I have a problem with the built-in camera on my MacBook Pro. If I angle the screen so that the camera is pointing at my face, the screen is uncomfortable to look at. Allow me to explain.
Normally I arrange myself and my laptop like this:
The screen is angled so that it is roughly perpendicular to my line-of-sight, and my eyes are slightly higher than the top of the lid. This provides a lovely, expansive computing experience, approximately like this:
However, the iSight camera is positioned at the top of the screen, and stares straight out:
This means that the resulting camera image is centered too high:
Of course, I can adjust the angle of the lid downwards so that the camera image is centered on my beautiful fizzog:
But if I do that, the arrangement now looks like this:
The camera is perfectly aligned, but I’m having to stare down at my screen at an angle:
(Angle in photo slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect.) It feels cramped and wrong and I can’t stand it for long.
Mac users are usually pretty obsessive about their computers, and are quick to whine about perceived design faults, but I haven’t heard a peep from anyone else about this situation. Am I really the only person who has this problem? Am I using my laptop in a completely non-standard position? Am I nuts?
Helen Batt
No -I agree - same with me -the resolution is brill, but the angle is particularly wrong and unajustable…..I suppose nothing is perfect ……yet……;)
H x
January 9th, 2007 11:31 pm
Pete
I find the same thing with my Macbook. However I also think my camera is angled slightly to the right too.
To getmy face centred in the frame I have to turn the laptop a few degrees clockwise.
Wonder if there is a way to adjust where it’s pointing?
February 6th, 2007 11:03 pm
Mtt Gibson
Nope, you’re not the only one - I found this page by doing a Google search to see if anyone had any ideas about how to solve this problem (although I’m guessing it’s take-the-case-apart time, which is something I may well leave until I’m out of warranty…)
February 27th, 2007 12:16 pm
mofobaru
Yes, it’s normal to use a laptop with the screen angled slightly back. So obviously the built-in iSight camera should be tilted down a few degrees to compensate. Strange Apple missed this one.
June 28th, 2007 7:31 pm