Apple iSight FireWire Webcam for Apple Computers M8817LL/A

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.

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.