Internal iSight camera on, but LED is off... Hardware problem?

Hello all,
My MacBook Pro (15", late 2007) has developed a strange "feature": the internal iSight LED no longer lights, even with the camera on. This is quite unsettling.
I have searched the Intertubes, but could not find any references to this kind of problem.
My MBP is covered under AppleCare, but I'm reluctant to send it in for repairs (again!), since that takes at least 2 weeks. Frankly, I can't do without my Mac for 2 weeks since I use it professionally.
Is the LED "hardwired" to iSight power, i.e. is this a definite hardware problem, or is there some hidden setting somewhere? I have tried zapping the PRAM, but that did not help...
Any info would be appreciated.
Kind regards,
Ed.
Message was edited by: Ed Voncken

Can you or anyone else confirm that the LED is a "hardware" feature on the iSight, or is it software-controlled?
Of course, the camera still appears to work without the LED. But that is exactly the point There is no proper feedback on camera status now, which is unsettling. Bringing it back in is not (yet) an option; I already went without it for more than a month during the first 18 months of ownership due to 2 earlier repairs.

Similar Messages

How Disable Mac Internal iSight Camera?

I have looked through previous postings on how to turn off the MBA internal iSight camera and the instructions are not working for me.
I moved:
System/Library/QuickTime/QuickTimeUSBVDCDigitizer.component
into a new folder:
System/Library/QuickTime Turn Off iSight Camera .
Then I rebooted.
When I go into Skype > Preferences > Audio/Video I can still see my face and the green light.
Next steps?

Move (you will actually be making a copy) the QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component file from your /System/Library/QuickTime folder to your UserName (Home)/Documents folder.
Then throw the QuickTimeUSBVDCDIgitizer.component file from your/System/Library/QuickTime folder in the Trash and empty it. You will need to authenticate with your system administrator password.
Restart your Mac. Internal iSight (and amy other USB cam) should no longer work.
If the above does not work, see an Apple-certified technician and ask him to remove your iSight.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.8.5

ISight cam on, but Monitor off ?

Hi guys,
tried looking for this question in the forums and nothing...
I currently use a Macbook Pro and the latest version of Mac OS X. I also have the Macbook Pro connected to the Flat HD TV.
My question is: How can I turn off the Monitor on the Macbook and be able to use the iSight Cam during video chat.
Currently, the Macbook Pro is open and both monitor and TV shows the same video. To save monitor life, I would like to turn this off but keep the cam on..
Thanks

Found my own answer at MacForums.
here's how to do it..
Close your macbook - it goes to sleep, make sure the power adaptor is plugged in.
wait 5 seconds,
with a wire or wireless keyboard press any keys and wait about 5 sec. The Mac should wake up and show the monitor screen on the external monitor.
After 1 minute, you could open the Macbook Pro monitor cover and the monitor should stay turned off. Allowing you to use the iSight cam with the monitor off and saving the life of the monitor.
Hope this helps other people who's been trying to do this too.

Select Default iSight Cam with Dual LED Cinema Displays

Hello
I have two 27in LED Cinema Displays, both of which have iSight Cameras. When I try to facetime, by default, the right monitor camera turns on, but I want to use the left camera.
How do I select which camera on which monitor I want to use? Both monitors are connected via thunderbolt. I'm using OS X Mavericks.
Thanks!

You can try the old trick of first launching a camera app that you do NOT want to use - QuickTimeX > New Movie Recording perhaps - to have it engage the ONE display iSight camera. After you can see that your camera is engaged with the unwanted app, you can hide that app if desired. Then launch FaceTime and see if the other connected camera is accessible to FaceTime.
If FaceTime cannot then recognize the second Display iSight, check your System Information utility to see if your Hardware > USB > USB Device Tree recognizes both Display iSights. If the device tree recognizes only one Display iSight, your lowest cost workaround may be to connect a Mac-compatible webcam to one of your available USB ports so it is recognizable . The external camera may then be selectable in your FaceTime menu without the two-application trick.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.10.2

AppleTV (2nd gen) working fine but LED is off

My Apple TV (2nd gen) is working fine but today the white LED is off.
I tried to disconnect from the electricity but it doesn't helped. I also made a restored to factory settings but it is still off.
Yesteday I used at night to watch a movie and the LED was on, I woke up and went to work, when I tried to work today I noticed the LED was off.
As I said everything works fine but the LED.
Any ideia?

