Use external isight camera instead of built-in isight

Is it possible to have an external isight camera be default instead of the built-in camera at the top of the monitor? I'd like to use the external camera, which is more portable than the monitor, with such programs as Skype, but -(on Skype at least) I'm not given the option to choose anything except the built-in iSight cam. Can the external iSight be the default cam?
Thanks.
Lee

Not to sure if an external webcam (iSight) can be the "default" webcam. Usually, the video app gives you choices of which webcam to use.

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IChat using external iSight on iMac 24" 2009

iChat using external iSight on iMac 24" 2009
I'm trying to use an external iSight camera in iChat instead of the built-in one but when connected iChat just gives a beach ball. Searching for similar issues mentions that both cameras should be available in the prefs. I wonder if this is still the case with a current iMac. I'm using a Lacie FW 400 to 800 cable.

Here are some options you can consider, m4rtin
(1) If your Firewire port doesn't see any Firewire device with any cable, reset your Mac's Firewire using the process in http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1317
(2) When you get your System Profiler showing your FW devices again, if you still have problems and are daisy chaining your external iSight with another FW device, remove the intermediate device(s) and test external iSight again when it is connect directly.
(3) As explained in this post, your LaCie cable may be the problem:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9496353&#9496353
The simplest way I can suggest to test this is to try a different brand of cable. The search that Ralph suggests will show you that both Belkin and NewEgg have been reported as working to connect external iSight with FW800 Macs.
(4) Alternatively, you can use your old, known-working FW400 cable if you use a 800 -> 400 adapter
like one of these to connect your new Mac to your existing cables:
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/fw_adapter.html, or
http://tinyurl.com/cgll7o
EZ Jim
G5 DP 1.8GHz w/Mac OS X (10.5.7) PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

Using External iSight camera instead of built-in with iMovie

I have a MacBook Pro with built in iSight as well as an external iSight camera. I want to shoot some instructional knitting videos with the external camera, holding it over the shoulder of the knitting instructor while she discusses what she is doing. When I go to iMovie, I only see the option of using my built-in iSight. How can I work around this and use the external camera? Thanks for your help with this!

Judith Augustine1 wrote:
I have a MacBook Pro with built in iSight as well as an external iSight camera. I want to shoot some instructional knitting videos with the external camera, holding it over the shoulder of the knitting instructor while she discusses what she is doing. When I go to iMovie, I only see the option of using my built-in iSight. How can I work around this and use the external camera? Thanks for your help with this!
Welcome to Discussions,
Your external iSight must be connected and turned on before it can work with iMovie.
You can test whether your external iSight is working by using the suggestions here:
http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
When your external iSight is working, you can select it as explained in this iMovie Help article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/8.0/en/10172.html
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

Trouble using external iSight with MacBook Pro (which has built in camera)

Hey Jim,
Have a question for you. I have a new MacBook Pro 17". I also have a 23" Cinema Display, and a left over Firewire external iSight camera (which I used to love).
Frequently I "dock" my MBP with my 23". I either use the dual-screen between the two, or I close the lid on the MBP, let it go to sleep, then wake it back up with a BT keyboard or mouse, letting it go to a single-screen mode on only the 23" Cinema Display.
So, I'm trying to use my external Firewire iSight with my MBP, and I'm getting mixed results -- the best of which is where I am getting some video with regular, occasional freezes with the picture being split (like a v-hold problem on an old TV). After a pause it goes back to smooth video.
I guess primarily, I'm wanting to know what the world of two iSights (FW and built-in) look like, and can they work together? I cannot for the life of me get this FW iSight to work consistently, but I know it works perfectly in another G5 tower (which has no built-in camera).
Any suggestions or guidance?

