Using an external iSight

I currently have a PowerBook that I connect to a 23” Apple display and atop my display sits my external iSight, we can call that “desktop mode.” I’m thinking about buying a MacBook and had a question regarding the use of the internal vs. the external iSight. If I hook the MacBook up in “desktop mode”, would iChat, for example, give me an option as to which iSight I want to use as my video source? I do realize that the external display has no real barring on whether or not I will be presented with a “video source” option. I just thought I’d through that in there to help give a better picture of my “setup” because I didn’t want someone asking “why are you connecting an iSight to a MacBook if it already has one built-in. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks guys…
17" PowerBook G4 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I see the "MacBook" is not yet listed under the "What is your current computer?" pop-up list here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/powerbook.html
I seem to remember this being mentioned once before somewhere, but I'll see if I can't stir things up again.
-Doug

Similar Messages

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

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

Can I use an iMac G5 (with built-in iSight) with an external iSight as well

I like the built-in iSight for chat and video conferencing but I need to use an external webcam for capturing objects.
Can I use an external iSight with my iMac with built-in iSight?

Yes

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.

External iSight no longer recognized, built-in iSight works - how to fix?

I have a new MacBook Pro with Leopard and both the built-in iSight and my external iSight were recognized and I could switch between them. This past week or so my external iSight became no longer recognized even after unplugging and re-plugging in. When I plug it into the Firewire port, the green light goes on and it makes a whirring sound, but my computer does not recognize it in iChat, in PhotoBooth, nor in iMovie. I repaired permissions and it still doesn't get recognized in any applications. Is there a setting someplace that needs resetting? Or do I need to bring it into the Apple store for technical help?
Richard

Hello Richard
I wonder how many others have this problem?
A search or look through iSight Discussions will show you that a few of the many users of external iSight have reported problems using their Firewire iSights with MacBook Pro. I will leave it to you to try to determine whether that might be because few external iSight users have problems, few have MacBook Pros, or few use their external iSights with their MacBook Pros.
I agree that the system should allow both to co-exist.
Any other suggestions before I go to the Apple Genius folks?
If you have already considered all the suggestions about cables, connections, Firewire ports, possible conflicts, and the relevant suggestions in Apple's How to Troubleshoot iSight without success, you can also try the following:
• Backup your Home Folder, or at very least, your important files.
• Repair permissions. (Click here if you need help.)
• Then download and apply the Mac OS X 10.5.2 Combo Update.
• Finish with another Permissions Repair, and then check your iSight again.
Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates.
Please let us know how it goes.
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.

External iSight not working on my intel iMac

I have a few reasons to want to use my external iSight instead of the built-in, sometimes using both at the same time. A few months ago I had tested it and it worked flawlessly and I could even write a small quartzcomposer application that used both.
But just a few weeks ago (and many system updates later) my iSight just stopped working. I tested the camera with a powerbook and it worked perfectly, so it does not seems a hardware fault.
When I plug it in, the light turns on for one second then turns off and the mac does not recognize the extra camera.
Any tips?
thanks

Have you looked here;
iMac G5 (iSight), iMac (Early 2006): Using an external video camera

