Lines in iSight Camera picture

Hello All!
I use my iSight with my Mac Mini. When, for example, I am on facetime or in photobooth, there are jumpy vertical red and blue lines. This just started happening out of no where.
Any suggested troubleshooting steps?
Thanks, Brandon

bmraxim wrote: ... Any suggested troubleshooting steps?...
How to test your external iSight to ensure it is functional
If your iSight works properly on other Macs when using the same connectors and/or cables, your mini's video card may need service by an authorized technician. However, if the video card is the cause, I would think that you would notice the problems in apps other than FaceTime or photo booth, too.
If the problem turns out to be the iSight itself, you might find having your old external iSight repaired to be more costly than buying a new Mac-compatible webcam. If your local retailer cannot help you, select a compatible camera from the alternatives listed in http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com/. Which you buy will depend on your budget and the camera feature you want. I suggest USB cameras to avoid Firewire's adapter requirements for recent Macs as well as Possible Hardware or Software Conflicts.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.10.3

Similar Messages

I 've had the newest iPad for about one week. Just started using face time..why does face time camera take pixelated pictures? The iSight camera pictures look fine.

I 've had the newest iPad for about one week. Just started using face time..why does face time camera take pixelated pictures? The iSight camera pictures look fine.

Kathleenfromks wrote: ...why does face time camera take pixelated pictures? ...
Because something is wrong.
You will need to troubleshoot to find out what needs to be fixed.
One of these suggestions may resolve your trouble.
FaceTime (and other video) quality problems can be caused by problems at either end of the connection. Unless your video callers' FaceTime connections work properly with everyone else but you, both parities to the video call should consider these possibilities.
(1) Restart your iPad and test again. Sometimes a simple restart fixes things.
(2) Use a fast broadband internet connection for best possible FaceTime video.
Broadband speed matters at BOTH ends, so you use something like http://speedtest.net/ to test both ends of your video connections.
Speeds less than 300 Kbps (up and down) at both ends are unlikely to give best results.
(3) Try from a different wi-fi connection.
If the problem is ONLY at your current location, restarting your internet connection may help. Shut down your iPad or turn Airplane Mode "on". Then check your cable connections, restart your modem and wireless access point, reconnect iPad to the wi-fi, and test again.
If the problem remains but ONLY at your current location, there may be a problem with your internet service. Contact your ISP for help.
(4) Always use as much light as possible for best images (including video) from your iPad.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
iPad2 iOS 5.1

Moving, color changing, vertical lines in iSight camera.

I am getting vertical lines when trying to use my rear camera/iSight camera on my ipad mini.
Is there any way to fix this, or do i need to take it in?

bmraxim wrote: ... Any suggested troubleshooting steps?...
How to test your external iSight to ensure it is functional
If your iSight works properly on other Macs when using the same connectors and/or cables, your mini's video card may need service by an authorized technician. However, if the video card is the cause, I would think that you would notice the problems in apps other than FaceTime or photo booth, too.
If the problem turns out to be the iSight itself, you might find having your old external iSight repaired to be more costly than buying a new Mac-compatible webcam. If your local retailer cannot help you, select a compatible camera from the alternatives listed in http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com/. Which you buy will depend on your budget and the camera feature you want. I suggest USB cameras to avoid Firewire's adapter requirements for recent Macs as well as Possible Hardware or Software Conflicts.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.10.3