Hello Exivus
... two iSights (FW and built-in) ... can they work together?
You can have two iSights connected at one time, but, as explained in Apple's iSight "Your camera is in use by another application" message, iSight can be used by only one application at a time. (my emphasis)
Different apps select between multiple connected cameras in different ways. For instance, iChat > Preferences... > Video settings can select which camera to use with the iChat app, but iMovie 6 uses a drop-down menu as shown in this picture:
The suggestions in How to Troubleshoot iSight should help you determine whether one of your iSights is causing trouble. I suggest you test each one separately and without your external display or other peripherals to rule out possible conflicts.
After you are certain that your iSights are working individually, test them when both are connected. After your system successfully passes these tests, you can add your external devices back one-by-one to be sure one of them is not causing the problem.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1) External iSight

Using external isight camera with imac intel

is there a procedure to use my 'old' portable isight camera with my new imac intel?

i did some tests and here's how is is done:
plug in the FW external isight camera; open SKYPE and prior to calling on SKYPE; go to preferences.; go to 'video' and there NOW two selections 'built-in isight' and 'isight'; select 'isight' and that will be the camera you will using once you make the SKYPE call; HOWEVER if you want to switch back to the 'built-in isight' you have to 'hang up'; go back to preferences and select 'built-in isight' and re-make the call. BTW Apple care in the far far east was next to no help. maybe apple care will read this post and then THEY TOO will have the answer.

Huge problems using external iSight or DV video camera on my MPB DCD...

Ok, so I am developing some applications that make use of a video camera for motion tracking, and I have run into a huge problem when trying to use any external video camera. I have both an external iSight in great working order (I have tested it on my tower, which is also brand new, but on 10.4 for reasons of other applications not yet supported on 10.5.1) and also a Sony DCR-TRV520 NTSC Digital Handycam. (Once again, works perfectly when plugged in to the tower.) But if I plug either of them in to my MBP, no programs recognize their existence at all, be it iChat, iMovie, or my application. Nothing shows up in system profiler either. I try reboots, I get nothing... the internal iSight constantly takes over or is my only choice in applications.
And before you even ask, yes, my firewire port works, as I can plug my external firewire solo audio interface into it no problems, and no, I don't have any other firewire devices plugged in when trying to get the computer to recognize they are there.
Quick response would be awesome, as I am on a timeline to finish the program development and it is very important that I get this to work, preferably the Sony.

I just read this in their Forum mate ...
Cycling 74 has not yet finished evaluating Mac OS 10.5, aka Leopard.
As with any new OS, you are advised to tread cautiously if you are
considering updating. We are interested in hearing any and all reports
from users, and at some later date we shall publish full details of
our compatibility. Until that time use of our software on Leopard is unsupported.
If you wish to make reports of your experience with Leopard, please send them to support at cycling74 dot com

Want to try and communicate via skype using external isight, but ichat kicks in everytime i plug in. any advice welcome

Hi, i am trying to set up with Skype using an external isight camera, but everytime i plug in Ichat keeps kicking in. Tried it on my os 10.4, 10.5.5 and 10.5.8 .. 10.5.5 Skype seems to not want to work at all, but the other 2, the problem seems to be with ichat bursting in whenever the camera is plugged in. thanks in advance for any help.

Hi,
In older versions of iChat there is a setting in iChat > Preferences > Video that enables the App to Start when an External camera is plugged in.
This can be unticked to stop this action launching the app.
As for Skype not working in some OS versions you may have to pay attention to the version of Skype that can be used.
I don't use Skype and have not kept abreast of the changes and how they might apply to the different versions of the OS.
8:43 pm Friday; September 20, 2013
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.4)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Trouble using external iSight with MacBook Pro

So I bought a macbook pro and 23inch external display, decided to go on ebay and get an isight camera, found one brand new in the box....the problem Im having now is it will not work for audio, video works just fine but no audio, I have set up the proper resources but no dice, is this an issue or is it the isight?

Hello Russell Wittmann
So external iSight can give both audio and video if the application you are using to operate the iSight supports both functions. Many applications have preferences or menu items that can effect iSight operation, so check your settings.
Connect your iSight directly to your Mac and use the suggestions in How to test your (external) iSight to ensure it is functional. If you continue to have problems, the suggestions on that page will help you troubleshoot to find the source of your problem and fix anything that is user-correctable.
There are no user-serviceable parts in iSight, so if everything you can do fails, your iSight will need professional service unless you can exchange it for one that works. If the external iSight you bought on eBay is not covered by warranty from either Apple or the seller, see your local Apple Service Provider for service.
If your iSight needs parts that you or your Service Technician cannot locate, http://www.synaptech.com may be able to help you obtain those that are still available.
If your iSight needs service but you do not have access to an Apple Service Provider, see Apple's iSight Service: Frequently Asked Questions to request service directly from Apple.
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

Using External iSight with MacBook Pro / iMac.

