Logitech Quickcam Sphere AF vs Unibrain Firewire Fire-i

I need to replace my broken Apple iSight webcam with one of similar quality. Can anyone advise on the quality and compatibility of either of the above, or suggestions for alternatives?

Welcome to Discussions, msaafi2
I don't use either camera you mention, but, depending on your specific needs, either camera you mention can work for you.
The "quality" of cameras is subjective, so I suggest that you do some local shopping to see how any candidate replacement cameras look to you. Having decided not to repair your iSight, you do not want to be surprised by the image or lack of features from a new camera that you might find very different from the iSight you used for a considerable time.
Ask for demonstrations of each camera of interest. Be sure to try every software application that you will use with the camera. In addition to giving you a look at the quality of the images that individual camera models, the demonstration can also give you a clear understanding of other considerations that may be important to you such as compatibility with the applications that you plan to use (for example, iMovie cannot record directly from any external USB camera), whether you will also need to buy a separate microphone, etc. What is important varies from user to user, so pick the one that meets your needs.
Others may be able to offer their impressions of the "quality" of the webcams about which you enquire. I suggest that you use such information as one input to your purchase decision rather than its sole basis.
Please let us know what you select and what apps you use with it. That info may help others who are also considering new webcams.
Cheers,
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight

Similar Messages

Logitech quickcam Sphere/Orbit compatibility problem

I'm having troubles to make JMF works with Logitech's Quikcam Orbit (known as 'Sphere' in Europe).
Oh, ok, this device is quite different from other ones as it is motion-capable.
- JMFInit, it 'freezes' on the capture device detection.
- I wonder if some logitech's driver such as motion control palete or something is not actually locking the device connection by JMF...
Anyone experienced using this cam with JMF??
Any consideration or idea (other TWAIN driver) ? (replacing the cam is NOT an allowed suggestion ;-) )
Thanks in advance, have a nice day...

I have succesfully used this camera with JMF under linux.
First, I've used this site to get the drivers to get it working on video4linux:
http://www.saillard.org/linux/pwc/
Then I started the jmstudio and did a scan for devices. After that, it worked, both in jmstudio and in a simple demo application I wrote. The only thing that does not work is the control of the pan and tilt motors.
If anyone's interested in getting those to work, let me know! :)

Logitech quickcam sphere AF

Hi
Does anyone know whether the installation software for this webcam is available for MAC OSX? The install CD says it can only be supported by Mac OS 9 (no earlier, no later versions). I have had this webcam for a while with a PC and am pretty pleased with it and would like to use it with my new mac. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance

Can't you simply "point" the camera manually so it looks straight at you or isn't the camera's lens wide enough angle? If you must control the camera, then you need to contact Logitech for info on available software. They do have a site for software updates that you can check.

Logitech Quickcam Vision Pro as a Flash webcam?

I need a webcam for my Mac Pro. I'm currently running Leopard but plan to upgrade to Snow Leopard soon. I'm looking at the Logitech Quickcam Vision Pro, but I've read reviews that say it works well in applications like iChat and Skype, but isn't recognized as a webcam by Adobe Flash Player for use on Flash chat websites like tinychat.com and stickam.com. I really need a webcam that is recognized and compatible with Flash Player.
Can anyone with a Logitech Quickcam Vision Pro confirm whether it works through Flash player on sites like tinychat or stickam? If not, can anyone recommend a webcam that works well on a Mac for Flash-driven sites like these?

