Customer Reviews

Apple iSight FireWire Webcam for Apple Computers M8817LL/A

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Pros:
- Excellent audio and video performances
- Mounts to Apple's LCD and notebook displays
- Excellent built quality (aluminum-alloy construction)
- Beautiful design
- Supports AOL, .Mac, Rendezvous (all via iChat AV), and Yahoo! via Yahoo! Messenger for OS X

Cons:
- Very expensive
- Adhesive mounting kit for LCD display
- No video chat for MSN (which is Microsoft's fault, but still)
- Does not include video capture application
- Works only on Mac OS X (at least for now)
- iChat AV costs extra (beta which expires on 12/31/2003 is free) for OS X 10.2 "Jaguar" users (included with OS X 10.3 "Panther" at no cost, however)

Apple's iSight is among the most expensive webcam out there. If you are heavily into video conferencing, however, the decision should be no brainer. iSight is THE webcam to own.

First of all, iSight is one of the few webcams to use FireWire 400 bus. FireWire not only provides plenty of bandwidth for VGA quality video and audio (24-bit 640x480 at 30 frames per second), iSight gets all the power from it, too.

Rotate the lens cap, which opens and closes the lens, and iSight comes alive (it will also activate iChat AV). Both audio and video capture performance are superb, with excellent exposure and clear audio. It is easily the best performing webcam out there.

And the built quality and design... simply stunning. Made in sturdy aluminum-alloy (used by 12" and 17" PowerBook G4 as well as PowerMac G5), iSight feels expensive. Furthermore, iSight is very functionally designed. Although mounting on Apple's LCD display requires adhesive (sticky) mounting stand, mounting on Apple's portable computer is elegant (even comes with a carrying case).

So is it worth a buy? iSight is certainly the best webcam out there. But it's also the most expensive and works only under Mac OS X. If you have lots of buddies on AOL (or .Mac) and Yahoo!'s Instant Messaging network, and wants to impress with high quality audio and video, iSight is worth the money. Otherwise, it probably won't get used often enough to warrant very high price tag.

True video conferencing - the type that has been promised for years now really exists and is affordable for the common man (and woman). All you need is a firewire Mac (all new Macs for the past 4 years have shipped w/ firewire, but you can always install an after-market firewire PCI card if needed) running OS 10.2 or better, iChat/AV (Apple's software that comes free with OS 10.3 - "Panther"), and a broadband connection.

There are many iChat related Web sites that contain databases of other iSight owners, so you can always find someone to chat with, even if none of your friends have Macs or broadband connections.

The camera can also be used for Yahoo Chat, but Yahoo's software limits your video to snapshot slide shows. iChat/AV allows you to to have live streaming video and audio with full duplexing, so it's like you're on the phone.

If you have a bad hair day, you can use the microphone only so you don't have to share the video. The lens cap is built-in, and with a simple twist of the lens, your camera is turned off.

The camera is an elegant addition to your Mac goodies, although the mounting has much to be desired. Some third-party companies have come out with some excellent alternatives for mounting the iSight, however, if you don't have a laptop to clip it to and you don't want to "stick" it on your monitor.

The camera is in full color and will automatically focus from about 1" to infinity. My less than perfect rating is for two reasons - 1 being the aforementioned mounting options - tacky "stick-on" mounting isn't the choice for most and the laptop clip can be broken easily during transport. My biggest gripe is the white balancing of the camera. This might be eventually corrected w/ a new version of the iChat software, but for now, the color you see is not necessarily reflecting reality. I have my computer next to a window, so in the middle of a sunny day with my overhead light on, the color looks great. At night (no ambient sunlight) with an overhead light, the colors are grainy and flat.

If you hold a white piece of paper next to your face while you look at yourself on the camera, the color suddenly corrects, but goes back to awful the minute you put the paper down.

Traditional cameras with built-in light meters have an ability to "spot meter" and lock a light meter reading - Apple needs to put this option in with their next incarnation of iChat/AV. For now, I have 2 halogen desk lamps on either side of my monitor. When I chat w/ someone in the evening, I will turn on the hot white lights to illuminate my face so the other person doesn't think they're talking to Darth Vader or the Grim Reaper.

I used it a couple of times for audio-only chats - the microphone quality is superb. I have chatted to people in Canada, Israel and Australia without a noticable delay or degredation in quality. If the other user is using a built-in microphone in lieu of an iSight, however, they will probably hear you well, but you may have a hard time hearing them.

I have also used the camera for some video/audio chats with people from around the globe. There is a noticable 1 second time difference delay, but it is acceptable all things considered.

As with all things Apple, this camera is quite an innovation. Beforehand, there was only one other firewire camera on the market and it did not allow for live streaming video. Thanks to Apple's iChat software, however, you can use some other cameras, but I would not recommend it. With the few failings of iSight, it is still the best there is - and considering what it does, it's well worth the price.