I have the same issue my aple tv works fine but the led is off. I also tried to restore and update without success....
Any idea or real problem ?
Cheers

ISight camera present but not working

System Report lists the camera but it's X'd out
in FaceTime and not present in Skype. After
re-setting NVRAM it appeared briefly then
vanished. Some advise re-setting the SMC
but Apple's own KB didn't support that.

Tom Meade1 wrote:... I followed all steps...
Good. Having eliminated several of the easiest things, we will try the next (more time consuming) things that may resolve your problem.
Tom Meade1 wrote: ... this is our faith, no?...
Not mine, no.
Tom Meade1 wrote:... System Report shows what I think is a camera...
You are correct that your SR report shows that your Mac recognized its inbuilt camera.
Tom Meade1 wrote:... Does it seem like a software issue that can be remedied...
Yes.
Tom Meade1 wrote:... does the Genius have methods beyond what we've done here?...
Yes. The Geniuses have access to proprietary Special Tools, Test Equipment, and Technical Data that allow them to fix things beyond what us users can do. That is why, if all else fails, or if you don't want to take the time to continue trying to resolve this yourself, I suggest you contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service.
Tom Meade1 wrote:... FaceTime and PhotoBooth still show no camera or X'd out...
Because more than one up-to-date app fails in more than one user account, your Mac's system software may be damaged. The remedy for this is to reinstall OS X. Regardless of the reinstall method you use, backup your Mac before you reinstall OS X.
If your Mac shipped with OS X 10.7, you can use the backup installer that came with your Mac. Then apply the 10.7.5 Combo Update to return to the latest version in one update step. I recommend that you repair permissions before and after installing and updating.
If you do not have a 10.7.x installer, you can use the Lion Recovery HD method Kappy explains in http://discussions.apple.com/thread/3531813.
After reinstalling, test again using the How to Troubleshoot iSight method.
If the problem continues in more than one app and more than one user account, the only remaining thing I know that might remedy the problem is to zero your startup disk and do a clean install of your Apple software. If iSight works then, you know that some other software was causing a conflict. This is a time consuming process that I described in this topic: http://discussions.apple.com/message/18614637. (You will use the current 10.7.5 Combo Update vs. the 10.7.4 version that was current at the time of the referenced post.)
If none of the things recommended to this point resolve your iSight problem, the only remaining suggestion I can offer is to contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service.
Tom Meade1 wrote:... Is a required to activate iSight?
No.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.9

Internal iSight camera

My MacBook no longer recognizes my iSight cameral. iChat, Photo Booth and iMovie will not recognize it. I tried what forums have said to do, reset the PRAM, and reset the PMU, without the battery and without the power cord and it still won't recognize it.
Does anyone have a suggestion?

criddle777 wrote:
My MacBook no longer recognizes my iSight cameral. iChat, Photo Booth and iMovie will not recognize it. I tried what forums have said to do, reset the PRAM, and reset the PMU, without the battery and without the power cord and it still won't recognize it.
Does anyone have a suggestion?
Call AppleCare or send it in. This is a hardware issue and we can't help you fix that since we either have no experience with fixing that or are not physically accessible to your system.
deltatux

Satellite A300 LED on/off (TBS) problem fixed

If your illumination buttons are not working, try
opening Windows Registry (open: regedit)
go to
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\Explorer\NoDriveTypeAutoRun
and change it's value to "0".
I'm not sure if it works without reboot, but after all when you will press the hotkey button the wizard will pop up to define button function.
Good Luck!

Hey thanks for this useful info.

My iPhone 4 just suddenly deleted all my contacts ? I turned my phone on off and some came back but not all of them ??

I was using my iPhone got a text opened in and all my contact names had gone went into my contact and it had deleted them all . I turned my phone on and off and 100 came back but not most off them what do I do ?

I suggest you immediately make a backup of your data. You don't know if or when the computer will show some symptoms from the drop. You may want to, for piece of mind, take the computer to an authorised service center for assessment. No one here can assess any internal damage you may have done.