Here is the list :
Reference: Logitech Webcams for Macintosh (OSX)
Question
In order to use a a webcam on your Mac OS X computer, your Logitech camera must be UVC (Universal Video Class) compliant. These standard UVC drivers are provided by the operating system and will provide minimal camera support only. This allows your webcam to operate on your Mac using third party Instant Messenging applications such as Yahoo IM and MSN. There is no support for other applications such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
Currently, Logitech does not provide additional webcam software drivers for Macintosh to allow advanced features such as RightLight, RightSound or Video Effects.
For updates on compatibility issues and driver support, please continue to check the Logitech Support Website for updates or click the "Notify me by E-Mail..." button located at the end of this article.
Answer
This article applies to the following products:
All UVC-compliant Webcams listed in the table below
This article applies to the following operating systems / platforms:
Macintosh OS X 10.4.9 - 10.5.2
The Logitech webcams listed below are UVC compliant and can be used with operating systems which fully support this standard, including Mac OS 10.4.9 and above.
Camera Name P/N
QuickCam Ultra Vision SE 860-00023
QuickCam Ultra Vision 861238
QuickCam Sphere MP 861305
QuickCam Fusion 861304
QuickCam Pro 5000 861306
QuickCam Pro 9000 861464
QuickCam Pro for Notebooks 860-000026
QuickCam for Notebooks Pro 861303
QuickCam Communicate MP (S5500) 860-000106
QuickCam Communicate Deluxe (S7500) 860-000107
QuickCam Communicate Deluxe 861235
QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks 860-000009
QuickCam Sphere AF 860-000063

Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro

OS: latest Lion 10.7.2
Issues:
The above webcam no longer has an audio channel when recording is done using the QuickTime application.
Switching over to the latest iMovie '11, when I click on the camcorder icon, it says "No camera connected"
Going to AboutThisMac>MoreInfo>Hardware>USB>LogitechCamera> says it is recognized by the OS at the device level.
Any ideas what is going on?

Here is the list :
Reference: Logitech Webcams for Macintosh (OSX)
Question
In order to use a a webcam on your Mac OS X computer, your Logitech camera must be UVC (Universal Video Class) compliant. These standard UVC drivers are provided by the operating system and will provide minimal camera support only. This allows your webcam to operate on your Mac using third party Instant Messenging applications such as Yahoo IM and MSN. There is no support for other applications such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro.
Currently, Logitech does not provide additional webcam software drivers for Macintosh to allow advanced features such as RightLight, RightSound or Video Effects.
For updates on compatibility issues and driver support, please continue to check the Logitech Support Website for updates or click the "Notify me by E-Mail..." button located at the end of this article.
Answer
This article applies to the following products:
All UVC-compliant Webcams listed in the table below
This article applies to the following operating systems / platforms:
Macintosh OS X 10.4.9 - 10.5.2
The Logitech webcams listed below are UVC compliant and can be used with operating systems which fully support this standard, including Mac OS 10.4.9 and above.
Camera Name P/N
QuickCam Ultra Vision SE 860-00023
QuickCam Ultra Vision 861238
QuickCam Sphere MP 861305
QuickCam Fusion 861304
QuickCam Pro 5000 861306
QuickCam Pro 9000 861464
QuickCam Pro for Notebooks 860-000026
QuickCam for Notebooks Pro 861303
QuickCam Communicate MP (S5500) 860-000106
QuickCam Communicate Deluxe (S7500) 860-000107
QuickCam Communicate Deluxe 861235
QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks 860-000009
QuickCam Sphere AF 860-000063

Using Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks with Mac..

Can I install the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks(new version) on my G4 Powerbook(OSX 4.11) ? I have read several posts from Mac people saying that this is possible BUT is there a CD included with the installation AND does that CD only work for the PC software ?
Would like to know before purchasing....
Thanks

I read Logitech's data page on this cam but it does not mention anything about Mac compatible although the info I saw from some Mac people suggested that that might be some silent agreement between them and the PC people.....
Here's the article I read under: http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/configs.html scrolled down to the Logitech data and found this under the QuickCam Pro for Notebooks:
Logitech QuickCam for NoteBooks PRO (New Version)
Important Note: Logitech Compatibility Information
The following Logitech QuickCams are currently available in two versions. Only the newer version is Mac-compatible (UVC compliant) (Unless otherwise noted.).
* QuickCam for NoteBooks PRO
* QuickCam Orbit MP/Sphere
* QuickCam PRO 5000
* QuickCam Ultra Vision
* QuickCam Fusion
Identifying the newer revision cameras:
The new models are labeled with the "Works with Windows Vista" logo, and also feature "RightLight 2" as one of the features.
Part Number (P/N): The compatible model/part numbers are listed on our camera guide. Unfortunately, the part number can only be found by opening the box.
Logitech provides the following table showing the new vs. old camera models. The cameras marked as "UVC Supt" are Mac-compatible.
Model: V-UAR38 861303-0000)
PID: 0x08CB Built-in Driver (Requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or higher)
iUSBCam is not required for Mac OS X 10.4.9 or higher