External iSight problems revisited

My original post here: http://discussions.info.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=10805558
After further research, I actually have the exact same problem detailed in this topic: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1014900 ("Your camera is in use by another application" error message persists after exhausting all troubleshooting options)
I went to the Genius Bar with my iSight thinking it needs a firmware update. The Genius found out he could not apply the update unless he was booted into 10.3.9, and their OS install disks did not go back that far. So I went home and clean installed 10.3, the 10.3.9 Combo Update, and all other updates listed in Software Update (including a fresh iSight Updater 1.0.3!) onto a new partition in my Mac Mini G4.
After attempting a firmware update and looking at /Library/Logs/iSightUpdater.log on my 10.3.9 system, I believe the reason my iSight is not recognized is that it cannot read the Serial Number or Firmware Version of my iSight, and therefore does not add it to the device list. Here are the Console messages from iSightUpdater.log running on my 10.3.9 system:
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: iSightUpdater was launched by Finder.
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.3
2010-12-11 13:09:10 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:09:16 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:09:36 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Open produced error 10000003.
2010-12-11 13:09:36 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
*2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Couldn't read serial number.*
*2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: iSightDevice::initWithService: Device not added to device list.*
2010-12-11 13:09:47 -0800: UI: Plug in an iSight to update its software.
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: DEVICE REMOVED:
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Product: iSight
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Serial Number:*
2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: GUID: a270000001b2a
*2010-12-11 13:10:17 -0800: Firmware Version: (null)*
"Couldn't read serial number" happened after I turned the iSight on. "DEVICE REMOVED" happened after I turned the iSight off and unplugged it from the Mac Mini. Notice that the Serial Number and Firmware Version were not retrieved by the system. The system recognizes that an iSight has been plugged in, but will not release it for use with other applications since its Serial Number and Firmware Version cannot be determined.
My iSightUpdater.log file dates all the way back to when I updated my iSight's firmware to 1.0.2 and 1.0.3. For comparison, here are the Console messages for those updates:
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.2
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: DEVICE DISCOVERED:
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Product: iSight
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: Firmware Version: 1.0*
2004-02-20 01:29:58 -0800: iSight device count: 1
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: UPDATING DEVICE:
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Product: iSight
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Firmware Version: 1.0*
2004-02-20 01:30:06 -0800: Initiating software installation...
2004-02-20 01:30:11 -0800: Software installation terminating with error 00000000.
2004-02-20 01:30:11 -0800: Flashing firmware onto iSight...
2004-02-20 01:30:34 -0800: Flashing iSight terminating with error 00000000.
2004-02-20 01:30:35 -0800: UI: The iSight software cannot be installed while the iSight is in use by another application. Close any application using the iSight and try again.
2004-02-20 01:30:46 -0800: iSight Updater quitting...
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: iSight Updater will install firmware version: 1.0.3
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: DEVICE DISCOVERED:
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Product: iSight
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: Firmware Version: 1.0.2*
2005-04-15 00:51:03 -0700: iSight device count: 1
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: UPDATING DEVICE:
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Product: iSight
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Vendor: Apple Computer, Inc.
*2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Serial Number: W93254B3MZL*
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: GUID: a270004001b2a
*2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Firmware Version: 1.0.2*
2005-04-15 00:51:11 -0700: Initiating software installation...
2005-04-15 00:51:27 -0700: Software installation terminating with error 00000000.
2005-04-15 00:51:27 -0700: Flashing firmware onto iSight...
2005-04-15 00:51:56 -0700: Flashing iSight terminating with error 00000000.
2005-04-15 00:52:56 -0700: iSight Updater quitting...
Aha! The Serial Number and Firmware Version were present in both of those updates, and I didn't need a firmware update after all. It seems that somewhere between the last firmware update and now, the iSight forgot its Serial Number and Firmware Version numbers -- or the last firmware update inadvertently flashed those two pieces of information from the iSight's memory.
I think if I could plant those two numbers back in the iSight's memory, I think I could get it working again. Problem is, Apple doesn't support scheduling repairs or Express Lane callbacks for the external iSight. Sooo... I, and all other external iSight owners with this problem, are stuck.
I'd love to get this repaired and use my external iSight with my Mac Mini G4. I just wish there was a next step, now that I have potentially identified the problem. Any ideas out there? I don't want to pay $150 to receive a reconditioned iSight for what appears to be a much simpler software/firmware fix. I do live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so driving to Cupertino and handing off an iSight for a quick repair by an iSight engineer would be an easy solution for me.
Thanks for listening, and I hope that this post sheds some light on other people with persistent "Your camera is in use by another application" error messages.
Message was edited by: A-Jay85
EDIT: Here is another post that appears to be similar to my problem:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12263773