RE: I need drivers for an external isight camera on windows 7 64-bit

IRT http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11515278#11515278
Are the drivers from boot camp only for the internal isight camera or should the drivers work with the external firewire camera?
I installed the drivers without a problem on Windows 7 64-bit. However, windows 7 didn't recognize the drivers (either automatically or when manually found). The installer placed them in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\
Of note, the camera does work. Using skype, the camera's LED lit up. However, the generic driver wouldn't allow the camera to "talk" with windows. The aperture opened to the max setting and "whited out" the video. Thanks!!

witkewoo wrote:
IRT http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11515278#11515278
Are the drivers from boot camp only for the internal isight camera or should the drivers work with the external firewire camera?
I installed the drivers without a problem on Windows 7 64-bit. However, windows 7 didn't recognize the drivers (either automatically or when manually found). The installer placed them in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\
Of note, the camera does work. Using skype, the camera's LED lit up. However, the generic driver wouldn't allow the camera to "talk" with windows. The aperture opened to the max setting and "whited out" the video. Thanks!!
(1) External iSight is, as you recognize, a Firewire webcam. It has its own built-in microphone.
Built-in iSight is a USB camera. It has no mic of its own.
Windows® video drivers for both iSights are included. However, as explained in the following link, there are no Windows® audio drivers for external (Firewire) iSight’s internal microphones:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISight#iSightonWindows
(2) If you can track your problems to your Boot Camp or Windows installation, see FAQs and troubleshooting here:
http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/
As reported by user mikkel_nielsen here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11953256#11953256
you may merely need to update and reinstall the drivers.
I do not use Windows®, but if you get no better help here, the best I have to offer is:
Check iSight with OS X apps and user accounts: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090
If all works there, consider Boot Camp/Win7 FAQ & links: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3986
Also Boot Camp 3.0, Mac OS X 10.6 FAQ & links: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3777
If all else fails, this search in Boot Camp might give you some ideas or an idea for a new topic there:
http://tinyurl.com/39lu9fn
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.4) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.4)
LED Cinema Display G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

ISight cam and Mountain Lion

I just updated to mountail lion. Now everytime I turn on internal iSight cam my display changes colour. It seems to switch to a different colour profile for displays and as soon as I stop using the cam the colour returns back to normal. I tried capturing screenshots with internal iSight turned off and on, but the scrrenshots appear in normal colour!!! Is anybody else experiencing the same problem.
17" MacBook Pro Early 2011

the problem is for macbook pro 2010 with ssd installed.
mountain lion cannot load the discrete graphic driver well and it mistakes when it switch to this using some programs (like chrome, ps, Transmission and so on)
by now u can just logout and login after every restart to fix this.
i hope they'll fix it forever in the next update.

Kisight: How do I get my iSight working ? Trouble Shooting an iSight Camera. (Version 3)