Posted in both forums.
Internal iSight is great, but the external iSight offers so much more flexability, and been able to position the camera where you want it is much better than tilting the screen and moving the computer.
So can you use external camera's with the MacBook Pro's and iMac's?
*nathan

Great! Thats awesome.
Have you tried it? If so, does the Mac automaticlly switch to the external iSight, or do you get an option to choose between internal and external.
Thanks,
*nathan

Using external iSight with MacBook Pro crashes iChat

I use my Macbook Pro in clamshell mode with an external display. I bought an external iSight so that I could use iChat AV. I have the appropriate adapter to convert the Firewire 400 cable to Firewire 800 which is compatible with my '09 MBP 17" (2.8GHz).
Every time I connect the iSight, iChat will launch, and then will crash (SPWoD). I can not recover unless I disconnect the iSight, at which point iChat is able to fully launch.
I tired changing both iChat and Photobooth to 32-bit mode (hint from another thread), but that did not help.
As a test, I connected the iSight to an iMac with both FW400 and FW800 and the iSight works perfectly with either connection. iChat AV then allows me to then select which camera I want to use in its preferences.
Both my Macbook Pro and the iMac are on OS X 10.6.2. iChat crashes regardless of if I am using the MacBook Pro in clamshell mode or not.
TIA.

bryanus wrote:
Sorry, I answered with my iPod tough. I guess it didn't translate the way I wanted it to.
Here are my answers ...
Thanks for that info, bryanus
Between this info and your latest response to Ralph, there are so many possibilities that I cannot yet identify the source of your problem. More troubleshooting is needed to identify the cause so we know what to fix.
Your used iSight may be causing the problem. Because it is easiest to troubleshoot, I suggest you test the external iSight next. The following will either eliminate your external iSight as the cause of your problem or let you know whether it will require professional service.
If the testing I suggest below shows that the problem is related to iChat ONLY, stop the testing I suggest and follow Ralph's expert suggestions for troubleshooting and correcting iChat.
Don't worry about the "clamshell mode" issues at this time. Until you get your external iSight working reliably with your MBP, keep the external display disconnected.
Additionally, to eliminate possible network problems as a contributor to your problem, when testing (internet) connected apps like iChat, use the same ethernet connection when you test both Macs. Even use the same ethernet cable (no wireless) connection to all Macs.
Also, to test problems with launching iChat, _disconnect both Macs from the network_ to see if iChat will launch properly with a connected external iSight but no internet or network connection.
You have already done some excellent testing, but you can use the additional suggestions from the following link (including other subject links on that page) to test the remaining user-correctable possibilities:
http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/EZJim/EZJimpage4.html
Pay particular attention to *possible conflicts*, testing with more than one cable and/or adapter, and testing the external iSight on more than one Mac. If possible, it would be also good to use your same cable and FW Adapter to test your MBP's function with a different and known-good external iSight. If you have no other access to a working external iSight, your local Apple-Authorized Service Provider may be have one that he can use to check your MBP connection.
If your external iSight can connect reliably to other Macs, or if a different, known-working, external iSight also gives trouble on your MBP, the problem must be either in your MBP's physical Firewire connection port or in the software on your MBP.
Unless you find a fix while trying the above, we can offer suggestions for the particular problem(s) you identify based on your troubleshooting, so give as much detail as you can about your findings when you post back.
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

Recording video using external iSight and audio using wired input

I would like to be able to record video using an external iSight camera I have from my old powerbook, but I don't want the audio to record through the internal microphone...I want it to record through a wired input coming off a mixer...is this possible?

