Comments on: Webcams that work with Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

By: yash

yash — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:13:40 +0000

I am using a 2007 macbook pro with 3 gigs of ram and 2.16ghz core 2 duo processsor with snow leopard and still logitech webcam can give only 5 frames per second on every video recording app. SUCKS!

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:20:07 +0000

I have been reading about it and people say that the frame rate is very low, maybe even at 5 for a PowerBook because of incompatible drivers or something. Is that true?

G4 PPC
1.33GHz
2GB RAM

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:32:18 +0000

This was a useful set of comments.

I found myself looking for a webcam for my MacMini (running Leopard) and Apple monitor that I bought a year ago that appear to have come with no iSight. (If you think I’m missing something, let me know, but there is no lens anywhere and a search on my hard drive for “iSight” turns up nada.) It’s always something. I will try the one you recommend but wish Apple had not sold me a monitor wthout the builtin camera.

By: Ramji Narayanan

Ramji Narayanan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:45:12 +0000

Hi everyone! I was gifted a Logitech Quickcam Communicate STX which officially does not run on a Mac. I downloaded Macam as some of you have suggested and it appears to work with my Mac mini. Thank you, one and all. Ramji

By: ocdude

ocdude — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:45:45 +0000

I actually have both the 9000 and the notebook version. I’m running 10.4.11 on a mac mini with the 9000 version and it works just fine. Quicktime doesn’t seem to like it too much (it commits sepuku when I try to record something), but the 9000 is actually picked up by Final Cut Pro.

The notebook version is hooked up to a last generation iBook G4 12in, and it also works pretty decently. However, on the iBook, the camera gets a ridculously low framerate, so while it does technically “work” it doesn’t work as well as the 9000 on the desktop. Unfortunately the owner of the iBook, my girlfriend, is now on the opposite coast so I can’t test the 9000 on the notebook.

For both I did not have to do any additional steps to make it work. It was just plug and go.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:13:16 +0000

has anyone tried the webcam and video effects on a mac in an windows virtualmachine ? does this work ?

By: mark

mark — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:12:38 +0000

re: Tiger compatibility: as of 10.4.9 USB cameras that are UVC (USB Video Class) compliant are recognized.

Also note, not all current logitech cameras are UVC.

New models are rolling out, of particular interest is:
Logitech 960-000217 1.3MP (software-enhanced) Effective Pixels USB Interface QuickCam Connect – Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104226&Tpk=UVC%2bWEBCAM

@ $30 this seems most reasonable, and includes a mic. Since most people are looking to sit a fixed distance from the screen and chat manual focus shouldn’t be an issue.

Lastly: OP mentioned about not being able to set the Mac to get the full res. NOTE: Apple’s software will decide optimum res up to max and depends on your connection (down and up), as well as CPU / GPU…so they optimize it for clarity and smoothness, though I agree it would be nice for them to have default and custom overrides. Ohh, and alot of people are bent out of shape on max res, realize that alot of cameras advertise interpolated resolutions, not there actual resolution…

good luck all

By: Chris G

Chris G — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:54:03 +0000

The 9000 worked fine on my MacBook with Lepoard for Skype, Quicktime Pro movie record, and I presume iChat (I don’t have an account to test). However, PhotoBooth seems to be hardcoded to use the built-in iSight camera if available which may explain why it does work for you on a Mac mini . Also, the Flash player can’t find it for video conferencing (the yahoo problem). It just lists DV, firework, and USB camera (iSight) inputs. That seems more of a Macromedia poblem, though.

By: Bill Carter

Bill Carter — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:11:29 +0000

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6754611/Trail/searchtext%3EWEBCAMS.htm

By: Bill Carter

Bill Carter — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:43:49 +0000

Hello,
Came across your blog after a google search for webcams for Leopard.
Running MacBook Pro with Leopard and don’t like the low level built-in camera looking up at me, so wanted an external.
Would you believe I found a USB2 cheapo which works with iChat. Once it is plugged in iChat gives you a choice of built in or USB camera.
Again, you don’t get all the advantages of the supplied Windows software, and PhotoBooth doesn’t immediately seem able to locate it, but for Â£18 from Argos UK you can’t really grumble. Fits OK on top of my 17″ Apple Studio display
It is the Mikomi 1.3 MP USB PC Webcam (on page 576 of their current catalogue – more expensive version on the next page).
HTH?

By: Brad

Brad — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:33:24 +0000

Read your artical on quickcam 9000 with great interest, as I am also running Lepard on my Mac Book Pro lap top. I have as you know a built in Isight cam but wanted an external cam and found the same info as you did on the 9000 and bought it.

It works great on Ichat but does not show up on Yahoo even when selected in the cam preferences of Yahoo, any ideas?

Thanks in advance, Brad

By: James A-J

James A-J — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:53:50 +0000

Mmm, Macam shouldn’t have anything to do with it. It might be the cable or the camera – check it works at the shop or on a friends machine – if it’s ok elsewhere, it is just vaguely possible that the Powerbook does not supply enough power to the USB feed (my 9000 would not work off the keyboard USB port for that reason). Try another desktop first.