Hi,
I am not going to override EZ Jim's advice on this as I do not know any way of recovering the lost Serial Number of Firmware version the devices is currently at.
Mostly it is for other readers but may provide clues.
The iSight Updater for Firmware 1.0.3 is included in the OS files as a Standalone Updater in Leopard
It seems it is also activated if the camera is Plugged In when Software Update is run. (I don't have enough info if it is specific 10.5.x Updates or just a General thing that happens.)
It is also present in the same place in 10.4.11 (I do not have copies earlier that this of Tiger that I can check)
In Use By Another Application.
It could actually be so.
Check:-
Comic Book if bundled with your Mac.
System Preferences > Accounts > Changing the Account Pic can invoke the camera for A Snapshot.
Any other app that can capture Video or a Pic. (iMovie, Quicktime Pro in Leopard and below, PhotoBooth. Don't forget Image Capture or your Browser if using Flash Chat sites or using the Google Broswer Plug-in installed in Chrome or as a Standalone (Intel only) and many others)
Check that in System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items does not list any app that can use the camera.
It seems that if an App that uses the camera (and was using it at the time) "Unexpectedly Quits" the System in general will think the camera is still in use (Possibly because that app's .plist will say it is)
The most common fix for this if you cannot find which App is using the camera is to do a SMC/PMU restart. (this link has three expandable areas that look like Links near the bottom of the page for various Macs).
Most Times the System will catch which apps have "Crashed"/Unexpectedly Quit and they are recorded in a Log. Open Console in Application/Utilities and then the Reveal Triangles to see ~/Library/Logs/Crash Reporter and see if any app is listed.
SEEK ADVICE on deleting .plists if you think you have identified the culprit, as doing so for some apps is more destructive than others.
Summary so far.
The Genius could have done it with a Tiger Install or Leopard Install Disk.
If you have a Retail Copy to do your Updates or either you can invoke the Update yourself (Providing you can get System Profiler to "See" the camera correctly)
A SMC/PMU reset maybe enough to "Clear" the System of what Apps it thinks is using the Camera.
There are some unexpected places and apps that can cause or actually use the camera.
A Fresh Install, as seems to be the case here, would have created a new set of .plists anyway.
I would also suggest that any other Firewire device is removed.
The External iSight should not be Daisy Chained with other items such as External Hard Drives as they run at different Data rates.
If you have a Computer with tow of more Firewire Ports I would suggest trying another port.
Some Towers have Firewire ports front and back and these have separate Firewire Controllers. This may isolate whether it is a Firewire port issue.
USB and Firewire Ports can be reset if the Power is removed from the computer for 15 Mins (power removed if a Laptop as the Firewire ports can still be active if the power cable is still connected)
I will state again that in this case I think EZ Jim has the right, quickest and simplest answer.
I have posted this mainly for other readers that may have something similar but not quite the same.
10:40 PM Sunday; December 19, 2010

External iSight on Windows Xp

i have windows xp with SP2 and all the updates from MSFT running via Bootcamp (Leopard version of it) on a mac mini core 2 duo.
although i did install all the drivers created by boorcamp, it appears that all components were installed except my external iSight.
i have a friend @ work that has windows install via bootcamp on a MBP core duo with
internal iSight and he is able to use iSight in the windows environment; i.e. Yahoo
or msn messenger and other apps.
i'm wondering if there's a way to make the iSight work on my computer

Now for the "non-Apple" possibilities, wayland.ind
People have been trying, with limited success, to use external iSight with Windows XP on their PC for years.
While USB webcams are the "normal" Windows cameras, apparently Firewire iSight can be detected by Windows. However, according to the links below, the external iSight's mic will not work so you must also connect a different mic with available drivers if you want voice. Moreover, one of the links report that external iSight's image is severely exposure so you must use use additional software to control the camera. (If you are an experienced Windows user, you may be able to modify the driver parameters yourself.)
While I do not use Windows and have never used my external iSight in Windows, the following links may give you some ideas you can try:
• http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=2644983#2644983
• http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/527971.html
• http://blog.gkaindl.com/2007/10/11/using-an-external-isight-
on-a-windows-notebook/
If you get things working, please post back your "recipe" for success to help others that may be interested.
Cheers,
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