Logitech quickcam pro for notebook (black)

Does anybody know if logitech quickcam pro for notebooks work in mac osx 10.4.4?

Mark offers the succinct version. I, on the other hand..... What a long answer I am going to give to such a simple question!
As explained in iSight versus DV Camcorder or other web-cam, the answer to your question really depends upon the software you will use to drive the LOgitech QuickCam® for Notebooks Pro.
Your Mac can use webcams for many different applications. To be certain of success, check the system requirements and list of supported cameras for the application(s?) you intend to use. If you still have questions, contact the application software developer and ask him directly.
For instance, if you plan to use your webcam with iChat AV for video chat, you will see that Apple's Mac OS X 10.4: iChat AV system requirements call for a FireWire-based camera for video chat. However, a third party add-on called iChatUSBCam can allow the use of many USB cameras with iChat.
QuickCam® for Notebooks Pro is listed as one of those supported cameras on iChatUSBCam's camera guidepage, provided you use an additional Driver available from one of the two sources linked there.
If you have difficulty finding info about some other application, try searching Logitech's Product Support site for your camera choice and the Search Text "Mac" (without the quotation marks).
The search at Logitech's Product Support may answer your question. For instance, I checked for iPhoto compatibility and found this Answer:"Only the Logitech Pocket Digital 130 will work with iPhoto. This is because the Pocket Digital 130 actually acts as a storage drive with images saved on it. Our other web cameras do not function like that. They stream the images through the camera but they don't store them.
"To work around this, simply take a picture with your web camera and use our Quickcam software to save the picture to your system. You can then open the file in iPhoto and edit or use any other features to change the file."If you are still having difficulty, you can search Logitech's Product Support FAQs or their Knowledgebase, visit Logitech's own dedicated User Discussion Forums, or even email your question directly to Logitech for an official answer.

Logitech Quickcam cannot select video source

I have a Logitech QuickCam for notebooks Deluxe which is on the chart as compatible with iChatUSBcam. I downloaded macam(driver) and iChatUSBcam but am unable to get any other choice than "audio only" and "Screen View" when selecting "change video source" in the Video menu. iChat doesn't seem to recognize the camera (video). I can get audio from the mic.I am also able to get audio and video when macam app is open. I read that macam should be closed when opening iChat,and have done so. Any other help or suggestions please?

Hi Tim,
Follow this page to the Site mentioned
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/drivers/firewirewebcamdriver.html
It is not a link but IOXperts may have a link to OS 9 drivers
(I know the link I gave says Firewire but IOxperts do both)
As for actually Video chatting, that comes after OS 9 and I am not sure if anyone has written anything for OS 9
3:33 PM Monday; March 26, 2007

USB device (Logitech QuickCam Messenger) stopped working (SOLVED)