Mid 2009 13" MBP iSight camera bad picture quality in photo booth

My daughter's stock mid 2009 13" MBP 2.26 ghz intel core two duo has a problem with the isight camera. The isight camera is built in to the screen. The isight camera works some of the time flawlessly and other times it comes out real grainy and with small colored pixels all over the screen like colored static (about 20% to 30% of the photo booth screen is affected but the rest of the screen outside of the photo booth app is unaffected). She only uses it in photo booth but we've tried the iChat app and the same thing happens there too, once she couldn't get the MBP to connect to the isight camera (it just showed a black photo booth screen), so she closed the lid of her MBP and reopened it and it worked. All of the software and firmware is up to date and we've tried resetting the PRAM and the SMC, it didn't do anything to fix the problem. It seems like there's a wire loose in the computer from the screen to the computer base, only because I can move the screen back and forth and the picture quality changes, the amount of static on the picture will move, go away or get worse. I had the screen changed in early 2010 (January or February) (the MBP was about 5 or 6 months old then) at the apple store under warranty due to dirt under the screen's glass (manufacturing defect). The photo booth picture static problem comes and goes, but here lately it comes more than it goes. The screen in general is in good shape and doesn't have any detectable problems with it, it has a good picture and no dead pixels, the problem seems to be only isolated to the isight camera. Can some one help with this problem? How long of a warranty is given on the warranty repairs (like the screen change they did in early 2010)? If apple does a repair on it and finds a wire that has rubbed the insulation off of it on a hinge causing a short and the isight problem, as a result of a sloppy repair from the first warranty repair, will they cover it under warranty again even if it's been over a year since they changed the screen? Also how honest will apple be if they do find out it is a problem caused from the first screen replacement, will they own up to their mistake? If I don't agree with apple's repair decision, can I get a second opinion from an outside source, third party, and if it's diagnosis different than apple's and can be proven, can I still get apple to do and pay for the repairs and labor if it turns out to be their fault from the first warranty screen replacement?
The reason why I'm asking is, I took my wife's white macbook in about a year ago for the famous cracked top cover replacement (under warranty) and when I got the computer back, the isight camera didn't work, so I gave it back, they took it apart a look at it and said there was nothing wrong with it and gave it back, then the screen wouldn't come on so after 4 hours at the Apple store they decided to send it to Austin, TX. for repairs (I'm in Ft. Worth TX.). Apple in Austin said it needed a new main board. They said the old one had water damage to it. We never had water anywhere near the computer, not even in the same room. It was working fine when we took it in, we took it in just to get the plastic top case, that cracks all of the time, replaced under warranty. And then they wanted us to pay for an $800 main board because some how while they were doing the top cover replacement it got water damaged. I argued with them and they finally gave me a one-time offer of them paying for half of the repair and labor or if I disagreed or left the store I would have to pay the whole amount if I chose to have the repairs done. So I ended up having to pay $467 for a year old macbook main board that was water damaged in their possession during their repairs. I like Apple and their products but I am worried about giving my daughter's MBP over to them for repairs because of this incident, it's an honesty issue with how honest they will be with what they find because they won't give back the old parts for analysis by a third party to verify their diagnosis.
Thanks for any info and advice anyone can give.

Hi,
As a personal note I find long posts like this hard to read if they are not broken up in to paragraphs.
As I say it is a personal thing.
I can give you some information about the camera and laptops over the past few years.
Basically in early Laptops of the MacBook Pro and MacBook range the cable did tend to fray at the point where it passed through the hinge. It did take a well used laptop that had the lid open and closed frequently to cause this. (your 2009 model might just be in that group - I have no firm dates or models I am afraid)
Later models have this rerouted so that this does not happen.
However the cable has then tended to get pulled from the camera end and become loose.
This On Line Self fix site has pages about some models (The one I have linked to may not be yours)
I have linked in to later pictures in the sequence but there are navigation points to work back to the start.
Note:- they use pretty specifc specialest tools as well in these pics.
Doing this would certail Void any Warranty you have left.
From Posts mainly in the iChat and the iSight areas I have gathered that it seems common for Apple to replace the Screen as a whole rather than fiddle with getting solely at the camera.
Apple has this article on Trouble Shooting an iSight
Basically it says try several apps then try logging in on another Mac User account to see if it is App based or User based or in fact System wide.
If System wide then resetting the SMC/PMU is the only suggested fix. (Which I did read you had done)
In addition to that I would add that testing should be done in different lighting conditions.
Lighting in the evening or dark that is good enough to read buy is not always good enough for the camera or is not illuminating the right areas.
Some people have reported that Starting the computer in Safe Mode (then Rebooting afterwards) seems to help. (it clears out some caches and starts up with reduced extensions)
As to actual Repairs and any Warranty that may still be in place I cannot say.
I can say that when people post about problems with repairs a certain stores someone else will tend to post that their experience was different.
You seem to report two different experiences with the two computers yourself.
10:24 PM Thursday; July 14, 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 (10.6.7),
"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

