Inexpensive webcam?

[allisonv7]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a webcam to use with my imac so I can video chat with a pc-using friend.

What would be a fairly inexpensive one (~$50) that will work for this. Also, what program can we use that will work for both of us?

I've seen logitech ones in stores but they arent officially supported for Mac, will they still work? I use the mx1000 mouse now and it works fine, would a webcam be just as easy to use? I have zero experience with them.


Thanks,

allison.

 

[Leeloo the 5th]

Hi allison! Here's a cheap USB webcam with official Mac support and drivers: http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/cameras.html
It's the IceCam from Macally. I use it with Mercury Messenger and I hear it works with the latest aMSN too. This is great if your contacts use the MSN protocol.

 

[danny_w]

How well does the IceCam work? I have been looking for a webcam but others have said that the USB cams (and this one in particular) don't work very well. This one also does not have a mic, so you have to get that separately. Have you tried it with iChatAV using the USB driver (I foget the name, but there is a link to it on the IceCam page)?

 

[Leeloo the 5th]

It certainly isn't as good a quality picture as with the iSight, but I really can't compare. You get what you pay for...
I haven't tried it with iChat, only with Mercury, as all my contacts are on MSN and I haven't any use for iChat.
The image is quite choppy with mercury but I don't know if that's due to the IceCam or the limited possiblities of my Mac Mini (1,25 GHz G4 with 512 MB RAM).
I didn't mind about the absent mic as I already had one. And on my dad's iBook the mic is built-in, so no need there either. Plus neither Mercury nor aMSN support audio at the moment.

 

[mkrishnan]

The image is quite choppy with mercury but I don't know if that's due to the IceCam or the limited possiblities of my Mac Mini (1,25 GHz G4 with 512 MB RAM).

I'm pretty new to MSN webcamming, but I think it's MSN, and not the IceCam or the Mac. I used Mercury on my iBook with an iSight, and when I looked at the transfer rates, it was using so little bandwidth that I can't believe that it is being limited by my computer. I tend to think MSN just does really low quality webcam. But I could be wrong...I've never done PC-to-PC MSN Webcam.

 

[allisonv7]

Hey guys, thanks for the tips, I did end up purchasing a logitech one though.

I needed it immediately and luckily the local officemax and some Quickcam 4000's in stock. I was a bit hesistant because I had read that it wasn't supposed to work with Tiger, but got it home plugged it in, installed the logitech software and it worked without any problems at all.

It was a bit more than I wanted to spend ($80) but as I needed it ASAP that was the best I could do on short notice.

I did see the 5000 as well, but it doesn't say it supports OSX, so I went with the 4000.


allison.

 

[quigleybc]

i was one of the people that thought the Quickcam 4000 didn't work with Tiger.....hmmmmm, I ordered that one, and then cancled the order..and got the iSight.

Oh well, glad to hear that it works with 10.4 but....why doesn't the Logitech website just tell us that then....arrgh.