Hey there,
I have a logitech quickcam messenger, which used to work perfectly 2 days ago. I updated my system yesterday and this morning, but I tried the cam again only now, and neither cheese nor webcamstudio work anymore (it never worked in skype since I moved from Mint to Arch a few weeks ago, but that was easily (and better) addressed by starting cheese and then using desktop sharing in Skype)
The webcam is recognized
sammy@Cosmic-Bandito ~$ lsusb
Bus 001 Device 007: ID 046d:08da Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messanger
Bus 001 Device 006: ID 056a:00d4 Wacom Co., Ltd
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05e3:0608 Genesys Logic, Inc. USB-2.0 4-Port HUB [Hama]
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 046d:c513 Logitech, Inc. MX3000 Cordless Desktop Receiver
Bus 002 Device 002: ID 046d:c51a Logitech, Inc. MX Revolution/G7 Cordless Mouse
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
/dev/video and /dev/video0 are created.
cheese only shows a black window and spits out :
sammy@Cosmic-Bandito ~/Videos/Webcam$ cheese
libv4l2: error turning on stream: Input/output error
webcamstudio hangs when I try to start the preview and its output is :
libv4l2: error turning on stream: Input/output error
USB Camera (046d:08da) Error: BaseSrc: [v4l2src0],5, Error starting streaming on device '/dev/video0'.
EDIT: that's the output of dmesg when I reconnect the webcam (after having disconnected it obviously) :
[ 2216.282753] hub 1-1:1.0: state 7 ports 4 chg 0000 evt 0010
[ 2216.283231] hub 1-1:1.0: port 4, status 0101, change 0001, 12 Mb/s
[ 2216.387861] hub 1-1:1.0: debounce: port 4: total 100ms stable 100ms status 0x101
[ 2216.450867] usb 1-1.4: new full speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 11
[ 2216.462234] hub 1-1:1.0: port 4 not reset yet, waiting 10ms
[ 2216.537006] usb 1-1.4: ep0 maxpacket = 8
[ 2216.538992] usb 1-1.4: skipped 4 descriptors after interface
[ 2216.538994] usb 1-1.4: skipped 2 descriptors after interface
[ 2216.538996] usb 1-1.4: skipped 1 descriptor after endpoint
[ 2216.538998] usb 1-1.4: skipped 2 descriptors after interface
[ 2216.539000] usb 1-1.4: skipped 1 descriptor after endpoint
[ 2216.539006] usb 1-1.4: udev 11, busnum 1, minor = 10
[ 2216.539008] usb 1-1.4: New USB device found, idVendor=046d, idProduct=08da
[ 2216.539010] usb 1-1.4: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0, SerialNumber=0
[ 2216.539081] usb 1-1.4: usb_probe_device
[ 2216.539084] usb 1-1.4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 2216.539364] usb 1-1.4: adding 1-1.4:1.0 (config #1, interface 0)
[ 2216.539400] zc3xx 1-1.4:1.0: usb_probe_interface
[ 2216.539402] zc3xx 1-1.4:1.0: usb_probe_interface - got id
[ 2216.539404] gspca: probing 046d:08da
[ 2217.384009] zc3xx: probe 2wr ov vga 0x0000
[ 2217.407008] zc3xx: probe sensor -> 0011
[ 2217.407010] zc3xx: Find Sensor HV7131R(c)
[ 2217.407304] input: zc3xx as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:0b.1/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/input/input14
[ 2217.407372] gspca: video0 created
[ 2217.407374] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x82, buffer_len=8, interval=10
[ 2217.407381] usb 1-1.4: link qh8-0601/f6f9e240 start 5 [1/2 us]
[ 2217.407401] usb 1-1.4: adding 1-1.4:1.1 (config #1, interface 1)
[ 2217.407438] zc3xx 1-1.4:1.1: usb_probe_interface
[ 2217.407441] zc3xx 1-1.4:1.1: usb_probe_interface - got id
[ 2217.407443] gspca: probing 046d:08da
[ 2217.407455] snd-usb-audio 1-1.4:1.1: usb_probe_interface
[ 2217.407458] snd-usb-audio 1-1.4:1.1: usb_probe_interface - got id
[ 2217.410813] usb 1-1.4: adding 1-1.4:1.2 (config #1, interface 2)
[ 2217.410855] drivers/usb/core/inode.c: creating file '011'
EDIT 2: Just tried the webcam on another computer, and it works there. so it's not the hardware
any ideas? I'm pretty desperate, as this is the only way for me to keep in touch with my kids at the moment
Last edited by SammyF (2010-05-28 20:44:15)

