iSight alternatives

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Dylan Winslow - 22 Dec 2006 18:55 GMT

I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
third party drivers unless Apple replaces the iSight at Macworld next
month. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with experience with
any currently available webcam that they've had working on a mac.

Thanks in advance.

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Dylan Winslow
If you can't be part of the solution, be part of the problem.

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Bob Harris - 23 Dec 2006 03:26 GMT

> I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance.

iChat will often work with firewire based webcams.

You might also check out iChatUSBCam and their list of supported
cameras:
<http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/>
<http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/configs.html>

You might also check out IOXperts as well:
<http://www.ioxperts.com/dcam.html>
<http://www.ioxperts.com/devices/webcam.html>

Bob Harris

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David Phillip Oster - 24 Dec 2006 17:20 GMT

When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I like many in that
situation bought a firewire-cpable video camera. It hasn't seen much
use, but if you take the tape out, it is a more than decent web-camera.
I've found that firewire-DV is a standard, and you can expect to just
cable the device to a Mac and have it work.

I've enjoyed using it with iChat, iMovie, QuicktimePlayer(Pro),
toysight, my own software (which uses Quicktime Graphic Importers) and
also with the open source http://bruji.com/cocoa/barcode.html bar code
video recognition software.

I prefer Firewire DV to USB because I don't like being dependent on
third party drivers. I've still got a USB microscope for I got as a gift
years ago, that only has drivers for OS 9. As machines come and go, you
have to remember to install updated drivers, if you can find them.
Firewire DV is preinstalled by Apple, and just works.

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Dylan Winslow - 24 Dec 2006 22:29 GMT

> When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I like many in that
> situation bought a firewire-cpable video camera. It hasn't seen much
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> have to remember to install updated drivers, if you can find them.
> Firewire DV is preinstalled by Apple, and just works.

I am, in fact, using an old Canon Optura Pi with a broken tape mechanism
as a webcam right now, and it works exactly as you describe. It is,
however, quite large compared to standard webcams, and I have yet to
find a way of mounting it to the top of my iMac G5. It's mounted to the
corner of my desk right now, which produces that annoying
looking-to-the-side effect during chats.

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Dylan Winslow
If you can't be part of the solution, be part of the problem.

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Lawson English - 25 Dec 2006 02:41 GMT

>> When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I like many in that
>> situation bought a firewire-cpable video camera. It hasn't seen much
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> corner of my desk right now, which produces that annoying
> looking-to-the-side effect during chats.

My guess is that a TV-mountable iSight for use with iTV will be
announced when iTV is. It should mount just fine on regular monitors as
well...

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Calvin - 23 Dec 2006 03:43 GMT

> I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance.

Here is a web page with a list of cam's. Both USB and firewire. It's
on the IOXperts site as cam's supported by their driver.

There is also: http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/cameras/index.php
with their drivers.

I have had good luck with Quick cam pro 3000 with IOXperts driver.

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Calvin - 23 Dec 2006 20:24 GMT

> > I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> > disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> I have had good luck with Quick cam pro 3000 with IOXperts driver.

Forgot the link.

http://ioxperts.com/devices/supportedvideo.html

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Dylan Winslow - 23 Dec 2006 21:09 GMT

> > > I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> > > disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> http://ioxperts.com/devices/supportedvideo.html

Thanks for this. I've seen the Macam list before. It's confounding how
many different webcams there are out there. I've been able to track
down a few reviews, but none of them talk about how well they work on
Macs.

I note, going through the IOExperts list, how many Firewire cameras are
no longer around.

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Dylan Winslow
If you can't be part of the solution, be part of the problem.

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Ray Laughton - 27 Dec 2006 22:19 GMT

> > > > I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> > > > disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> I note, going through the IOExperts list, how many Firewire cameras are
> no longer around.

I'm using the Logitech 'Quickcam chat skype' with the Macam driver - as
it does not work nativ on my G4 1GHz dual with OS 10.4.3.
Result so far (got it today) is: it works, but the streaming stops after
about 15sec. No idea why, but its not correctable in the prefs. No
problem starting it again.
With Skype its streaming properly, bit of a delay.

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Dylan Winslow - 17 Jan 2007 17:45 GMT

> I was considering getting a webcam for my iMac G5. With the
> disappearance of the iSight, I'm stuck with a host of USB webcams and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks in advance.

I've done a bit of looking around, and I've seen the Creative Live Optia
<http://tinyurl.com/2uodfs> recommended. It's a USB Video Class device,
like the built-in iSight, so theoretically it should just work without
third-party drivers. Has anybody used one of these? Work OK? Buggy?

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Dylan Winslow
If you can't be part of the solution, be part of the problem.

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / January 2007

iSight alternatives