• Apple's iMac, MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro computers incorporate a camera at the top of the display. This device is called the iSight camera, which has a small, green indicator light to the right of it that turns on when the camera is activated.
• ‎Air Camera is the best way to stream your camera to an airplay receiver. Apple TV, AirParrot or AirServer. Perfect for live events when you need a simple video feed to an external display. The external display only shows the video so elements like notifications, battery status and time don't dis.

1. Macbook Air Camera
2. Macbook Air Camera Fuzzy
3. Macbook Air Camera Replacement
4. Macbook Air Camera Test

Use the built-in camera on Mac. Many Mac computers and displays have a built-in iSight, FaceTime, or FaceTime HD camera located near the top edge of the screen. The camera automatically turns on when you open an app that can take pictures, record videos, or make video calls. You can decide which apps are allowed to use the camera on your Mac.

Apple recently released a new MacBook Pro, and it has all the latest specs: latest generation CPU, blazing-fast SSD, and keyboard so good that they call it Magic. One thing that didn’t change is the camera.

Macbook Air Camera

In fact, Apple didn’t change its webcams since 2012. If you check specs for 2020 MacBook Pro and specs for Late 2012 Mac, they both have “720p FaceTime HD camera”.

So, if you are a YouTube blogger or need a good camera for school or work, you either have to use iPhone or buy an external device.

I reviewed multiple webcams, and the following are my best recommendations.

Product Comparison: 3 Best External Cameras for Macbook Air And Pro

How to Choose A Webcam For A Mac

Image Quality

Let’s start with the fact that 720p cameras outdated. Apple had it on its laptops for 8 years, and eight years is a long time in the technology world.

Why did Apple not change it yet? I guess the reason is that the company likes big margins on its products. While they don’t provide sales numbers, I remember reading somewhere that they sell iPhones with a 50% margin, i.e., they sell a phone that costs them $200 for $400.

And one way to increase margins is to buy cheap parts. Since they can put cheap slow CPU into MacBook, Apple saves on non-essential parts such as webcam or audio.

But let’s compare 720p and 1080p cameras. It sounds that 1080 is not much bigger than 720; however, the difference is quite big.

A 720p camera has a resolution of 1,280 x 720 (921,600 pixels per image), and 1080p has a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 (2,073,600 pixels per image). In other words, the 1080p camera has a twice higher resolution.

More pixels mean a more detailed image. Have you ever tried to zoom in a picture until it gets blurry? Well, the depth of how far you can zoom in depends on the number of pixels. If the image has fewer pixels, it means the image quality is lower.

How about 4k cameras?

A resolution in 4K cameras is 3,840 × 2,160, or 8,294,400 pixels per image. As a result, they produce the highest quality.

Image Size

More pixels are better, right?

The answer, as always is it depends. Besides, image quality twice more pixels also means twice more space. And the same length video will be about twice larger as well.

If you have limited storage on the MacBook, then very big files can be a problem. Fortunately, this problem can be easily fixed by purchasing a large external hard drive. These days it is easy to buy a good brand name 4TB drive for less than $100.

Another issue with large size files is it takes longer to transmit them over the network. So, if you need a webcam for video conferencing, getting a 4K camera may not be a good idea because the connection can be quite choppy with the higher video quality.

Privacy Cover

Yesterday I received an email from one of my readers, which reads as follows, “I suspect my MAC has been compromised (I have a Macbook Pro) and all the software is up to date. I got a email from someone stating that they have recorded items via my macbook camera.”

I suggested purchasing a webcam cover on his MacBook.

The same recommendation applies to external cameras. Fortunately, some of them have privacy cover included, so there is no need to research and buy an extra part.

Microphone

Many webcams come with microphones as well. While MacBooks have a decent mic, sometimes it makes sense to use the one included in an external camera. It’s just one more feature to consider before making a purchase.

Connection Type

When choosing an external device, you have to know which ports are available on your computer.

For instance, if you have only USB-C ports, then having a camera which only supports USB 2.0 will not do any good. They are simply incompatible. It is true that you can buy an adapter, but having extra adapters is such a hustle, especially with MacBooks.