SOLVED : really stupid problem, but well... I'll completement my post and leave it for anybody who might hit the same problem :
dmesg looked like this when after I started cheese :
[ 3815.848011] usb 1-1.4: unlink qh8-3008/ec236980 start 0 [1/2 us]
[ 3815.848995] gspca: found int in endpoint: 0x82, buffer_len=8, interval=10
[ 3815.849001] usb 1-1.4: link qh8-0601/f6848ec0 start 1 [1/2 us]
[ 3816.696230] zc3xx: probe 2wr ov vga 0x0000
[ 3816.917369] ehci_hcd 0000:00:0b.1: iso sched full f0049c00 (now 652 max 2700)
[ 3816.917377] gspca: bandwidth not wide enough - trying again
[ 3816.938010] gspca: no transfer endpoint found
The (not so obvious) solution was to connect the webcam directly to the computer and not through a USB hub. I have no idea why it used to work and suddenly stopped, but it works again now.
sorry to take up your time, in case I did.
Last edited by SammyF (2010-05-28 20:44:56)

JMF crashed with Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebook using latest driver.

JMF crashed with Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebook using latest driver
I can't register the webcam in JMF. WinXP crashed with Blue-screen-of-dead.
The crash occurs on installation of JMF when the installer tries to detect my capture devices.
Windows also crashes when i open the JMF Registry Editor and tell it to search for my capture devices.
I use a QuickCam Pro for Notenooks with driver version 11.80.1065.0000 on Windows XP with JMF 2.1.1e.
PS: I can use JMF to connect to other brand's webcam.
So, how to solve it?

So, how to solve it?JMF apparently doesn't work with that camera...so if you want to install JMF, you should unplug your Logitech cam. If that doesn't work, uninstall it.

Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000

Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000
This is a great cam, and now supported through the use of the UVC standard, but the most FPS I get out of it is around 5 frames per second....It's capable of up to 30 though.
I tried recording a video through the quicktime player in high definition. It defaulted to 1600x1200, and I still only 5fps. So my guess is that iChat is using the highest resolution setting and scaling it down to 320x240.
Any ideas?

I just bought this camera from Best Buy for my mother for Christmas.
I tried it out on my PM G5 (which already has an iSight plugged in) and I was BLOWN AWAY by the picture quality as my wife and I tested out the iChat AV video chat features with this and my MacBook's built in iSight.
So next I tried it out on my iBook 900mhz G3. Making sure that I was up to 10.4.11, I plugged it in andI thought everything was good.... at first. I got a picture but it was much smaller and surrounded by a black border. When I initiated a video chat that's where I saw a problem with the webcam connected to a G3 iBook. Whenever there was any motion on the cam we got a lot of pink horizontal distortion bars on screen. After pondering it I firmly believe it has to do with the G3 processor. When I hook it up to my mother's G4 eMac, I will let you guys know if that fixed it. Granted if you think about it, back when iChat AV first came out, in 2003 you could hook up a digital camcorder to a G4 but not a G3 and use that as your web cam.
But to all those out there that maybe are graphics pros with Power Mac G5's or Mac Pro's and need a web cam, I have to recommend this camera! My wife and I are seriously thinking about putting our iSight up on eBay and getting the going rate of $200 for it and replacing it with one of these Pro 9000's. Not a bad investment in 2003 when I bought it though huh?!

Logitech Quickcam Messenger no dice

So I have this logitech quickcam messenger, and suprise, its not working.
Anyway, i plug it in (USB), and several modules load, /dev/video0 is created, but other than that, no functionality.
Mostly when i try to run any video app I get (running motion):
[1] Failed to open video device /dev/video0: Device or resource busy
I can run cat /dev/video0 and get a lot of output streaming out, so thats a good sign. But I wonder is the device really busy or is the driver screwed up?
I'm using the quickcam_messenger module that autoloads when i plug it in.
I've also tried qcmessenger and gspca_zc3xx modules to no avail.
output of lsmod:
Module Size Used by
quickcam_messenger 14480 0
usbvideo 24196 1 quickcam_messenger
compat_ioctl32 8960 1 usbvideo
videodev 33920 2 usbvideo,compat_ioctl32
v4l1_compat 13828 1 videodev
it87 24216 0
hwmon_vid 3712 1 it87
ext3 122128 1
jbd 48552 1 ext3
mbcache 8708 1 ext3
xfs 473616 1
joydev 12784 0
snd_usb_audio 89392 0
snd_usb_lib 16896 1 snd_usb_audio
snd_rawmidi 21408 1 snd_usb_lib
usbhid 43344 0
hid 33412 1 usbhid
ff_memless 6024 1 usbhid
running standard arch kernel 2.6.27 and yes my user is in the video group
I've searched google quite a bit and i've run out of ideas...so any help would be much appreciated!
Last edited by Evanlec (2008-10-30 00:24:18)

