iSight
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) |
FireWire | |
Focusing | |
---|---|
Focus | Automatic (50 mm – ∞) |
Shutter | |
Shutter speeds | Continuous up to 30 frame/s |
iSight is a brand name used by
Apple introduced iSight at the 2003
Meanwhile, Apple began using the term to refer to the camera built into Apple's
Design
The external iSight's ¼-inch color
The iSight incorporates internal
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 its
The iSight has a small green LED that illuminates when the camera is in use. It also has an iris that closes by twisting the front of the camera.
Built-in iSight
Although external and internal iSights have significant differences, Apple has used the "iSight" name to brand its built-in video camera found in their
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 output 720p high-definition video.[2] The iMac Pro, released in December 2017, introduced a newer generation FaceTime HD camera which now outputs 1080p video. This newer generation camera was later built into the 2020 27-inch iMac model in August 2020.
Security concerns
Some MacBooks are affected by the iSeeYou vulnerability, potentially allowing their iSight cameras to record the user without the user's knowledge.[3][4]
iSight on Linux
Linux kernel 3.0+ internally contains the driver for the iSight camera.[5]
For previous versions of the kernel, one has to manually take out the firmware from Apple's driver through a specific program. This is because the Apple driver cannot be deployed inside a Linux distribution, the cause being legal issues.[6] This lack of native support in the kernel for iSight persists on MacBook 2.1.[7]
iSight Camera vs. FaceTime Camera
The June 2010 release of the iPhone 4, where Apple introduced the FaceTime 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 the third generation iPad, Apple re-introduced the iSight camera branding for the rear 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.
References
- ^ Apple Developer Connection, "15-inch MacBook Pro Developer Note" Archived October 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Last updated: May 9, 2006.
- ^ "Identify your MacBook Pro model". Apple Support. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
- ^ Soltani, Ashkan; Lee, Timothy B. "Research shows how MacBook Webcams can spy on their users without warning". Washington Post.
- ^ Peckham, Matt (December 20, 2013). "Apple, Please Give Us a Fix — a Guarantee — that Our iSight Webcams Are Safe". Time – via techland.time.com.
- ^ "Linux_3.0 - Linux Kernel Newbies". kernelnewbies.org.
- ^ "MactelSupportTeam/AppleiSight - Community Help Wiki". help.ubuntu.com.
- ^ "MacBook 2,1". h-node.org. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
External links
- iSight Linux audio driver project page
- iSight Linux driver project on SourceForge
- iSight Programming Guide for FireWire iSight cameras on Apple.com