Welcome to iMovie Discussions.
"..is this possible?.." ..I don't think so. By connecting an external FireWire iSight camera, iMovie expects both the vision and the sound to come in down the same FireWire cable.
If you need to use a separate audio input, you may be able to do it by connecting a FireWire-capable camcorder (..a tape-based miniDV or HDV camcorder which uses a FireWire connection to attach to a Mac..) and then feeding your mixer's output to the camcorder's external-mic input ..at very low volume, of course, so that you don't wreck the camcorder's input.
This entails using a camcorder which does have an external-mic (or line) input. That way, the picture from the camcorder will go straight into iMovie, as will the audio which is being fed into the camcorder ..thus both reaching iMovie via the camera's FireWire connection.

External Microphone when using (external) iSight

I recently got an external iSight for my MacPro. I bought the iSight so I could record videos through iMovie directly on my computer. I usually do covers of music, or related to music videos, so I use an external microphone. It's a M-Audio Producer USB. It's plugged in into the side of my Apple Keyboard, and in every application, the external microphone works. Except for iMovie.
When I try to record a video directly from iMovie using my external iSight, iMove decides to use the iSight's built-in microphone to record the audio, even though I have an external microphone plugged in. In System Preferences, the Producer USB is chosen as the main input for audio coming in. And in iMovie, the Producer USB is also chosen as the microphone in the VoiceOver section. Even with these two options pointin to the Producer USB for audio, iMovie still records audio using the built-in microphone on the external iSight.
Does anyone know why this is happening? And how I may be able to fix it? My music covers have come to a halt because of this D:
Thanks!

Hi Appleman & David B.
Thanks for your answers. I think David has a point... - that the program could be secured against feedback - consequently! Since it's not made for music recording. (even though using headphones normally solves that problem, right?).
Not a word about this issue in the support menu, and I've checked the system preferences>sound several times.
I'll see if I can find a small mixer somewhere. That sounds like the right solution.
Yes, I ran into the same problem in GarageBand, but changing the feedback-settings at the right side, solved that problem
Kind regards
Kenneth Hermansen/Copenhagen NV.

Trying to use USB web cam instead of iSight but iMovie won't switch

Hi, everyone. I need to record voice and video from people sitting at right angles to the computer, so I can't use the built in iSight in my monitor. I bought a Mac compatible Logitech QuickCam VisionPro with USB cable, but I can't get iMovie to use it instead of the iSight. The System Profiler shows the Logitech camera listed under USB devices, but when I try to Import video in iMovie, I only have the Built-in iSight to choose from for cameras. Is there anyway to do this? Or do I need a different camera? Or can I use another program to record the video/audio, and then import that into iMovie? I don't need to do any editing, just burn DVDs with iDVD. Thanks in advance...

I had the same problem, cos sometimes imovie won't let you add more titles when you try to take them straight from the title menu. I happened to me mostly when the clip itself is quite short. While imovie won't let you overlay several titles, you surely can have several titles, one after the other, in your project. To do this, I used a little trick: Add some small clip to the end of your project. Doesn't matter what, you're gonna delete it again anyway. You can then add another title to this additional clip. Then you just drag this title from there to your actual clip and place it where you want it. And then you do the next one(s) the same way until you have all your titles where you want them. At the end you just delete the "helping" clip again. It might be a bit complicated way of doing things, but it worked for me.

How to use a bluetooth dongle instead of built-in BT?