Replacement for the second draft of this Thread   (To be removed if Published as Tip)
kisight: How do I get my iSight working ?
Trouble Shooting an iSight Camera. (Version 3)
Hi,     On many subjects Apple has Articles and Documents that can help.
In some case they are written by an Engineer or similar and can miss the mark for the average user.
In other cases they are crafted, detailed responses to an issue that has popped up many times in the Apple Discussions and take the best from many responses in those User-to-User Discussions, creating something that can not be surpassed.
This is the case of the Apple Article HT2090 on Trouble Shooting an iSight.
It lists steps and processes to go through for both Internal iSights and External ones.
However as with most things it does sometime pay to reword things differently so that people grasp the points in language they understand.
The info here is a reworking itself of two pages at ralphjohns.co.uk/EZ Jim pages namely EZ JIm's page 2 Where can I Find Help With My iSight ? and his page 4, How Can I Test My iSight is Completely Functional ? which were written several years ago and predate the Apple Article, being aimed at the External iSight. They have been updated since to address the Internal iSight as well but some of the comments are useful between the two types.
External First. For Internal iSights Start at 2b) (you will need to adjust some options/steps as the Internal is USB)
Steps
1) Pre Purchase
If buying an External iSight you should if you an get to see it in action.Apple no longer sells the External iSight so you will be buying it second hand.If you cannot get to see the device plugged in and working on Mac then check the smaller print of the seller and selling site as to nature of Returns and Faulty Goods.
2) Does it work ?
a) First of all Plug it in. It should come with a suitable mount (although there are variants on this) and a 6 pin to 6 pin Firewire cable.
Ideally it should have it's own Firewire port/socket on your computer. Connecting it "DaisyChained" to other devices can be a problem as they do not all use Firewire at the same Data speed.
It will then go through some checks as the OS powers it up and checks it's firmware.
Do not be concerned that the little green indicator light atop your iSight illuminates for a few seconds and then goes dark when you first connect your iSight or power on your Mac. Do not be concerned if you hear a soft whir as iSight attempt to focus either. Both these occurrences are normal. If your iSight passes the following tests, do not worry about this sound or the status of the green light.
There is no ON switch as such. It does have an iris mechanism that can be controlled by the User. The iris should be turned so you can see the Lens for the iSight to send pictures to an application.
b) Pick an Application to see the picture the iSight produces.iChat is one application you can use. Photobooth is another. iMovie (Version 4 or above for external iSight -- Version 6 or above for in-built iSight) and Comic Book (if bundled on your Mac) are yet more.
See this Users Tip for more applications Or this page for yet more.
Photo Booth is probably the simplest as it has no Preferences to choose a camera in the original version and is done from the Menu items in later versions (nor is there any setting in the OS) and Photo Booth will default to the External Camera if one is plugged in before the application is started.     If you see your self or what the camera is pointing at, It Works !!
3) If it does Not Work
a) Check Cables/leads. Re-seat the cable at both ends. DO this carefully as although Firewire cables are keyed to fit the right way it has been known to force them the wrong way.
Try another 6 pin to 6 pin firewire cable.
b) Unplug the cable from any other FireWire device and give the iSight it's Own FireWire port/socket on the Mac (exclude issues with other FireWire devices). It is important that this be a port/socket on your computer and that you know that it works. Do not use a port in a FireWire hub or another FireWire device or a FireWire port in an Apple Display for testing. (Also see d below if you have an 800 FIreWIre Computer)
c) Check System Profiler (Apple Icon menu top Left > About this Mac. > More Info Button)Open the Reveal Triangles to see the list and go to Hardware > FireWire. (Use USB for Internal Cameras)
If it appears here try booting or Logging in as another user on the Mac (Create a Test account if you don't have one) and try item 2b) above again.
d) With FireWire 800 computers you may have to change your FireWire 400 to 800 Adaptor or Cable to get full Audio functionality with Lion Apps
If it is not in the System Profiler you are almost certainly going to need the Trouble Shooting Article from Apple at this point. This Article may also be of help (number HT1317 What to do if your computer won't recognise a FireWire or USB device).
If you have not resolved things at this stage it is going to be time for an Engineer with Apple credentials.There are no user serviceable parts inside any iSight.
Other Items
Audio.
The External Camera has two mics inside.The volume it records at or plays through for iChat is controlled in System Preferences > Sound > Input tab (select device) and this should be set to get the blue response bar to at least half way (preferably three quarters) when you talk.The same applies to any other Mic, even the Internal one on laptops and some other Macs.
Firmware.
The System Profiler as detailed above should tell you the Firmware the iSight has. The current version is 1.0.3 and was updated in Panther. (Essentially it is an Audio compatibility update but does seem to help in other situations)
If your computer is running Panther (10.2.x) then use this Updater
If running Tiger (10.4.x) or Leopard (10.5.x) then navigate manually to your Hard Drive/System/Library/Core Services/iSight Updater and run the updater found there.
If an iSight is Plugged in on the Computer when you do an OS update and the firmware needs updating on the iSight this app is supposed to be triggered but it seem it may need a hand at times.
Focusing on the External iSight
Essentially the External iSight is self or Autofocusing.
If in doubt then try better lighting and strong colours as opposes to light or pastels.
(All built-in iSights are fixed focus. Therefore, unless a built-in iSight lens cover is dirty or smudged, any built-in iSight whose image is blurry needs service by an Engineer with Apple credentials.)
EZ Jim has these more specific recommendations for piece of mind.
Make a cross whose lines are about one-half inch or more wide on a plain background to use as a focus target. (I have even used black electrical tape.)
Turn on plenty of light and hold the target very still at about two or three feet from the lens. Watch iSight focus. (You may need to use a tripod or brace yourself to hold the target still enough.)
Then quickly move the target and hold it very still at about one foot away from the lens. Watch iSight focus.
Finally, move in to about six inches from iSight, and check focus there, too. (Holding the target still is more important as you get closer to iSight.)
This Users Tip by Ian Bickerstaff can give you clues for any application really "Look and sound good in iChat"
Other Info and Links
iSight Support info at Apple Links to Users Guide, Manual and many other topics on the External iSight.
Apple's iSight Firewire Connectivity FAQs
Apple's iSight Service FAQs
If you feel you have not understood or think you have not grasped something here or in the links so far try the iSight Discussion Forum
1:13 PM      Saturday; October 8, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Replacement for the second draft of this Thread   (To be removed if Published as Tip)
