FaceTime, launch the app and click the Video menu item.
If your Mac recognizes more than one connected compatible camera, a "Camera" section listing the cameras from which you can choose will appear there. Clicking on the desired camera name will let you select the one you want as shown in this image from my Mac Pro and LED Cinema Display:
If your Mac recognizes only one compatible camera, the "Camera" section will not appear in the Video menu, but FaceTime will automatically use the connected camera that is recognized by OS X.
(5) I do not use Skype oir Oovoo. For those or other apps, see Help for each app for info on how to select your desired camera.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim

Is there a way to disable the Facetime camera and use an external USB webcam for browser based webchat?

Is it possible to disable the Facetime camera and use an external webcam as a default? So that when you access browser based applications that require a webcam it doesnt default to the Facetime camera but uses the USB webcam instead?
Cheers.

(1) You don't need to "disable" anything to select among cameras connected to your Mac.
For all cameras you access via browser based applications (cameras connect via Flash browser plugins), control-click on an open video window in your browser page and adjust the camera settings to select between a connected USB and Firewire video camera. Specific instructions are here:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/help04.html
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External iSight camera and Griffin SightLight

I now have three iSight cameras and three SightLights. I can only get one of iSights to work with all of the SightLights. What is going on?

trhoffman wrote:
Thank you for responding. I am only using one at a time. I am trying to get a second one to work to send to my sister. So that we my video chat. I should point out that the light does light up. However the camera will not work or show up on my system.
Todd
Thanks for that new info, Todd.
You can troubleshoot your old external (Firewire) iSights using the relevant suggestions from
http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
If you are not already doing so, I suggest that you disconnect the Sight Lights while you check the iSights that are giving trouble. If you or a local Apple-Authorized Service Provider (AASP) cannot find the trouble, consider the other service options from:
http://www.apple.com/support/isight/service/
If you cannot get your iSight working and it is not economically repairable, other camera alternatives are discussed at:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2018211
Once you know which of your iSights are working, you can try your Sight Lights in various combination with known good iSights to determine whether you need help from Griffin.
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.3) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.3)
LED Cinema Display G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

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How can I shut off built in camera and use another one?

I'm trying to use one of Apple's older auxillary cameras to shoot auditions.People will sit on the other side of my computer.
I plug it into my Imac, but the system doesn't recognize it and I continue to see only
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harryfromrichardson wrote:
...the system doesn't recognize it ...
How can I turn the other camera on?
With the external (Firewire) iSight connected, (do not chain external iSight with other Firewire devices) if your  > System Profiler > Hardware > Firewire does not recognize the external iSight, use the suggestions here to test whether your old iSight is still functional:
http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
Once your system recognizes both cameras, be sure to rotate the ring at the front lens cover of the external iSight clockwise to turn it on and open the lens shutter.
With more than one working camera recognized by your system, most camera-capable applications have settings that allow you to choose which camera to use. However, they do not all work the same way. For example:
• iMovie 9 ('11) uses a choices bar in the "Import from Camera" window:
More info: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/9.0/en/mov39f84285.html
• For iChat, you can choose which iSight you use in the "Camera:" choices bar in iChat > Preferences... > Audio/Video that appears when more than one compatible camera is connected. Although your camera choices will be different, the choices bar will look something similar to the Preferences settings shown here:
• Photo Booth uses the Photo Booth > Camera menu command to select which camera to use. Remember, camera choice for any app will be available only if more than one working camera is recognized by your system. With only one camera, the choices will not be visible.
• For FaceTime,if your Mac recognizes more than one connected compatible camera, a "Camera" section listing the cameras from which you can choose will appear there. Clicking on the desired camera name will let you select the one you want as shown in this image from my Mac Pro and LED Cinema Display:
If your Mac recognizes only one compatible camera, the "Camera" section will not appear in the Video menu, but FaceTime will automatically use the connected camera that is recognized by OS X.
• QuickTimeX uses Preferences to select between connected cameras.
QTX video Preference settings are visible only when you have a new video recording window open. The image below shows how to access QTX video Preferences from an open video recording window:
Note that only one webcam (iSight) is shown in this image because I had only one camera connected to my Mac at the time. When more than one compatible camera is connected, you will see the additional camera name and can select it in this menu.
• For cameras connected via Flash browser plugins, control-click on an open video window and adjust the camera settings to select between a connected USB and Firewire video camera:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/help04.html
• For other apps, check the app's menu items or Help to find out how to select between connected cameras.