Taking a picture with iSight camera

I've heard of people taking pictures with their iSight camera remotely. Can anyone tell me the command to do this? Apple Support does not know how.
thanks,
Mike

I've heard of people taking pictures with their iSight camera remotely. Can anyone tell me the command to do this? Apple Support does not know how.
Welcome to discussions, Mike.
I think what you need is isightcapture:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/27190
Here are some examples:
http://www.macosxhints.com/search.php?query=isightcapture&mode=search&type=all&k eyType=all
Cole

Why won't my iSight camera take a picture of my debit card?

I work for a financial institution that will be setting up Apple Pay. Our Debit and Credit Cards are personalized in "flat print" not embossed. Are there limitations on the iSight camera that would prevent a cardholder from taking a picture of their flat printed debit or credit card during the enrollment process?

Malcolm, no it wasn't! Now it is! Now it works! Thank you so much!! I had disconnected everything to move the Mac to a new location and that's the only cable I forgot to plug back in.

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

External iSight camera (FireWire) acting flakey with Skype

My once reliable & rock-solid Apple iSight camera just started acting strange, sometimes it will provide picture perfect video and now suddenly when using Skype the picture has a venetian-blind effect with the video inverted upside down (interlacing on steroids). I am using the latest, greatest version of Skype, funny thing is when I go into the Prefs and check video the picture is perfect like in iChat, but when I connect with my parents their video comes through perfect but mine is scrambled. The camera maybe gets a maximum of 25 hours per year of use, but is now about 7 years old. Checked FW connections and rebooted, PRAM reset, etc. Any suggestions? Time to get a cheap USB webcam? Want to use iChat but no good for our connection (broadband) and Tiger/Leopard OS problems.

Hi,
I use a Advent 1.3Mp Int camera that I bought form the UK version of PC World
The Int bit stands for Interchangable fronts. It has a Mic as well.
It has a fold out bit to hook on to the top of laptops (it's not deep enough for a current iMac).
The cable fits into the base which makes it difficult to use as a free standing item.
The X-box 360 Camera works as it is UVC compliant as well but has no Mic.
With some older Macs that have USB 2.0 (Needed for UVC compliant cameras) on the computer/tower do not have USB 2.0 ports on the keyboard.
I have a USB 2.0 card added to my G4 tower.
Others http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com/
Generally speaking most USB cameras will be USB 2.0
In most cases but not all these will be UVC compliant (USB Video Class)
Vista in Windows onwards and Mac OS 10.4.9 onwards have UVC drivers so a "PC" camera does not need Mac Drivers.
The ones that are USB 2.0 only will need Drivers and these then get difficult to find (there were third party options for USB 1.1 cameras and you needed and Add on Utility for iChat)
Pay attention to the pixel descriptions.
Mine is 1.3 Megapixels (1280 X 960 pixels)
USB cameras seem to be mentioning 5Mp at present.
However iChat can only use 0.3 (640 X 480 pixels) max as can Photo Booth.
having said that Quicktime Pro (for your 10.5.8) and imovie could use the higher pixel format if you were going to do more with it with those apps.
Summary
UVC compliant is an absolute for a Mac nowadays.
This will need you to have a USB 2.0 port on the computer rather than the keyboard with slightly older Macs (Some Intels are included in this).
Any Camera that is marked "Vista Certified" or UVC compliant may not have the same features on a Mac that they advertise for a PC.
There is a wide variety out there with different pixel rates and you need to pick one to suit where you will use it most.
iChat and Photo Booth will use the pic at a sample rate of 640 X 480 (0.3Mp) (Not sure about Comic Book if it was Bundled with your Mac although it will see the camera).
Other apps mentioned above will see the full spec of the camera.
Hope this helps.
8:08 PM Wednesday; May 12, 2010
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Built-in iSight camera doesn't work all the time...?

