Are the iSight cameras in both the newer Thunderbolt display and the non Thunderbolt Cinema display identical?
I sometimes see the one in the newer Thunderbolt display referred to a HD.
Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9), New Mac Pro 3,2 Ghz,6 GB of RAM.
I cannot find any official Apple publication that specifically and authoritatively answers your question.
Over time, Apple has changed the built-in camera's name on newer Macs and displays from "iSight" to "FaceTime" and then to "FaceTime HD." My guess is that, whether for the same or different names, over a significant time period cameras are not "identical," at least in in construction or vendor supplier source. There may also be differences in camera aspect ratio;i.e., 4:3 vs 16:9. However, the mere fact that there may be such differences do not necessarily prevent these cameras from being functionally equivalent.
I just discovered the following:
Open Photo Booth and take a picture.
Locate that new picture at the bottom of the window and right click on it.
Selece "Locate in Finder"
Goto the picture in Finder and do a "Get Info" on it.
On my mid-2-11 iMac, in the Get Info window, I find that the picture is 1080 x 720.
This is considered High Definition.
Doing this on my just purchased 2012 Mac Pro and non-Thunderbolt 27 inch display, I find that the picture measures 1280 x 852.
But I could not use the Get Info window to determine the size. I had to locate the photo in Finder and open it with Graphic Converter. Seems that Maverick (on the Pro) is somewhat different in that the info window is different.
It also states that the camera is 1.1 mega pixels.
Your milage may differ !
TomL100 wrote:... I just discovered the following:...
Some other things for your consideration re: HD and its impact on images:
Wikepedia and some other web sources I have seen say that the Thunderbolt display has a built-in 720p FaceTime HDcamera. However, Apple does not always specifically include the specific "p" pixel resolution information. For instance, as you have noted, Apple - Displays - Technical Specifications does show "FaceTime HD camera" in the "Thunderbolt display" but simply "Built-in iSight camera" for the "Cinema display".
For instance, I use the 2008 24" LED Cinema Display. Its built-in iSight offers a maximum resolution of 1280x1024 pixels, which matches your 27" display's camera. 1280x1024 certainly allows the 720p definition of high-definition (HD) regardless of whether the camera is identified as "HD". Of course, the software controlling the camera must support its maximum resolution to obtain the 1280x1024 image size. For example, QuickTime movie recording at Maximum quality captures the full 1280x1024 on my Mac, but images made with my camera using OS X 10.9's Photo Booth app images are only 1280 × 853 pixels. This variance reflects the possible aspect ratio difference to which I referred in my initial response to you. Notwithstanding the difference, my camera works fine for its intended purposes in all Apple apps even without the "HD" designation.
To me, camera resolution is a relatively minor consideration far less important than the quality of the images the system produces. In addition to the camera, that quality is also effected by the software operating the camera and the display or printer that outputs the image. The best way to know if the image is adequate for your purpose is to test the the exact camera / software / output combination that you are considering before you buy.
iSight camera resolution?