I don't know if the review from EL was wrote by a Anti-Mac Nazi but, most of the information stated in his review was incorrect. First iMovie is easily used with the iSight. Second iSight is made for mac, If you have a mac that supports iSight, you should not have to instal any software, iChat AV Comes with the OS. Third iChat AV does now work with the latest PC version of AOL instant messenger, not the old ones. Fourth not only can you take still amazingly good quality still pictures, you can download programs off the internet that lets you add effects to the pictures you take. iSight self adjusted the brightness and contrast, so manual adjustment is unnecessary. EL has made it sound you cannot use iSight unless you are computer illiterate, it is very easy to use I have never had any problem with mine, and I've saved money on long distance calls. Plus it's a lot of fun I rated this excellent product with 5 stars. Online Video Conferencing is the future and apples firewire technology makes video Conferencing amazing with no skipping or lag the quality is superb. Hats off to Apple with the great product

What a terrific web cam! Talk about easy to set up. First make sure you've downloaded Apple's chat software, iChat AV. After that all you do is pulg the included FireWire cable into the iSight, mount it on your mac and plug the other end into a FireWire port and you're ready to start audio and/or video chats with your AIM buddies. The one caveat being that you need a high speed connection for video.

I love the simplicity and elegance of the iSight. When I don't want to use the web cam, I don't have to disconnect it, only close the shutter. But honestly the image and sound quality is such that I never close it down. I've used several web cams in the past and this one offers by far the best image quality I've seen. Another small but welcome feature is the iSight's ability to tilt and swivel while mounted to your mac. Now you can position your web cam just right without a lot of fuss.

My only complaint is the need to stick the iSIght mount on you mac. The mount for notebooks is much better as it just slips over the edge of the screen and doesn't require you to stick anything to your beautiful mac.

I've had mine for a few weeks a now and haven't had a single glitch to deal with. Simple, elegant and high quality. What more can you ask for? Did I hear you say a lower price? Well, you can't have everything right? : )

It's hard to find a problem with this product, as long as you know what you are getting. I think some of the negative opinions of the iSight camera are due to people with bizarre expectations. It isn't going to give you broadcast-quality resolution, and it doesn't have Navy SEAL night-optic technology - in other words, for the people who are complaining about "dark and gothic" pictures, *turn on your lights.* The picture is fine if you are in a well-lit room with a broadband connection and a decent computer.

This is one of a few products from Apple that has really made a difference in my own life over the past year or so. Now, almost nightly, I can fire up the iSight and talk with my parents (who also have one) and let them see their three-year old twin granddaughters face to face - to hear about their day and what they are learning from a thousand miles away. I can talk directly to my teenage sister, staying a part of her life in a way that would have been impossible only a few years ago. I've saved double the price of the iSight in long distance phone bills in the time I've owned it.

What makes this all even better is iChat from Apple. It integrates seamlessly with the camera - in fact they were designed for one another. iChat is a program like AOL Instant Messenger that allows you to see which of your friends is online and available for chatting.

I'm not totally up on the other cameras out there, but from what I have seen nothing tops the iSight. It mounts in several ways, all of which allow you to look almost directly at the screen when you talk, so the people on the other end don't see some weird POV of the camera looking up your nose.

If you have an Apple and a loved one far away, buy two of these and get hooked up ASAP. The video phone is no longer a thing of bad 60s sci-fi movies. It's here now.

I think it's time for an update, since there are many statements made by some of the reviewers that now are incorrect.

You can buy iChat AV alone for $30 if you haven't upgraded to Panther yet. I have pulled my cable back and forward without any problems, but I guess there are some bad cables out there, but it's not common.
Yes, the adhesive mounting is a poor choice for your nice looking display, but there are alternatives from other companies, check out Macmice.com

That you have to use a fast connection should not be a surprise, we are talking about video chats in real time.

But all these things are minor issues, considering you get what I consider the greatest ( communication ) thing since email arrived. I chat with my brother in Europe with great results. The quality is outstanding, the camera performs well in low light, which have often been the big problem for web cams.

Now Apple just need to get others to play along, AOL is working on something and I'm sure there will be more changes coming from other companies as well.

The price is imo. not high, when you consider the impact it can have on your life. I was looking to buy video phones before iSights came out, but they are not good quality and can be very expensive, so a pair of iSights almost seem cheap.

Apple's iSight performs as promised on all levels -- great video and sound quality. The camera is light, easy to set up and use, and truly portable.
The only things preventing me from giving it a full 5 stars are the included mounting stands. Apple was smart enough to include separate stands for positioning the camera on top of CRT monitors, on flat screens and a laptop. However the first two require that the stand me affixed using an adhesive sticker on the bottom of the stands. Though I had few reservations about sticking it to my old (and ugly) black-cased CRT, I'm not sure a lot of people will want to stick something onto the back of their lovely new iMac G5 screens.

iSight works flawlessly with Apple's iChat AV. The picture quality is sharp and motion is smooth. The auto-focus and other automatic picture quality adjustments combine with the built-in microphone to make this the best FireWire webcam for Apple computers.

I have used several other USB and FireWire web-cameras with less than desirable results. They may be cheaper, but their image quality is lower, they lack automatic focus, and they require an external microphone to capture audio. The Apple iSight solves these problems for only a few more dollars.

I absolutely love my iSight webcam. As with everything Apple, you literally just plug it in and it works on Mac OS X (I am running Panther). It is unbelievably easy to use, also. The motion capture is nearly television quality on my flat panel monitor. It makes me wish I had more people to video chat with! One piece of advice: If your Mac comes with a built-in mic, use it instead of the iSight mic because you'll get better sound quality.

Great camera. Great integration with Macs and Panther (I have upgraded). But I agree with the previous reviewer. When you spend this much on a web cam, the software absolutely should be included. Another major misstep by Apple trying Microsoft tactics. Anothger major con is the inability of iChatAV to integrate with other commercial web cam software. A pro? What many people don't know is that a regular firewire digital camera can be used as a high end camera with iChatAV as well!