External iSight cam lags on my end

I have a new Macbook Pro and just got an adapter to go from Firewire 800 to 400 so I can use my external iSight but the video lags like crazy just viewing the video on my end. For example if I start the cam in iChat and view the video or view the video through PhotoBooth it lags.
I had this issue before when I got my last laptop that had a regular Firewire 400 when I got my last laptop, but I can't remember what the fix was. I think it was something stupid like having to go into System Preferences and checking something but I can't remember. I searched google for the past hour but can't find anything.
I don't think its the adapter because I had this issue before.
Thanks,
Dan

Hi,
For actual Video chats we suggest that System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming is set to 1.5Mbps and iChat restarted to see the new speed (regardless of your actual Internet Speed)
However this should not effect your local Video production for Preview in iChat or Photo Booth use.
On my G4 I see some lag between me speaking and the movement on screen but I have not found any issue with Chatting with other people or using Photo Booth (or iMovie) to record myself.
1:28 PM Monday; July 27, 2009

Photo Booth ignores external iSight

Hello people
Ever since my upgrade to Leopard, Photo Booth no longer uses my external firewire iSight camera.
Previously, Photo Booth would use the external iSight camera, when the built-in was unavailable because the notebook lid was closed. Now it just says the camera is off.
Both iMovie and iChat AV will happily use the external iSight camera. If I try to use a Video Input in a Quartz Composition, the external iSight is ignored just as it is in Photo Booth.
Any ideas on how to fix this?
Best regards,
Anders Borum

two things to try:
(1) With Photo Booth (v2) running, unplug your external iSight, wait about 5 seconds, and reconnect.
(2) If you still do not see the camera view, turn external iSight off (rotate the front of the lens barrel), wait about 5 seconds, and turn iSight on again.
Although I am not using an iNtel Mac, the first one got me a dark image, and the second one got my external iSight working correctly.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.10) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5) External iSight

External isight and photobooth

hey, i just picked up an external isight and cant get it to work with photobooth. any suggestions?

I know that Snipereye64.
I will try to explain the Apple tip's method for your circumstance as simply as I can say it:
• Connect your external iSight and turn it on.
• Quit Photo Booth (PB) if it is running.
• Launch any app with a user-selectable camera "Preferences..." menu command.
(The "tip" suggests that you use iChat, but others should work as well.)
• Open "Preferences..." and set the camera "Preference" to use your built-in iSight.
• Now launch PB. PB should now use the external iSight
because your built-in camera is in use by the other application.
Hopefully my version will be easier to apply to your particular situation than the Apple article that I linked above. If not, tell me which part to try to clarify further.
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

External iSight with Intel MacBook

Hi everyone, can I use an external iSight rather than the built in one, I have a 3 month old MacBook with dual core Intel proc.

Hi grindrod,
Yes.
iChat will add a drop down to iChat > Preferences > Video section where you can switch between the two.
iChat will default to the Firewire cam without making a selection.
iChat does not need restarting to recognise the Extrernl cam has been unplugged.
PhotoBooth will also default to the Firewire cam but not give you a choice anywhere.
If the camera is now unplugged PhotoBooth has to be restarted.
iMovie already has a drop down for the camera selection but will only list one cam if that is all that is attached.
Have not tried Comic Book that is bundled on my MacBook Pro.
10:55 PM Monday; July 23, 2007