Old topic, but case is up to date.
I was struggling with my own older Logitech camera Quickcam Pro. Apparently I bought the wrong one, but finally I set it up with limited functionality.
Of course the problem was the driver. No pwc, no linux-uvc and not even spca5xx. I had to compile new driver module with nw802. Actually mine was nw801, but I just had to edit one file before compilation, apply some patches, insert this module and now it works.
Please do some researches and specify correct driver for your webcam using ProductID. Logitech webcams have varied set of drivers. :-)

Quick Capture and iChat AV do not recognize the Logitech QuickCam

I use Tiger system, and iChatAV and Quick Capture do not recognize Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Pro. Is it supposed to?? The camera is on, everything connected up OK, but no results.

You may find more users familiar with this problem in the iChat AV forum.
Do you have a G3 Dual USB iBook? That is the forum in which you have posted.

Installation of Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 on iBook G4 (MAC OS X 10.3.9)

Hi iBook friends,
I am writing from Munich, Germany. I just got my first webcam and I am a bit lost...
I got the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and I have no idea how to install it...
Can somebody give me a hand?
Thank you very much!

Hi, this is a relatively good webcam but on a Mac, some of the features will not function without software. First of all, the software for this cam is written for PC only, but the camera will operate pretty well without it.
You will need to upgrade to OS X 10.4.9 or higher, or download and install "ichatUSBCam" at this link... http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12294
10.4.9 and 10.4.10 will recognize the cam natively.
All the cool features like snapshots, auto-focus, face tracking, etc... will not be available without the PC only software. I contacted Logitech about the auto-focus not working and they told me that the Pro 9000 has internal hardware that requires software control.
I have found the focus to not be a problem as almost everything is in focus anyway.
This cam is very sharp, very high resolution and auto-exposure and color balance seem to work great.
Hope this helps,
Pete

Help- Using IChat 4.0.5 with Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro w/Mac Pro 10.5.4

Our only child just went away to college, so we bought a Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro because it was supposed to be plug and play. He has a MacBook with the built-in iSight camera. We have a Mac Pro, so had to buy something in order to be able to communicate using visual/audio over iChat. I chose the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro because it was made specifically for Macs and was supposed to be plug and play. It had good ratings, as well, and since the original iSight camera wasn't available anymore...
We tried communicating tonight, and he couldn't see us at all, but could sometimes hear us. We could see him, but not hear him at all. Both of us are on broadband connections. He is using Tiger and we're using Leopard.
So, I tried communicating with a friend using a G5 Mac who had an iSight camera and running Leopard. She was able to see and hear me, but I could only see her, not hear her. We went through all my preference settings, using text messaging, and they all seemed to be fine. She suggested that I call Logitech, which I did.
The guy I spoke with at Logitech had me go through all my settings, and he said they were fine. It appears that the camera is sending video and audio, but I can only receive video, but not audio. I tried using headphones, internal speakers, and external speakers (plugged into the headphone jack). No joy.
Any eye deers?

Hi
First have you set the Quicktime streaming setting, goto sys prefs/quicktime/streaming/streaming speed, set to 1.5mbps
In ichats prefs click on video and change bandwidth limit to 500.
Restart iChat.
Tony

Logitech Quickcam Sphere AF vs Unibrain Firewire Fire-i

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