specifics on isight

[matt459]

Could somebody please tel me where i can find very detailed information on the isight. I would like to know exactly whaty it can and cannot do, such as:
>Can it take still pictures, if so what is its top resolution
>Does anyone have an isight and like it/dislike it for any reason.
>Is it worth 150 dollars as oppose to other products made for dual platform?
>what kind of freeware programs are there out there to fully utilize this.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated

 

[7on]

>Can it take still pictures, if so what is its top resolution
Yes. Through iChat. Cmd+option+s
Top res is the size of the video window so 352x288px

>Does anyone have an isight and like it/dislike it for any reason.
I like it ok. It's a webcam and it does what what a webcam should do.

>Is it worth 150 dollars as oppose to other products made for dual platform?
Definitely better than any USB cam I've seen. Heard the color calibration is somewhat better than competitors. Quality is probably between an iBot and a FW Camcorder, while leaning moreso to the iBot.
Quality less to greater
iBot-----iSight---------FW Camcorder

>what kind of freeware programs are there out there to fully utilize this.
Utilize what? iChat = webconference; iMovie = record videos

If you have the cash, spending $500 on a FW digital camcorder would be a better investment but my parents bought mine so I have no complaints. I use it to chat with them while I'm at college.

 

[matt459]

i would save up and buy a digital camera or dv camcorder but... i want a webcam that can sit atop my ibook, mostly for conveinence i guess. i would like one that takes still photos at a high resolution (1024 by 768? or more?) also, i want it to be small and lightweight. Does anyone have any recomendations? is this one sompatible, and if so is it good?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t.../ref=sr_1_6/002-0480381-9738418?v=glance&s=pc

one more question, is firewire i much better connection than usb, and the one above is 1.1 also, i believe

 

[Sayer]

The iSight has an actual resolution of VGA e.g. 640 x 480px. You could get a preview window open and stretch it out very large and make a screenshot of that, or get some still-frame capture software that uses an iSight as a source only. But that's not what it was intended for.

The iSight is meant to be a high-quality video conferencing camera. It uses FireWire for power (more than USB provides) and for bandwidth (way more than USB 1.1 provides).

As for "cross platform" USB devices, you simply need driver software. There are third-party USB webcam drivers out there. Go to MacUpdate.com or VersionTracker.com and search for iSight or other webcam software.

It boils down to iSight = Video Conferencing via iChat. It's not a digital camera by any stretch.

 

[About2SwitchOvr]

Like mine...

Could somebody please tel me where i can find very detailed information on the isight. I would like to know exactly whaty it can and cannot do, such as:
>Can it take still pictures, if so what is its top resolution
>Does anyone have an isight and like it/dislike it for any reason.
>Is it worth 150 dollars as oppose to other products made for dual platform?
>what kind of freeware programs are there out there to fully utilize this.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated

Granted, this is the first webcam I ever had.. but I don't think I made a mistake.

I purchases the iVeZeen program for $15 (i think).. and use that to record:
It has motion detector, sound command, and can focus (auto/manually)
It's a deal..

~do it!

 

[DJY]

Are there other third party instant messaging programs that work with iSight? or only iChat?

I heard the newest MSN Messenger (equiv) doesn't allow video?
what about the other major interfaces that people use?

 

[7on]

http://www.apple.com/ichat/ states 352x288 as max resolution.