What It’s Like to Unbox an Apple iSight Camera in 2025

It was common for iMac G4 users to pick up an iSight camera back in 2003, but many don’t even know that this webcam exists. This device was Apple’s first standalone webcam, designed initially as an external device for Macs without built-in cameras.

The iSight sold for $149 and used FireWire to connect, which made it different from the USB webcams most people were buying. It had a cool, tube-shaped aluminum body that matched Apple’s early 2000s style, looking a lot like the Power Mac G5. Its ¼-inch CCD sensor gave 640×480 VGA pictures at 30 frames a second with 24-bit color, which was pretty good back then.

iSight’s custom three-part F/2.8 lens with two aspherical elements offered autofocus from 50mm to infinity and autoexposure, making it easier to use than webcams that needed you to focus by hand. It had two microphones that cut out background noise and came with different mounts for laptops, desktops, or flat spots, so it worked almost anywhere. A twisty shutter and a green LED light let you know when it was off, which was a nice idea when webcams were still relatively a new thing.

The iSight was made to work perfectly with iChat AV and iMovie, starting up as soon as you plugged it in. This easy setup was a big plus when lots of webcams needed special discs or extra apps. It could also do fun stuff, like scanning barcodes with software like Delicious Library, showing it was good for more than just video chats.