Ideally, I’d love to have Bluetooth devices whenever it is possible for two reasons. First, I don’t like to have extra cables around my laptops; managing them is a nightmare. Second, if all ports are being used by other devices, you may not have a free one to attach the camera.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find good Bluetooth cameras. I believe it’s because its bandwidth is not enough to transfer lots of data reliably. So, you have to choose between USB type A and type C.

Use USB type-A connectors with older Apple laptops: MacBook Pro 2015 or older and MacBook Air 2017 or older.

Macbook Air Camera Fuzzy

Use USB type-C connectors with newer Apple laptops: MacBook Pro 2016 or newer and MacBook Air 2018 or newer.

How to choose a camera for YouTube, FaceTime, Zoom or Skype

I have three simple rules when choosing webcams:

1. If your goal is to produce YouTube videos, then pick a camera with the highest resolution. While 4K videos maybe overkill now, I am confident that in a couple of years, they will be mainstream for YouTube. If you don’t invest in a good quality camera, later, when your channel will have hundreds of videos, you will regret that you didn’t shoot them with the best hardware. I heard some YouTubers had to redo videos for the same reason.
2. If the goal to use webcam in video calls and conferences, then Full HD (1080p) is good enough for the quality. At the same time, it does not require too much bandwidth, which is critical during the calls. You may need to allow webcam access for a particular app.
3. Avoid 720p cameras. They are the thing of the past, even if Apple does not recognize it yet.

Our Recommendations for Best External Camera for MacBook

Logitech BRIO – Ultra HD Webcam for Video Conferencing, Recording, and Streaming

Logitech is a brand well known in peripheral devices for computers and BRIO its top of the line product for external cameras.

It is being recommended virtually by every technology-minded site, and there are many reasons behind the recommendations.

The video quality is very high. You can see how BRIO compares to cameras built-in on MacBook, iMac, and Dell Inspiron laptop.

Macbook Air Camera Replacement

If you go to Amazon, you can see how BRIO compares to other Logitech cameras. BRIO supports multiple view angles (90, 78, or 65 degrees), which can be selected by its software. At the same time, the camera is UVC-compliant, which means it’s a plug and play device.

Things I like:

• 4K video resolution, it can also produce 1080p and 720p videos
• 5x digital zoom
• Autofocus
• Premium Light Correction
• Support for USB type A and C (can be used with old and new MacBooks)
• Built-in microphone
• Privacy cover

Things I don’t like:

• Background removal beta feature does not work well on MacBook
• Expensive

Logitech C930e 1080P HD Video Webcam – 90-Degree Extended View

Another good product from Logitech. This camera is best for video calls when you want a good image quality without taxing network bandwidth. This camera is being used by many users for many years, and it’s more appropriate for older MacBooks (without USB-C ports).

Things I like:

• 1080p video qiality
• 4X Digital Zoom
• Autofocus
• Light Correction
• H264 Compression allows having good quality videos with smaller file sizes and bandwidth
• Built-in microphone
• Privacy cover

Things I don’t like:

• Does not support USB type C

Allinko 880 Auto Focus Webcam 1080P with Camera Cover, Noise Cancelling Mic

If you are on a budget, this webcam worth looking at. The truth is that not everyone needs a premium device, especially if you need for video calls only. It has the decent image quality and the longest cable to connect to the USB port.

Things I like:

• 1080p video qiality
• Plug and Play
• Automatic Light Correction
• Built-in microphone
• Privacy cover: there are multiple versions of the camera, so make sure to get the one with the cover

Macbook Air Camera Test

Things I don’t like:

• No Autofocus: you have to focus manually

Made with better materials

• 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure
• 100% recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board
• 35% or more recycled plastic in multiple components

Smarter chemistry

• Arsenic-free display glass
• Mercury-free LED-backlit display
• BFR-, PVC-, and beryllium-free

Green manufacturing

• Final assembly supplier sites do not generate any waste sent to landfill⁶
• All final assembly suppliers are transitioning to 100% renewable energy for Apple production

Responsible packaging

• 100% of virgin wood fiber comes from responsibly managed forests
• Recyclable, majority-fiber packaging

Apple Trade In

Letting go of your old device is easy with Apple Trade In. If it’s in good shape, you can trade it in for Apple Store credit. If it’s not eligible for credit, we’ll recycle it responsibly at no cost to you. Good for you. Good for the planet.

Learn more

Read the MacBook Air Environmental Reports for detailed information on these devices’ environmental performance.