This started on iChat... When starting a video conference I see a black picture, the green light turns on but my buddy only see's a video of herself and is still able to hear me. I tried opening the audio/video preferences and the preview is still black. I also tried opening photobooth and it shows a black picture as well. This only happens on occassions, it works most of the time but this problem seems to be occurring more often. I've tried all the troubleshooting listed but nothing seems to work..?

"I've tried all the troubleshooting listed but nothing seems to work..? "
Please list them. This will avoid the +"been there, done that"+ scenarios when users try to provide you with troubleshooting solutions.
Otherwise, +"since you've tried all the troubleshooting listed"+ then send your computer to your local AASP or contact AppleCare if you are still under warranty.
Tried everything in Article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2090 How to Troubleshoot iSight and this thread my isight camera is not working-not recognised with photo booth or ichat?

(Slow Network): iSight camera not working in iChat since Leopard upgrade

I have a different type of iChat video issue. My Power Mac G4, 867 MHz, 1 GB DRAM is a supported Mac for the Leopard upgrade. I've successfully installed OS 10.5.
Also my Power Mac meets the iChat Conferencing Requirements for 1-on-1 Video Chat per the OS 10.5 system requirements and the application note here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301050
My iSight camera is connected via Firewire to an Apple Cinema Display, which feeds back to the Power Mac G4.
1) When I boot from my 10.3.9 Carbon Copy Cloner backup my iSight works in iChat (at least locally to see myself) without any issue. Green light comes on and shows me locally on video and audio sound bars. Before the OS upgrade the iSight worked fine for live video conferences with iChat 2.1.3 under Mac OS 10.3.9
2) Running OS 10.5 when I go to iChat 4.0's preferences video pane the following message is waiting "This computer does not support video conferencing."
3) With Leopard iChat 4.0 the Connector Doctor under "capabilities" says "(Slow Network)" for 1-on-1 Video Chat and won't even show video locally or turn on the iSight's green light.

Fixed!
My Power Mac Quicksilver G4, 867 MHz. problem with (Slow Network) in the iChat Connection Doctor, no video preview or video iChat since upgrading to OS 10.5 Leopard and iChat 4.0 has been solved with the following posted towards the end of the thread below. I can finally see my video preview with iChat 4.0 and have also video chatted successfully with one other user.
Topic : Macbook - iChat says "This computer does not support video conferencing"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1197506
Fixed by Apple Article: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307035
Products affected
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
iChat
PowerPC-based Mac with a 867MHz processor
Solution
Quit iChat.
Open Terminal (it's in the Utilities folder, in the Applications folder).
In Terminal type or paste this command on a single line:
defaults write com.apple.iChat newbwdup 300000
Press Return.
Quit Terminal.
Open iChat.

External iSight cam not working with iChat

I've got an external iSight cam that was working fine in 10.5.8 with iChat - I'm using 10.6.1 now. Now when I open iChat, the camera stays off (no green light) and iChat video preview says that another application is using the camera so it's not available, which of course, is not true.
I've tried everything I know, but can't get it to work. The camera works with Skype, so I know it's functioning properly.
When I checked the Connection Doctor, under Network, it says that there's something in my network setup that is preventing video chats, but I haven't changed anything since upgrading to SL. I have a direct ethernet cable to my DSL modem/router - Covad. My wife's iChat works fine with her new LogiTech camera, and she's on the same home network/router.
Message was edited by: Macaroni108

