Standalone iSight and Snow Leopard

Question

I have a Mac Mini with Snow Leopard installed on it and an Apple Display that doesn't have a built-in camera, so I thought I would buy one of those iSight cameras (through Ebay) to be able to use it through Skype and iChat.
Could anyone please tell me whether a standalone iSight (1) would work on Snow Leopard, and (2) with the 800 firewire port (I have 400-to-800 adapter). Thank you.

Answer 1

nycgraphiste wrote:
Thank you for your responses. Sorry I couldn't get back to you any sooner.
NP
So if I'm getting this right, not all of the iSight cameras work, ...
You are correct.
No broken iSight works. Your problem is how to find out whether one is broken before you buy it.
The issue for me is that external iSights are NOT rugged devices, and you have no idea how it was treated or used during its existence. Moreover, all external iSights are now old (by consumer electronics standards,) and they no longer covered by Apple Warranty. 
Therefore, unless you can physically test or have an Apple Technician check any external iSight before you buy it, you are at the mercy of the seller if the one you buy does not work for you.
... only the ones with the updated firmware, is that so?
Not so.
Firmware Updates do NOT enable external iSight, they only "Improve" performance. Regardless of any Firewire iSight's Firmware (Product Revision) level, external iSight ought to function. If not, the iSight, cables, connections, your Mac, or your Mac's software that operates iSight requires service.
To test and troubleshoot any external iSight, you can use the suggestions in "How to test your iSight to ensure it is functional":
  http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
If let's say I get one with the old firmware will I able to update it through the Software Update ...?
Probably not with a Snow Leopard Mac.
If you decide to buy an external iSight, and if you need to apply the Firmware 1.0.3 updater but your Mac's Software Update... does not work, my suggestions on how to do it are at
  http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10084429&#10084429
And what does it mean “if you can find one that works?”
It means what the standard US English words say. As noted above, unless you or your Apple Technician can check a particular iSight, you do not know that it works.
What's UVC webcam?
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USBvideo_deviceclass
I might look into other cameras, but ...
Any working UVC webcam can work for you. More features and quality cost more, so buy what is prudent for your budget and needs.
If you are interested in saving money and already have one, any Mac-compatible, Firewire-connected, mini-DV camcorder can function as your webcam.
What do you think?
In addition to my thoughts already posted here, see this user tip:
  http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2018211
I agree with most of the comments and references there.
All I need it for is ... Skype...
For dedicated use with Skype, sort for the Macintosh-compatible webcams that Skype sells:
  http://shop.skype.com/webcams/
They should certainly work well with Skype, so you might want to consider one of those.
With your 10.6.x Mac, should you eventually decide to try some other webcam video things, many of the other apps listed in the following link can also work with the webcam you buy:
  http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage7.html
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.2)  MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.2)
LED Cinema Display  G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11)  iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9)  External iSight