Just got an "Ultra Long Range Industrial" bluetooth dongle (BTD Bluetooth Dongle BT-6610). I want to use it instead of the built-in bluetooth because it has a much longer range.
How do I disable the built in bluetooth and enable the BT-6610?
The dongle shows up:
USB Bus:
Host Controller Location:          Built-in USB
Host Controller Driver:          AppleUSBOHCI
PCI Device ID:          0x0aa7
PCI Revision ID:          0x00b1
PCI Vendor ID:          0x10de
Bus Number:          0x06
Bolutek BTD-6610:
Product ID:          0x0001
Vendor ID:          0x0a12 (Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd.)
Version:          59.41
Speed:          Up to 12 Mb/sec
Manufacturer:          Bolutek Technology Co.,Ltd.
Location ID:          0x06200000
Current Available (mA):          500
Current Required (mA):          200
BRCM2046 Hub:
Product ID:          0x4500
Vendor ID:          0x0a5c (Broadcom Corp.)
Version:           1.00
Speed:          Up to 12 Mb/sec
Manufacturer:          Apple Inc.
Location ID:          0x06100000
Current Available (mA):          500
Current Required (mA):          0
Bluetooth USB Host Controller:
Product ID:          0x8217
Vendor ID:          0x05ac (Apple Inc.)
Version:           1.80
Serial Number:          xxxxxxxxx
Speed:          Up to 12 Mb/sec
Manufacturer:          Apple Inc.
Location ID:          0x06110000
Current Available (mA):          500
Current Required (mA):          0
Here are my bluetooth setting:
Apple Bluetooth Software Version:          2.4.0f1
Hardware Settings:
Address:          xx-xx-xx-xx-xx-xx
Manufacturer:          Cambridge Silicon Radio
Name:          billbarnes
Firmware Version:          5941
Bluetooth Power:          On
Discoverable:          No
Vendor ID:          0
Product ID:          0x1
HCI Version:          4 (0x4)
HCI Revision:          5941 (0x1735)
LMP Version:          4 (0x4)
LMP Subversion:          5941 (0x1735)
Device Type (Major):          Computer
Device Type (Complete):          Macintosh Portable
Composite Class Of Device:          3670284 (0x38010c)
Device Class (Major):          1 (0x1)
Device Class (Minor):          3 (0x3)
Service Class:          448 (0x1c0)
Requires Authentication:          No
Services:
Bluetooth File Transfer:
Folder other devices can browse:          ~/Public
Requires Authentication:          Yes
State:          Enabled
Bluetooth File Exchange:
Folder for accepted items:          ~/Downloads
Requires Authentication:          Yes
When other items are accepted:          Ask
When PIM items are accepted:          Ask
When receiving items:          Prompt for each file
State:          Enabled
Devices (Paired, Favorites, etc)
Manufacturer:          Cambridge Silicon Radio (0x3, 0x10db)
Incoming Serial Ports:
Serial Port 1:
Name:          Bluetooth-PDA-Sync
RFCOMM Channel:          3
Requires Authentication:          No
Outgoing Serial Ports:
Serial Port 1:
Address:
Name:          Bluetooth-Modem
RFCOMM Channel:          0
Requires Authentication:          No

Hi X42:
Your last paragraph intrigued me as I had the same impression:
I thought unlicensed BT devices were legally limited by the FCC to about 30 feet (3 meters)
Actually, 30 feet is 10 meters.
Anyway, I researched and found this as part of a Wikipedia item:
Bluetooth is a standard wire-replacement communications protocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a short range (power-class-dependent, but effective ranges vary in practice; see table below) based on low-cost transceiver microchips in each device.[7] Because the devices use a radio (broadcast) communications system, they do not have to be in visual line of sight of each other, however a quasi optical wireless path must be viable.[2]
Class
Maximum Permitted Power
Range
(approximate)
mW
dBm
Class 1
100
20
~100 meters
Class 2
2.5
4
~10 meters
Class 3
1
0
~5 meter
The effective range varies due to propagation conditions, material coverage, production sample variations, antenna configurations and battery conditions. In most cases the effective range of class 2 devices is extended if they connect to a class 1 transceiver, compared to a pure class 2 network. This is accomplished by the higher sensitivity and transmission power of Class 1 devices.[8]
Apparently there are BT devices that will transmit about 300 feet. I did look at the FCC site, but quickly became confused in the technbabble.
Barry

Does Adobe have a product that archives existing photos by using a digital camera instead of a scanner?

Similar to what the app "Heirloom" does?

No, Aperture does not have Speckle filters. But your white spots and lines are not exactly Speckle noise. For a real Speckle noise (Salt and Pepper) you would have very dark spots as well.
In Aperture you could try to reduce the white spots and lines by applying the smoothing brush selectively to the darker areas, but that will only soften the spots, not remove them completely. Or use the "Repair" tool to remove the spots.
One filter that works well with small, bright spots is the median filter, but that is missing in Aperture. In Photoshop or similar external editors you can use the filter "Expend dark areas" (I am not sure how this filter is called in the english version - my Photoshop has german menus). This will shrink the white spots and white lines by expanding the darker regions. You need to set the radius to half of the size of the spots.
Regards
Léonie

Use external isight camera instead of built-in isight

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