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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Apple Inc. |
| Type | Motion picture camera |
| Lens | |
| Lens | Glass, internal auto-focus lens system |
| F-numbers | 2.8 |
| Sensor/medium | |
| Sensor type | DigitalCCD |
| Sensor size | 1⁄4 inch |
| Maximumresolution | 640 × 480 pixels |
| Recording medium | Attached to computer viaFireWire |
| Focusing | |
| Focus | Automatic (50 mm – ∞) |
| Shutter | |
| Shutter speeds | Continuous up to 30 frame/s |
iSight is a brand name used byApple Inc. to refer to webcams on various devices. The name was originally used for the external iSightwebcam, which retailed for US$149, connected to a computer via aFireWire cable, and came with a set of mounts to place it atop any then-current Apple display, laptop computer,all-in-one desktop computer, or round surface.
Apple introduced iSight at the 2003Worldwide Developers Conference, and it was intended to be used withiChat AV, Apple's video-conferencing client.iMovie (version 4 and later) could also be used to capture video from the device. In April 2005, Apple released afirmware update for the iSight to improveaudio performance. As of October 13, 2008, the external iSight was no longer for sale in the Apple online store or in retail locations.
Meanwhile, Apple began using the term to refer to the camera built into Apple'siMac,MacBook,MacBook Air, andMacBook Pro computers,Thunderbolt Display, andCinema Display. In November 2010, Apple began calling them "FaceTime cameras". However, the term was not retired, as theiPhone 4 and later,iPod Touch (fifth generation and later),iPad (third generation and later), iPad Mini, and iPad Pro all incorporate an “iSight” rear camera in addition to a front-facing “FaceTime” or “FaceTimeHD” camera.
The external iSight's ¼-inch colorCCD sensor has 640×480-pixelVGA resolution, with a custom-designed three-partF/2.8lens with two aspherical elements. It features autoexposure, autofocusing from 50 mm to infinity, and video capture at 30 frames per second in 24-bit color with a variety of shutter speeds. However, the iSight has an image delay of approximately 120ms.[citation needed]
The iSight incorporates internalmicrophones with dual-elementnoise suppression. The actual camera only takes up one-quarter of the unit; the remaining space is primarily occupied by its two microphones and mounting socket.[citation needed]
The iSight camera weighs 2.3 ounces (63.8 grams). It uses a single FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) cable (included) for audio, video, and power.
Four camera mounts, a plastic tube carrying case, and a FireWire camera mount adapter are also included. The user can select the mounting bracket most appropriate for their monitor or other mounting surface. It is fully compatible with itsnativemacOS, as well as partially compatible with theMicrosoft Windows andLinux operating systems.[citation needed]
The iSight has a small greenLED that illuminates when the camera is in use. It also has an iris that closes by twisting the front of the camera.
Although external and internal iSights have significant differences, Apple has used the "iSight" name to brand its built-in video camera found in theirMacBook (includesRetina MacBook (2015-2019)),MacBook Air andMacBook Pro notebook computers,iMac desktop computers produced since late 2005 and theLEDCinema Display. While the external iSight is similar to the built-in iSight, the built-in iSight uses an internalUSB 2.0 interface and not the FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) interface used by the external iSight camera.[1] Further, the built-in iSight has a plastic lens, is fixed-focus, and uses aCMOSactive pixel sensor, rather than theCCD used in the external iSight. With the LED-Backlit MacBook Pros, Apple has moved to using a sensor capable of 1280x1024 pixels. The built-in iSight can also be used in thePhoto Booth application onmacOS andiOS.
In 2011, the iSight branding on cameras built-in to displays on the MacBook Pro and iMac was renamed to FaceTime camera. The FaceTime HD cameras included with the 2011 and later models of the MacBook Pro and iMac can output720phigh-definition video.[2] TheiMac Pro, released in December 2017, introduced a newer generation FaceTime HD camera which now outputs1080p video. This newer generation camera was later built into the 2020 27-inch iMac model in August 2020.
Some MacBooks are affected by theiSeeYou vulnerability, potentially allowing their iSight cameras to record the user without the user's knowledge.[3][4]
Linux kernel 3.0+ internally contains the driver for the iSight camera.[5]
For previous versions of the kernel, one has to manually extract the firmware from Apple's driver with a specific program. The Apple driver cannot be deployed inside a Linux distribution due to legal issues.[6] This lack of native support in the kernel for iSight persists on MacBook 2.1.[7]
The June 2010 release of the iPhone 4, where Apple introduced theFaceTime communication platform, also involved them naming the integrated front-facing camera on the device a "FaceTime Camera". All subsequent devices and models, including smartphones and personal computers, released after this announcement had the camera branded as FaceTime cameras.
In March 2012, with the release of thethird generation iPad, Apple re-introduced the iSight camera branding for therear camera on iPhone and iPod Touch releases (retroactively, in the cases of older models still being sold at the time). Apple would once again discontinue use of the iSight branding in 2015, starting with the release of the iPhone 6s. Similarly, Apple discontinued the use of the FaceTime camera branding with the iPhone 8 as the last phone in 2017 in favour for the TrueDepth Camera branding on the iPhone X.
In general usage the iSight rear camera is used to take higher-resolution photos in scenarios where better quality is usually desired, whereas the front-facing camera is used for lower-resolution casual video conversations using the FaceTime communication platform.