External isight wont work with imac g4

Hello,
I recently purchased a second hand isight camera using ebay.
I have an older imac g4 and the isight wont work with it at all.
I have scoured the forums on this topic and looked through all of EZ Jim's suggestions but I think my problem is a little bit different.
I'll explain exactly what happens and my troubleshooting so far...
The imac G4 is powered off, I plug in the external isight via firewire 400
The imac boots up into leopard 10.5.8 (using leopard assist)
In system profiler the isight is listed under the firewire tab.
( I can post system profiler info on this if its needed)
When I turn on the camera ichat launches, but then in the video tab it says no camera is connected.
Photobooth just has the no camera sign, but interestingly when ichat is opened photobooth says "camera off"
sometimes photobooth even lets me click the photo button, it counts down but then it doesnt take a picture... obviously!
Skype doesnt work.
I have an imac 24" running snow leopard 10.6.6 .... that also detects the camera but it won't work with any application such as skype or ichat.
I have tried (on my G4) unplugging my usb bluetooth module but nothing changes.
My G4 is connected via ethernet to an external router.
The firewire cable seems ok, I dont have any other firewire devices, but if it was a problem with the BUS or the cable then im guessing it wouldnt show in system profiler.
I am thinking the camera is probably damaged, but before I start a paypal enquiry I would like to see if it is just my computer or a setting i need to change.
(oh I used the application isight updater in core services but the install button is greyed out)
Any help would be amazing!!
Thanks!!!

Well, about all you can do would be to try a different and known good
FireWire cable, as a replacement for what may be a defective FW400
cable that came with the iSight camera. The cable can be defective
with one bad wire, yet sometimes appear available to the computer.
• How to Troubleshoot iSight (note external vs internal)
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2090
• iMac G5 (iSight), & Intel-based iMac: Using External video camera:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2819
If you know of someone with an older Mac without a built-in iSight
camera, to test that one on, this may be an OK idea. Not sure if you
could get any traction by taking the camera to an Apple Specialist
and ask if they could check it out for you; that may also cost you.
{And since your computer does not officially support Leopard 10.5,
the other avenues of support would probably not be open to you.
At least not with the old iMac G4 and an unsupported 10.5 install.}
I have an external iSight camera which was included with my G4 Mini
1.5GHz model, and that appeared to work OK with 10.5.8 at one point.
But I really have no need for it, since I don't use photobooth & so on.
And haven't tried that with my iMac G4 computers at all. No need to.
With a computer not equipped with an iSight camera, the Leopard 10.5
installation should still support the eventual addition of one; even if the
computer itself appears to not officially support a Leopard 10.5 install.
(You refer to Leopard Assist, a means to install in slower CPU Macs.)
The FW cable is about the most easy to consider at this point.
In the course of a year, I've found good replacement cables at
several places, even those at thrift stores in perfect shape, work
and I use them for FW external hard disk drives, primarily. To have
spares is nearly always a good idea. Test & keep known good ones.
I'm not certain how the external iSight FW camera may work on
a newer Intel-based 24" iMac with a built-in iSight camera, too.
Does your 24" computer have FireWire 400+800 ports? Can you
choose an external iSight camera and ignore the built-in one?
These secondary topics have probably been discussed in the other
forum area for Intel-based iMac computer models; if you chose to
try & use that camera with a model computer with one built-in...
• Apple - Support - Discussions: for Intel-based iMac
http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=189
There is a possibility, if never tried and the iMac G4 computer was
acquired second-hand, that the FW port within it may be band; but
the cable is the first item since it is cheapest, in troubleshooting.
So, anyway, the hour is late here (1AM) so hopefully the matter
can be resolved with a known-good replacement FW400 cable.
You should not have to restart the iMac G4 (800?) model in order
to get a FireWire item to be recognized. It should appear in the
System Profiler's list under FireWire, such as things normally do.
Of course, the camera could be defective as well. Been some
time since they were available on sale, new from Apple...
You could ask around to find out if there is a way to use that
external iSight camera with your newer Intel-based 24" Mac
by someone having it ignore its own built-in camera; in a
way as to not affect its normal operation, that is.
Good luck & happy computing!
+{ edited 2x }+

Using an external iSight

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for