kisight: How do I get my iSight working ?
Trouble Shooting an iSight Camera. (Version 3)
Hi,     On many subjects Apple has Articles and Documents that can help.
In some case they are written by an Engineer or similar and can miss the mark for the average user.
In other cases they are crafted, detailed responses to an issue that has popped up many times in the Apple Discussions and take the best from many responses in those User-to-User Discussions, creating something that can not be surpassed.
This is the case of the Apple Article HT2090 on Trouble Shooting an iSight.
It lists steps and processes to go through for both Internal iSights and External ones.
However as with most things it does sometime pay to reword things differently so that people grasp the points in language they understand.
The info here is a reworking itself of two pages at ralphjohns.co.uk/EZ Jim pages namely EZ JIm's page 2 Where can I Find Help With My iSight ? and his page 4, How Can I Test My iSight is Completely Functional ? which were written several years ago and predate the Apple Article, being aimed at the External iSight. They have been updated since to address the Internal iSight as well but some of the comments are useful between the two types.
External First. For Internal iSights Start at 2b) (you will need to adjust some options/steps as the Internal is USB)
Steps
1) Pre Purchase
If buying an External iSight you should if you an get to see it in action.Apple no longer sells the External iSight so you will be buying it second hand.If you cannot get to see the device plugged in and working on Mac then check the smaller print of the seller and selling site as to nature of Returns and Faulty Goods.
2) Does it work ?
a) First of all Plug it in. It should come with a suitable mount (although there are variants on this) and a 6 pin to 6 pin Firewire cable.
Ideally it should have it's own Firewire port/socket on your computer. Connecting it "DaisyChained" to other devices can be a problem as they do not all use Firewire at the same Data speed.
It will then go through some checks as the OS powers it up and checks it's firmware.
Do not be concerned that the little green indicator light atop your iSight illuminates for a few seconds and then goes dark when you first connect your iSight or power on your Mac. Do not be concerned if you hear a soft whir as iSight attempt to focus either. Both these occurrences are normal. If your iSight passes the following tests, do not worry about this sound or the status of the green light.
There is no ON switch as such. It does have an iris mechanism that can be controlled by the User. The iris should be turned so you can see the Lens for the iSight to send pictures to an application.
b) Pick an Application to see the picture the iSight produces.iChat is one application you can use. Photobooth is another. iMovie (Version 4 or above for external iSight -- Version 6 or above for in-built iSight) and Comic Book (if bundled on your Mac) are yet more.
See this Users Tip for more applications Or this page for yet more.
Photo Booth is probably the simplest as it has no Preferences to choose a camera in the original version and is done from the Menu items in later versions (nor is there any setting in the OS) and Photo Booth will default to the External Camera if one is plugged in before the application is started.     If you see your self or what the camera is pointing at, It Works !!
3) If it does Not Work
a) Check Cables/leads. Re-seat the cable at both ends. DO this carefully as although Firewire cables are keyed to fit the right way it has been known to force them the wrong way.
Try another 6 pin to 6 pin firewire cable.
b) Unplug the cable from any other FireWire device and give the iSight it's Own FireWire port/socket on the Mac (exclude issues with other FireWire devices). It is important that this be a port/socket on your computer and that you know that it works. Do not use a port in a FireWire hub or another FireWire device or a FireWire port in an Apple Display for testing. (Also see d below if you have an 800 FIreWIre Computer)
c) Check System Profiler (Apple Icon menu top Left > About this Mac. > More Info Button)Open the Reveal Triangles to see the list and go to Hardware > FireWire. (Use USB for Internal Cameras)
If it appears here try booting or Logging in as another user on the Mac (Create a Test account if you don't have one) and try item 2b) above again.
d) With FireWire 800 computers you may have to change your FireWire 400 to 800 Adaptor or Cable to get full Audio functionality with Lion Apps
If it is not in the System Profiler you are almost certainly going to need the Trouble Shooting Article from Apple at this point. This Article may also be of help (number HT1317 What to do if your computer won't recognise a FireWire or USB device).
If you have not resolved things at this stage it is going to be time for an Engineer with Apple credentials.There are no user serviceable parts inside any iSight.
Other Items
Audio.
The External Camera has two mics inside.The volume it records at or plays through for iChat is controlled in System Preferences > Sound > Input tab (select device) and this should be set to get the blue response bar to at least half way (preferably three quarters) when you talk.The same applies to any other Mic, even the Internal one on laptops and some other Macs.
Firmware.
The System Profiler as detailed above should tell you the Firmware the iSight has. The current version is 1.0.3 and was updated in Panther. (Essentially it is an Audio compatibility update but does seem to help in other situations)
If your computer is running Panther (10.2.x) then use this Updater
If running Tiger (10.4.x) or Leopard (10.5.x) then navigate manually to your Hard Drive/System/Library/Core Services/iSight Updater and run the updater found there.
If an iSight is Plugged in on the Computer when you do an OS update and the firmware needs updating on the iSight this app is supposed to be triggered but it seem it may need a hand at times.
Focusing on the External iSight
Essentially the External iSight is self or Autofocusing.
If in doubt then try better lighting and strong colours as opposes to light or pastels.
(All built-in iSights are fixed focus. Therefore, unless a built-in iSight lens cover is dirty or smudged, any built-in iSight whose image is blurry needs service by an Engineer with Apple credentials.)
EZ Jim has these more specific recommendations for piece of mind.
Make a cross whose lines are about one-half inch or more wide on a plain background to use as a focus target. (I have even used black electrical tape.)
Turn on plenty of light and hold the target very still at about two or three feet from the lens. Watch iSight focus. (You may need to use a tripod or brace yourself to hold the target still enough.)
Then quickly move the target and hold it very still at about one foot away from the lens. Watch iSight focus.
Finally, move in to about six inches from iSight, and check focus there, too. (Holding the target still is more important as you get closer to iSight.)
This Users Tip by Ian Bickerstaff can give you clues for any application really "Look and sound good in iChat"
Other Info and Links
iSight Support info at Apple Links to Users Guide, Manual and many other topics on the External iSight.
Apple's iSight Firewire Connectivity FAQs
Apple's iSight Service FAQs
If you feel you have not understood or think you have not grasped something here or in the links so far try the iSight Discussion Forum
1:13 PM      Saturday; October 8, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Can't use LINE IN audio with iSight Camera on iMovie 08