ISight camera "in use by another application"

Hello. I'm having trouble using my built-in iSight camera in my brand new MacBook Pro. I can get the thing to work while using iMovie 08, but it won't work with Photo Booth, iChat, or iMovie HD. The very first day I had the computer, it worked with Photo Booth, so I'm fairly certain it's a software problem. I've loaded a ton of software.
The error message I get for iChat and Photo Booth is "Photo Booth cannot open because no camera is attached or the camera is in use by another application." It isn't. I swear.
After reading through a bunch of posts, here's what I've tried:
1. Reinstalling QuickTime
2. Updating the OS
3. Rebooting
4. Repairing permissions
5. Deleting the Photo Booth preferences
6. Zapping the PRAM
7. Resetting the CMU
8. Logging in through a brand-new user account
9. Checking to make sure the camera shows up under the About This Mac/More Info section
10. Trashing everything I can find related to the HP Scanner software (though I'll need that again in the future)
11. Getting rid of other devices listed under the Image Capture folder in my Library
12. Re-installing Photo Booth
13. Calling Apple Support. They gave up and told me to "archive and reinstall," but after spending several weeks installing software, I don't want to do that. Archiving and reinstalling is a pain in the butt. They also offered to "escalate" the issue, but after 1.5 hours on the phone, I decided to try back another day.
In the meantime, I wanted to see if anyone else had some advice.
It feels like the old days of OS 9 extensions conflicts. But I'm just not sure how to problem solve these things. Like, for example, if it IS a problem with HP scanner software, how do I get rid of all of it? Might it be a problem with having both iMovie HD and iMovie 08 on the same computer...? How can I systematically problem-solve this thing?

Welcome to Apple Discussions, schmargle
I think you are on the right track. The fact that you have "loaded a ton of software" makes me think possible conflicts.
For your HP issue, parkersal's solution at http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=4246676#4246676 might help you. In addition to some more details about parkersal's tip, you can find some other users' suggestions in Shelia Addison's sightless iSight ... thread.
If HP is not your only problem, your quickest fix may to be an Erase (your entire startup disk) and Install (of the OS.) Update to the latest version, and test your iSight before you install anything else to be sure it works. Then install the additional software you need one-by-one, testing iSight between each one to make certain you know which one is breaking it.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1) External iSight

ISight "Camera in use" error!

When using iChat or Photobooth the iSight camera is always reported as "The Camera is in use by another application". This is not true as iChat is the first item I open after a fresh startup.
I have looked far and wide on the Apple support site and via google but to no avail. This problem is really annoying as I Cannot use iChat or any other application with the built-in iSight camera.
I have tried re-installing Quicktime which seems to be a possible solution for some but it does nothing for me. The two Apple support items also fail to do anything for this problem.
Does anyone have any other options to troubleshoot this?

