Apple iSight VGA Webcam
- Capture Resolution: 640 x 480
- Digital Video Capture Speed: 30 frames per second
- Web Camera Type: Personal Web Camera
- Audio Support: Built In Microphone
- Image Sensor Type: CCD
- Interface Type: Firewire
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Best WebCam Available
Pros
Size, portability, quality, expandability into other purposes.
Cons
Comparative ticker shock, desktop stand would be nice.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I absolutely recommend this for anyone who video teleconferences.
A little more than a year ago I purchased an iMac at the local Comp-USA for a Unix class I was taking. The longer I had the computer, the more I used it (I am a Windows person by trade).
Eventually I got to the point where I was spending more time on the Mac than on the Windows machine. So, being a gadget person I figured it was time to check out this iSight that I had read about.
Basically, it's a web-cam for the Mac. At $150, it is a little on the pricey end especially when compared to it's Windows cousins.
That being said - it's a well spent $150! It's simply the best web-cam I have purchased to date.
To start with, lets talk about the little things. The packaging from Apple is nice. It's simple, clean, elegant.
FUNCTIONALITY
This unit has a built in aperture that adjusts to local lighting, and performs well in both low and high light environments. It also has an auto-focus feature so you are always in focus capable of maintaining focus from 50mm to infinity. Distance specifications are according to Apple, and I have to say the auto-focus has worked without flaw in my home office at distances between a few inches out to about 15 feet (the best distance the camera can see in it's current position).
The camera uses a 1/4" CCD to produce 640x480 VGA resolution and boasts full motion video at 30 frames per second in 24-bit color.
CONSTRUCTION
The device itself is a 'barrel' device which means, well it's about the size of an empty roll of toilet paper. A bit smaller actually but you get the idea. Much like the PowerBook line of laptops, the iSight is constructed (primarily) of silver metal, and at the front of the barrel are two really nice features. First is a little green light at the top and center of the barrel. When the camera is activated, this lights up to let you know the camera is on. Secondly, there is a small spinning ring on the barrel near the front. You use this to open and close (completely) the aperture - thus turning the camera on and off.
The camera comes packaged with a couple of plastic "stands" designed for use with Apple computers. One fits over the monitor of your laptop, another looks like a small desktop stand but it actually isn't. This stand has a sticky backing which is meant to adhere to the back of your monitor, or top of your standard desktop monitor.
This is the feature I liked the least.
While the camera does have the ability to tilt slightly, I would have liked to have seen Apple include an actual desktop stand, which doesn't have to adhere to your monitor in any way.
To overcome this shortfall, I simply purchased a small (3x5) 3-ring binder and attached the laptop monitor stand to the spine of the binder and set that next to my monitor. It looks weird - but it works perfectly.
FIELD TESTING
I conducted field testing with my brother who I convinced recently to go with apple. Video chat using this little gem is quite impressive. It works primarily with Apples iChat - a close cousin to AOL Instant Messenger.
ADDITIONS
Ok, so video conferencing - big deal right? Wrong! With the new release of the Apple Operating System, iChat and iSight provide the ability to Video-teleconference with up to 3 people (I haven't done this myself as alas I don't have the new OS). But - there are a number of other things you can do with this camera.
For example, there are a number of companies which sell web-cam software compatible with the iSight. My particular favorite has the ability to sense motion based on areas you define within the cameras field of view. When a significant change occurs - it takes a photo and if you desire, posts it to a website.
Another program turns your iSight camera into a BarCode reader. Nice.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Sometimes I have the web-cam on, sometimes not. But if you want to see it in still-mode action, you can check out my web-cam page at
http://homepage.mac.com/blankgm/MyWebCam/campage.html. From there you can see stills taken from my home office, and if I am online you can see a live feed from the camera.
Eventually I got to the point where I was spending more time on the Mac than on the Windows machine. So, being a gadget person I figured it was time to check out this iSight that I had read about.
Basically, it's a web-cam for the Mac. At $150, it is a little on the pricey end especially when compared to it's Windows cousins.
That being said - it's a well spent $150! It's simply the best web-cam I have purchased to date.
To start with, lets talk about the little things. The packaging from Apple is nice. It's simple, clean, elegant.
FUNCTIONALITY
This unit has a built in aperture that adjusts to local lighting, and performs well in both low and high light environments. It also has an auto-focus feature so you are always in focus capable of maintaining focus from 50mm to infinity. Distance specifications are according to Apple, and I have to say the auto-focus has worked without flaw in my home office at distances between a few inches out to about 15 feet (the best distance the camera can see in it's current position).
The camera uses a 1/4" CCD to produce 640x480 VGA resolution and boasts full motion video at 30 frames per second in 24-bit color.
CONSTRUCTION
The device itself is a 'barrel' device which means, well it's about the size of an empty roll of toilet paper. A bit smaller actually but you get the idea. Much like the PowerBook line of laptops, the iSight is constructed (primarily) of silver metal, and at the front of the barrel are two really nice features. First is a little green light at the top and center of the barrel. When the camera is activated, this lights up to let you know the camera is on. Secondly, there is a small spinning ring on the barrel near the front. You use this to open and close (completely) the aperture - thus turning the camera on and off.
The camera comes packaged with a couple of plastic "stands" designed for use with Apple computers. One fits over the monitor of your laptop, another looks like a small desktop stand but it actually isn't. This stand has a sticky backing which is meant to adhere to the back of your monitor, or top of your standard desktop monitor.
This is the feature I liked the least.
While the camera does have the ability to tilt slightly, I would have liked to have seen Apple include an actual desktop stand, which doesn't have to adhere to your monitor in any way.
To overcome this shortfall, I simply purchased a small (3x5) 3-ring binder and attached the laptop monitor stand to the spine of the binder and set that next to my monitor. It looks weird - but it works perfectly.
FIELD TESTING
I conducted field testing with my brother who I convinced recently to go with apple. Video chat using this little gem is quite impressive. It works primarily with Apples iChat - a close cousin to AOL Instant Messenger.
ADDITIONS
Ok, so video conferencing - big deal right? Wrong! With the new release of the Apple Operating System, iChat and iSight provide the ability to Video-teleconference with up to 3 people (I haven't done this myself as alas I don't have the new OS). But - there are a number of other things you can do with this camera.
For example, there are a number of companies which sell web-cam software compatible with the iSight. My particular favorite has the ability to sense motion based on areas you define within the cameras field of view. When a significant change occurs - it takes a photo and if you desire, posts it to a website.
Another program turns your iSight camera into a BarCode reader. Nice.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
Sometimes I have the web-cam on, sometimes not. But if you want to see it in still-mode action, you can check out my web-cam page at
http://homepage.mac.com/blankgm/MyWebCam/campage.html. From there you can see stills taken from my home office, and if I am online you can see a live feed from the camera.