I want to record a video, using the internal iSight camera of my iMac, but I want to use the "line in" audio instead of the internal microphone of my iMac. I have tried for hours, and done the obvious things (selecting "line in" under System Preferences). I can record audio perfectly using Sound Studio or other programs, so it's not like the Mac isn't getting the audio. The problem is convincing iMovie to accept the audio of the Line In rather than the internal microphone of the iSight camera.
Thanks to all who would reply.

I've had the same problem, and it seems that this is simply not possible in iMovie... Disappointed!
Instead, having set 'line in' as input under System Preferences, fire up Quicktime Player and choose New Movie Recording under the File menu.
The movie will be recorded using system sound input, i.e. line in. It can then be opened / imported in iMovie for editing et c.
This works for me with the built in iSight on an intel Penryn Macbook Pro.
hth,
/m

New iSight camera out of focus

I just received my new iSight external video camera which I am using on a Mac Pro. I have access to an internal iSight camera on an iMac. The internal camera works great. However, the external iSight is out of focus.
I have gone through all the Apple trouble shooting and contacted Apple support by phone. I have spent many hours on this problem. After completing this process the camera remains out of focus in iChat, iMovie and Skype. After reading several discussion groups I tried iGuess as it has a focus feature which is not available in iChat, iMovie or Skype. To my pleasant surprise the camera focused.
My conclusion (which differs from that of Apple Support) is that this is not a mechanical problem but a software problem. Am I correct? Will there be a software update to fix this problem?

Know anybody else with a Mac that you could check this iSight on? Know anybody else with an external iSight that you could try on your computer? Just to make sure it is, in fact, the software and not the camera?
Plus, since the camera's new, go through Apple Support again and if they still think that the camera's hosed, why not exchange it? (See about them sending you a new one with a prepaid shipping label to return the old one, so you're never iSightless).
A software update for what? iChat? iMovie? Skype? All of the above? These softwares all work for your internal camera. Not familiar with iGuess, but you might be manually (un)focusing to compensate for a possible mechanical problem.

Built in iSight camera quality

I have found that when I turn the built in iSight camera on my MacBook Pro for video through Yahoo, AIM or even Photo Booth, the auto setting results in an image which is too dark. When I put my thumb over the camera and let go, the image looks good until the auto white balance "corrects" the image and I'm back to a dark image.
Do I have a faulty camera, is it a faulty system, is there any adjustment I can make?
TIA

I find the internal iSight cameras, in both the MBPs and iMacs, have difficulty in many situations where lighting isn't perfect. So try increasing the available lighting, especially to your facial region. Additionally, try getting closer to your camera if you can. Sounds odd but I think part of the lighting calcluation is lighting from your display.

Internal iSight camera on, but LED is off... Hardware problem?

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