Pros: Very cool addition to the gadget arsenal, good quality all-around, nice design, software integration
Cons: Pricey, niche product, needs better stands
The Bottom Line: Very good Webcam entry from Apple, and it's worthwhile if you want to talk with another person via iChat AV or need a cheap still/QuickTime camera
I got an Apple iSight in the summer of 2003, and have enjoyed it a lot. I don't get to use it as much as I'd like -- and that's why I would call it a "novelty." It's not something you absolutely need, but it's a device that is well done and can serve many purposes.
The iSight is designed for Apple computer hardware. It plugs into a FireWire 400 port (not to be confused with the newer FireWire 800). If you have a FireWire 800, I'm sure you'd be able to hunt down some adapter cable to connect to the iSight's male FW 400 connector.
The FW cable itself is neat. It's very thin -- about as thin as a typical USB mouse cable. It supplies power the camera and also allows data to go back and forth.
And the data does seem to go in both directions. For example, the iSight's shutter mechanism triggers the end of the video feed. The computer recognizes that the shutter is closed and stops displaying video (with iChat AV, at least). The shutter is a physical shutter, so if you close it, you can be assured that the video feed has stopped. The shutters are white, so they are easy to see, even across a room -- a nice touch.
The camera is designed to work with iChat AV on Mac OS X. (You can get iChat AV as an add-on program you can buy for Mac OS X "Jaguar," or upgrade to Mac OS X "Panther," where it is included "for free.") The integration is superb. I've had several video chats with others, and the video on my screen (of me) is always crisp and clear, and I can tell when others are using lesser cameras. Plugging in the iSight can start up iChat AV. If iChat is already running, it will let others know that you have a camera attached.
Video chats can be something of a problem. I've seen issues with some people but not others. I think it depends on your network connection, and whether you have a firewall between you and the other party.
A nice touch is that you see both your video and the other party's video in the same window. Your video is superimposed on top, in a smaller box, which you can position at any corner of the chat window. You can also go full screen. That sometimes makes sense to me, because otherwise, I start doing other stuff with the computer and that begins covering up the iChat windows. Then I feel like I'm talking to a disembodied voice -- and have to remember that the other party can see me.
Audio quality is excellent, and is good even when the video feed doesn't seem to be as good. I have definitely had good comments about my audio, while my brother's audio (coming from a separate mike and camera setup) is much harder to hear.
If you are connecting to another person, you can also use the stereo microphone on the iSight to conduct your conversation, overriding the built-in audio input of your Mac (if you so choose). You must select the audio input from the iChat AV preferences. You may also choose to hook up the iSight for microphone use and disable the camera portion altogether; select Audio > Camera Enabled to toggle whether the camera feed is used or not. If the camera is disabled, you can use the microphone, and other iChat AV users will see only that you are ready for text and audio chats.
The iSight will also work with other video applications on the Mac. It acts like a QuickTime video source. I was able to take both still pictures and movies with it, using normal QuickTime-based software (like BTV Pro, shareware). Even the stills seem good, at 640x480. There are various other software packages appearing that will let you use motion or still video from the iSight. This can be a handy alternative to packing a digital camera in some situations, particularly if you are getting pictures of 3D items on a desk or table -- although it's obviously less convenient to carry around a laptop and an iSight if you're taking snapshots!
The video quality seems to depend a lot on good lighting. However, I will say that the iSight was able to pick up fireworks on a dark night when I was chatting with my brother. I had the iSight hooked up to my iBook, connected wirelessly to the Internet (via cable modem and broadband router), and the images he got were discernable. I have seen rumors that Griffin Technology will be introducing a ring light that will attach to the barrel of the iSight camera; I'm not sure how well this would work, but it might eliminate a drawback to the camera if/when it becomes available.
I would recommend this device (and a twinned one for the other end of the conversation) to anyone who wants to talk long distance to a loved one. That brings up the rub -- you can't just have one! (Or the other party has to have some sort of Webcam, and currently needs iChat AV.) If your other party has a USB Webcam and iChat AV, that person will need a special USB driver that is available separately -- iChat AV does not natively support USB Webcams.
The included stands are completely lame. The one meant for portables falls off my iBook's screen when I try to tighten it. I'm hoping that a small cottage industry will grow up around replacement iSight stands. There are some nice stands on the market from MacMice.com (my favorite, which I'd like to order, is a flexible metal arm model), and I would expect others to appear.
Brand new Apple iSight Auto focus Video Camera-Model M8817Z/C. In original box with Cable, all stands with clear PVC covers. F2.8 Auto focus from 50mm...More at eBay
Video conference easily over broadband Internet 640 x 480 resolution with 24-bit color at 30 frames per second Built-in noise-suppressing microphone I...More at Amazon Marketplace
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