How do I use my camera with Macintosh OS X?

Last Revision Date: 5/14/2015

Our imaging products may be used with a variety of software programs on OS X. This table lists the our cameras compatible with certain software programs used on OS X.

Note: For FireWire Cameras: The MyRecorder sample program in the Mac OS X Reference Library uses the QTKit framework API with IEEE-1394 cameras.

Installation of the following may improve compatibility between the cameras and the Macintosh platforms:

    • Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 or later
    • QuickTime X or later
    • QTKit framework API

 

Software Compatible with

libdc1394 Control Library

libdc1394 is a free open-source library that provides a high level programming interface for application developers to control cameras. Macintosh OS X compatibility was introduced in version 2.0 of the library. Refer to the libdc1394 section in SourceForge for compatibility details.

FireWire
USB2
USB3

(libdc does
not support Blackfly S)

 

OpenCV 2.1

OpenCV is a free, open-source, cross-platform library focusing on real-time image processing. Version 2.1 of OpenCV provides a QTKit backend interface for Mac OS X. This sample program uses OpenCV in conjunction with the QTKit API and OpenGL to program IEEE 1394 cameras.

FireWire
USB2
USB3
GigE

MVTec Software GmbH

MVTec is a manufacturer of software for machine vision used in a range of applications including medical image analysis, automotive and robotics, surveillance and remote sensing. For information on their image acquisition interface, visit their website.

USB3
GigE

Pleora

Pleora is a supplier of external frame grabbers and embedded video interface hardware for system and camera manufacturers. Pleora’s software development kit features an extensive library of sample code, providing a quick-start platform for applications development. For more information, visit Pleora’s website.

USB3
GigE  

For more information, see "Streaming USB2 and USB3 Cameras with libdc1394 in OS X" and "Using the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adaptor."

We do not provide Macintosh support and therefore may be unable to answer questions regarding development or use of cameras with this operating system. For information on specific software features and compatibility, users are encouraged to contact the relevant third parties for further details.

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