Opps,
My head read that as MacBook Pro. Sorry.
Try Restarting the computer whilst Holding done the Apple (CMD)+ALT (OPTION)PR Keys until you have heard three start up Bongs.
Chax is an iChat Add-on.
Different version have done different things in the different iChat Versions.
There is only a Alpha test version of the one for Snow Leopard.
The iChat 4 version does not work in Snow Leopard/iChat 5 and that was why I was asking.
7:43 PM Monday; September 14, 2009
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

ISight Camera not working after Leopard install

On my 1st gen Intel 20" iMac, after the Leopard upgrade -- which went very smoothly -- my iSight camera no longer works. I have tried it in Photo Booth and iChat Video and it is the same in each, so it is the camera, apparently, not the application using it.
In the self-viewing screen on my iMac, I see myself for just a second or so, then I fade out quickly and there is nothing to see but black. If I shine a desk lamp in my face, then I can just barely see the outline of my image but the picture is mostly black. It seems like an exposure problem: the camera seems to adjust, shutting down as though I am very brightly lit but since I am not, it produces only a black picture.
I also have a 1st gen Intel white MacBook that I have also upgraded to Leopard. The iSight camera seems to work just fine on that computer. I tried out the video in Photo Booth and it worked great.
Any ideas?

Hi,
I too am having the same problem, and I'm using the old school iSight camera and immediately after installing Leopard, it won't work. I can't even power up the camera. It will power up for about 3 seconds then power down as fast as the little green light came on. It was fine about an hour before the 10.5 install. I powered down and unplugged everything for about 10 mins. then plugged it all back in, and still not working. So I am back to the drawing board trying to sort this out. If anyone has anymore thoughts on this, pls. chime in. All the suggestions seem to work for you folks after a little tweak. I even booted into OF mode and reset-nvram and reset-all for kicks to give it an even fresher start.
thanks!

Anyone know's how to make isight camera take snapshot for failed login attempts ?

I want my macbook pro to take pictures with the isight camera when someone has a failed login attempt ; anyone know of any programs and or apps ? I've searched all over & even called apple support and no luck.
Thanks !

Jkensuke wrote:
If I want to count the number of failed login attempts what might be the best course of action?
Off the top of my head I figure I could:
Have a session variable that counts up to number X
Have a cookie variable
Insert the users IP address into a database table for each failed attempt and when the form loads I check to make sure there aren't X number of strikes in the last 30 minutes.
A combination of those might be a good idea. Most hackers are, luckily, amateurs with one-track minds. Create a database table to log failed login attempts. For every failed attempt, log at least the datetime, IP, sessionID, username (which should be unique on your site), reason for failure and failure count.
In a query following a failed login, verify whether the IP, sessionID or username match any in the failed_login table, and, if so, whether the current datetime is within, say, 12 hours of the last failed login. If yes, increment the failure count by 1. If no, insert a new row in the table.
Use client-friendly messages to inform your visitors why their login fails. Study failed logins for common patterns. It just might be that you are the culprit, and that you have to improve your login design. There is one good reason for doing all that. Then you will know that those in your failed_login table really had it in for you.
If your site traffic is high, then consider archiving old data. Throw nothing away!

ISight Cam - - Problem and question (and an OS X Question)

I just recieved my Certified Reconditioned iMac G5 (17" 1.9 GHz). I am having one problem with my iSight camera that I noticed only on the third day of using it.
When I open an app like Photobooth, the picture from the camera is nice and colorful and bright, but if you watch it, it will grow darker and slightly blue-tinted. Is this an issue, from power or hardware???
Also, I would like to know if I could record videos without having to buy Quicktime Pro.
also, my mac came with OS 10.4.2, how do I upgrade it to 10.4.6?

The changing of the picture from the camera is most likely just the camera auto-adjusting to try and get the best possible image from the current light conditions. Most digital camera types have automatic modes that try to do things like that, and often they don't seem to be doing a very good job of it. Software intelligence isn't always the smartest thing in the world ...
As for upgrading 10.0.4.6, just run software update. You'll find it among the system preferences. (And you can always use Spotlight to search for it. Spotlight's smarter than the iSight fortunately

Lines in iSight Camera picture

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