Welcome to Apple Discussions,William Munro
Here is the latest list of possible fixes as of this date:
If you have not installed any new hardware since your iMovie worked correctly, it is possible that your problem may be hardware related. However, unless you get better suggestions from iNtel Mac users, here are some common solutions that help most avoid a visit to their Apple Service Technician.
None of the suggestions is complicated, but the only way to find which one will work for you is to try them one-by-one until you find the one that fixes your Mac.
(0) Disconnect any unnecessary peripherals while you do your testing to rule out possible conflicts.
(1) Restart your Mac. Sometimes that is all that is required.
(2) (You have already ruled out this one.) If you use VMware Fusion to run Windows on your Mac, consider disconnecting iSight from your Virtual Machine as recommended above by user "The.VCI" in his post in this thread.
(3) If you use an HP printer/scanner with your Mac, consider the "daemon" suggestions from user "parkersal" in this post.
(4) Check for any running applications, Login Items, or widgets that can use your iSight. (It is easy to forget widgets like Mirror in your Dashboard.) As explained in Apple's iSight "Your camera is in use by another application" message, iSight can be used by one application at a time.
(5) Try every suggestion re: Built-in iSight in How to Troubleshoot iSight. Be sure to include the checks for whether the problem is "application-specific" and "user-specific".
Click here if you need help creating a new user account to check whether your problem is "user-specific" during Troubleshooting.
(6) If resetting or the other troubleshooting suggestions do correct your problem, try the following:
• Backup your Home Folder, or at very least, your important files.
• Repair permissions. (Click here if you need help.)
• Then download and apply the Mac OS X 10.4.10 Combo Update v1.1 (iNtel).
• Finish with another Permissions Repair, and then check your iSight again.
Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates.
(7) Some iNtel Mac laptop users have also reported success after unplugging their Macs and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight.
(8) If none of these suggestions help, take your iMac to your Apple-Authorized Service Provider for a professional check.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Anyone having problems with their iSight Camera and making calls from the desktop?

I upgraded our early 2008 MacPro with Yosemite with no problems the day it was released. I made a phone call through the desktop using my iPhone and it worked perfectly. For some reason, this feature does not always work. One minute the iSight camera works fine, the next minute FaceTime does not recognize it is on.
My iPhone was successfully paired with the desktop, but when I went to connect, I got a message, Connection Unsuccessful - our MacPro is not supported. Does the iPhone have to be paired with the desktop in order to make/receive calls? It was not paired when I successfully tested a couple of calls yesterday, but today it is not working.

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Disabling isight camera

My son is going to go to a boarding school where they do not allow cameras. Want him to take my macbook. Is there a way to disable the built in isight camera (top of the display screen)? And, if so, once disabled, how do you get it to work again (when he's back home, etc.)?

That would probably be a tough one... Even if you could disable it, how would you prove to the school that it IS effectively disabled AND that it cannot be enabled by your son while he is there?
To do anything other than a software fix-which could be easily reversed - take it to an Apple Store to see what they say about a hardware modification (which if done by anyone else, will void the warranty)

ISight cam and Mountain Lion

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17" MacBook Pro Early 2011

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ISight Camera "in use"?

I have a G5 iMac running OSX.4.8 with the built in iSight camera. When I go to open PhotoBooth I get the message "PhotoBooth cannot open because the camera is in use by another application. Close the application using the camera, then try opening PhotoBooth again." I can't find any app using the camera.
A Mac Genius suggested checking the Widgets. I did and deleted the Mirror widget, the only thing I could find that might use the camera, but still have the problem. I can't identify anything using the camera. Any ideas on this?
Thanks,
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Thank you Patrick, you solved my problem which even stumped the Mac Genius in the store! He tried resetting the SMU and that didn't work.
On your suggestion I turned off the automatic launch at startup of Classic and it freed up the camera. After that I was able to launch Classic manually and still use PhotoBooth.
Thanks again,
John
I had a similar problem and found two possible fixes
I discovered an apparent conflict between the
OS9/classic environment and iSight. If OS9 is or has
been active, I have to reboot my computer to use
iSight, otherwise I get a "in use by another
applicaton" or "no camera connected" message when I
try to use Skype/Photobooth/iChat. (haven't seen a
fix for this bug on apple's web site) I've also read
about some bugs in the newest version of skype that
may give a similar message. Again, rebooting should
fix this.
If this doesn't work, try resetting the SMU (see
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301733)
to see if this fixes it.
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Can iSight camera be used with a PC?

Hi. I have an iSight camera mounted on one of my computers, and one that is built into my laptop. I was thinking I might give the standalone iSight to my sister, who is a PC user, so that we can do video chats using appropriate IM software. Is it possible for her to use the iSight camera with a PC that is FireWire ready, if she is able to find a workaround driver?

Most Windows IM clients will recognize the iSight as is, but cannot get audio from it. There is no dedicated Windows driver.
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Disable iSight camera and use external USA webcam

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