How do I set up a "Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920" to work on an Apple MacBook Pro?

Here are the inspector notes on the QuickTime 7 Pro clips I made today. They were 15-16 seconds long. Named the files based on the app (qt7pro) followed by the quality setting in preferences, the image size and lastly the file size itself.

Only "Device Native" will give you HD resolution at roughly 8GB per minute. "Good" and "Best" will give you 640x480 video. The "Best" setting gives a slightly better (sharper) video. And "Better" is 320x180 video. Widescreen-ish, unlike "Good" and "Best". Not sure why.

With QuickTime X, you have 2 choices in the drop-down menu. "Good" & "Maximum". "Good" produces a 720p HD video which looks okay.

"Maximum" crashes qtX after a few second on my 2 year old MBAir i5. I waited for a couple of minutes but it continues to spin.

If you are interested in actually seeing videos to compare them, I can upload them and post a link if you want. I would have to shorten the 1080p file significantly, but could do that for evaluating.

One thing I don't know yet is what will happen if I'm recording a longer file and whether qtX or qt7pro will choke on larger files. Perhaps this is overkill. I'm a little compulsive.

Plug it in. Provided you are using Mac OS X version later than 10.4.8, no other setup is required.

OS X versions later than 10.4.8 provides all the software your C920 needs for operation with Apple camera apps including those shown in OS X Mavericks: Use your Mac computer’s built-in camera.

Unless you are using your camera with Windows® OS, I suggest that you not install any Logitech software. The software that Logitech includes with the camera may offer additional features over Mac OS X alone, but some Mac OS X users find that the Logitech software conflicts with some of their system elements or other installed third-party software.

Yes, plug it in and it will work, sort of. But not so easily for everyone.

Scan the web and you will find that the c920, while an awesome piece of hardware, lacks software to make use of it for the mac and many people mystified as to why it won't work as they expect and very little that you can do to control features that are available on the windows side.

Logitech does offer a free peice of software in the app store for free. "Logitech Camera Settings". Its for another cam I think, but some people have had success controlling the c920.

If that doesn't work, the app, "Webcam Settings" from the app store (formerly "Mactaris" I think) will control a number of the features on the cam. $8

Currently, I am also researching this and this is what I have found:

Some people are successful using this cam with some software such as photobooth, imovie, skype, etc. And others not so lucky. I use MBAir. I haven't tried skype yet and rarely use it. But I do record video and that was my main attraction to this cam. Thus far, the best way to record video seems to be directly into quicktime X (I have also used QT7 pro but I get different results than X). In the drop down menu in the movie record pane you should see the c920 as an option, along with your built in isight cam. Choose the cam for video and audio (unless you have a mic) and then choose the quality setting. "High" gets me 720p and it looks pretty good. "Maximum" will give me a few seconds of 1080p and then it crashes. Someone else found that once they installed FCPX they could record 1080p in quictime X on their MBAir, whereas they could not before. They suspect that QTX was now using a quicktime component that was not available before the FCPX install. That is what I've got to find out now. He says that it requires about a 1 gb per minute for 1080p. Based on my attempts, the "pro res 4444" produces a larger file and needs more horsepower than my MBAir can deliver. I don't know if this component in FCPX is ONLY available through FCPX or if it is available by itself. Maybe the MBP you have has enough power to handle the file. Would be interested to know.

I also have a 2009 mac pro 8 core that i will test eventually.

Anyway, some info that I hope is helpful.

Prescott

Just got off the phone with Apple Pro Apps Department & OS Department, regarding this same issue.

Long story short, they suggested trying Final Cut ($$$) or QuickTime 7 Pro ($30)

So I would very much like to know what results you got with QuickTime 7 Pro?

QT7pro at Device Native quality produced a 1920x1080 video using MJPEG open DML @ 30fps at a data rate of 998.88mbit/s, or in normal english, a big friggin' file. 1GB for less than 10 secs of video. I believe the Best (H.264) quality setting produced a 640x480 file. I will mess with this again over the weekend. Also hoping to hear back on what codec was being used from FCPX to get a satisfactory 1080p on QTX. Will eventually get FCPX, but not today.

I am running the least version of OS X on my newish Mac Pro and I get nothing out of my camera so this is not true. I have tried everything and its just not running video through the lens even though it sees the camera. I'm afraid its not that easy as you say.

I'd love more ideas if anybody has - I've tried both the Logitech app and and the Webcam Settings software but get nothing from either still, so I have no way of using this camera as yet in any way whatsoever. My main purpose would be to do Skype interviews but also to record some video too.

Please help someone!

I feel you. I myself am a youtuber and it took me forever. Download the logitech webcam settings app and then open up your FaceTime HD Camera or your Photo Booth camera. Up in the area with the Apple logo (sorry don't know what its called) there will be an area that says camera. Go to it then select your Logitech webcam. Then use the (Free) App to control your camera. And you're done!

As of March 4, 2017--this is simple and works perfectly on my 4-year old Macbook Pro:

1. Download the latest version of Logitech Camera Settings from the App Store -- mine was Version 3.31.623 (1.2)

2. Install and run the program.

2. Select the camera in PhotoBooth (my preference) or Facetime. It doesn't like Quicktime for recording.