# iSight Replacement Found!



## Calgary Guru (Apr 25, 2006)

Now that iSight is gone, I'll tell you about another compatible web cam!

LOGITECH QuickCam Pro 5000 works with OS X 10.4.3 or later NATIVELY.

No driver required for aMSN or SKYPE... iChat needs an inexpensive addon (7 DAY demo available).

Works best if you have a USB 2.0 HIGH SPEED port available (I'm using a 4 port PCI card in my G4 tower).

Right now, it's on sale for only $50 at Future Shop after rebate. The sale ends on Thursday. Otherwise, it sells for about $75 at PC discount shops.

The reason this supposed WINDOWS-ONLY web cam just "works" right away on the Mac is that the built-in camera on the newer iMac and MacBook machines is really a USB webcam that conforms to the USB Video Class (UVC) standards. The webcam from LOGITECH (new ones with ©2006 in the fine print) happens to conform to this standard! The microphone in it works as well. Also, you get to control things like brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness in some programs. It was $50 well spent! Especially considering what the iSight used to cost!!!

Anyway, I thought I would pass it along. If nothing else, it's a cheap way to add audio input support for SKYPE and iChat to machines like the original Mac MINI that don't have an audio INPUT jack.

Hope someone finds this useful!


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## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

Sorry, but that camera has a cheap, unattractive physical appearance, and requiring you to purchase an extra piece of software to make it work with iChat is ridiculous. Bring back the iSight, Apple!


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## Calgary Guru (Apr 25, 2006)

Lars said:


> requiring you to purchase an extra piece of software to make it work with iChat is ridiculous.


Except this isn't because of some sort of hardware limitation... It's old code in iChat that doesn't know about anything other than FIREWIRE devices.

Proof of this comes from the fact that the LOGITECH webcam is happily recognized by Quicktime Player (assuming you've got QT PRO)... Bringing up a record window links instantly to the stream coming from the camera. Other places in the OS where a webcam should work also have no problem... It's ONLY iChat that has this "bug"... [EXAMPLE: using the webcam to change the user icon for login in the ACCOUNTS system preference pane]

The iChatUSBCam enhancement is only $10US so it's hardly a deal killer...

I mean, $50 + $10US x [exchange rate] is still way LESS than the old iSight price.

Would I be even happier if they would fix the video source support in iChat AV? Sure!


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## echo_hrs (Apr 7, 2005)

But the iSight is so much sexier...

Cheers


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## jotti (Jan 24, 2007)

Will it work on G4 Powerbooks?


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## Silver Back (May 30, 2005)

*Will the Quick Cam Pro 5000 work with a G4 iMac?*

Will the Quick Cam Pro 5000 work with a G4 iMac?


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

echo_hrs said:


> But the iSight is so much sexier...


And so much more discontinued


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## Calgary Guru (Apr 25, 2006)

Silver Back said:


> Will the Quick Cam Pro 5000 work with a G4 iMac?


I use it on an old G4 tower running at 1.2 GHz with a USB 2.0 PCI 4-port card... If your iMac has USB 2.0 ports, it should be fine. It likely would even work on a machine with USB 1.1 ports, but the video would likely be quite choppy. Did the G4 iMac have USB 2.0 ports?

It MUST be a newer version of the PRO 5000 complying with UVC standard... there is an older PRO 5000 camera that WILL NOT WORK... be aware of that...

The correct new one can be checked in Apple System Profiler when installed, and it will display this information:

Version: 0.05
Bus Power (mA):	500
Speed:	Up to 480 Mb/sec
Product ID: 0x08ce
Serial Number: A5B5BE9A
Vendor ID: 0x046d

What matters is that the PRODUCT ID must, I repeat MUST, be 0x08ce.


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## Silver Back (May 30, 2005)

Calgary Guru said:


> I use it on an old G4 tower running at 1.2 GHz with a USB 2.0 PCI 4-port card... If your iMac has USB 2.0 ports, it should be fine. It likely would even work on a machine with USB 1.1 ports, but the video would likely be quite choppy. Did the G4 iMac have USB 2.0 ports?
> 
> It MUST be a newer version of the PRO 5000 complying with UVC standard... there is an older PRO 5000 camera that WILL NOT WORK... be aware of that...
> 
> ...


Thanks very much for the research. I just bought the one suggested at Business Depot ($49.99) with no rebate unlike the Future Shop ($79.99 - $30.00 rebate). I will have to open it and install as the box doesn't have the info you indicated it must have.

The box indicates that it is "Vista" capable so it should be the latest version but only installation will tell. My iMac has USB2 and runs at 1 Ghz.

Thanks once again for the research it certainly is a pleasure to have a forum like this to get/give information such as you have provided me and others like me.


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## Calgary Guru (Apr 25, 2006)

Silver Back said:


> I just bought the one suggested at Business Depot ($49.99) with no rebate unlike the Future Shop ($79.99 - $30.00 rebate).


Odd... the website for Staples/Business Depot still shows it at $120... Did a sale recently end where it was on sale for $49.99?


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## Silver Back (May 30, 2005)

It was the last one on the shelf and the shelf had a sign that said RECENTLY REDUCED FROM $69.99 or $79.99 not quite sure. I don't know if it had been recently on sale. I had already purchased the one fron FS so I just purchased the one at Staples/Business Depot and returned the one to FS. I don't like the rebate business and I thought that FS and Best Buy were going the way of Staples (i.e. "easy rebates" via the internet), but they must have changed their mind.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

I think Apple should make a "Mini iSight camera" and then start selling them again,
Then everyone would be happy. ($69. or less would be a nice price)

No...I didn't mean this:
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/w...era_behind_your_monitor_with_minihitch_camhi/

Dave


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## machead (Jan 5, 2003)

I agree with LARS! APPLE Bring back the iSight, Soooon.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

So, is the iSight "officially" gone, or has Apple made it unavailable without saying anything at all about it?


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## jhollington (Jan 29, 2007)

There's been no official announcement to the best of my knowledge, but quantities seem more limited. The Apple Stores in Toronto still seem to have some stock, but not as many as they used to.

The current rumour is that the new line of displays will all have built-in iSight cameras, much like the current MacBook and iMac line. If that's true, then they're probably waiting to make an official announcement until that new line comes out, I'm guessing.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

HowEver said:


> So, is the iSight "officially" gone, or has Apple made it unavailable without saying anything at all about it?


It looks like it is, Apple just sells the accessories for it at the Apple store.
It's a hot item on ebay, Just like the old Airport cards were.

I can't believe Apple could be so short sighted (heh)

Dave


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