Hi,
I'm not sure if this is the right spot but here I go.
I have some analogue video (from a bird box!) that I am feeding via composites and the supplied plug to my Canon CamcorderMV830i. I have the setting correct so that I can see the pictures in the viewer and on the little screen. If I then try to connect the camera by firewire to my mac (imac 20" G5) the picture on the camera screen gets whiter and whiter and then blanks out, I don't even have to push the firewire cable fully home before this happens. I have done this process before and not had this problem.
Any ideas?
Look for a hard reset switch - it's usually a recessed button operated by a paper clip. If yours doesn't have one remove the lithium backup cell for a few mins.
I don't have mac or your camera but..
I can't think of any reason why a cameras viewfinder would be influenced by pc/mac unless (remember firewire is bi-directional) camera is set (possibly in menu) for input not output.
HTH
Thanks to both of you for trying to help.
I can't find a 'hard reset' button but I have had the back-up battery out for a few minutes and put it back in and there is no difference. Same 'white out on the screen when I go to plug the firewire cable in.
The input to the camera is via the AV socket which normally takes the signal from the camera to, say, the TV by composites. I have switched that via the menu to AV-DV. I can't see anyway of altering the way the signal goes from the camera to computer via firewire.
I have done this before so I am doing something fundamentally wrong!
Thanks
I have just tried connecting the firewire cable to my ibook G4 instead of my imac G5 and guess what? No problem.
I must have some firewire setting on the Mac wrong.
Any ideas????
Hi
Did you first transfer the analogue to DV tape in the camera, before capturing that tape into the computer as a separate operation?
Edit: This was cross posted with your previous reply...
Are you using iMovie, QT or FCE/FCP? If the latter do you have your G5 capture set to 'Non-controllable device' in the Capture settings?
Thanks for the support Paul.
It is a 'live' feed I suppose you could call it so I am not transferring to tape.
I am using imovie HD but that would appear irrelevant as I have the problem as soon as the cable is plugged in before I have even opened the programme.
As before, I can bet it to work on the laptop!
This is driving me nuts!!
Does the "white out" condition persist even after opening you editing software and trying to capture?
The white out does not last long as the screen turns blue with no picture at all.
This has got to be a mac setting don't you think?
You've eliminated the camera somewhat.
When you connect DV devices together via firewire there has to be some "agreement" between the device before any useful exchange of data can take place.
In VCR mode a camcorder can send or receive so the camera will do nothing until told otherwise in the 'agreement' stage.
In PLAY mode it will always send - this is partly why DVD recorders with a dumb DV terminal work with cameras but not edit systems. Likewise most (but not all) DVD recorders have only firewire IN and not OUT.
It's possible that your Mac has thrown a wobbly -and isn't up for 'agreement'. Try connecting a different DV device and see what happens. In my experience of Windows this usually forces a driver refresh and fixes mashed firewire SOFTWARE issues.
I agree that the Mac has thrown a wobbly!!
There is a way to re-set the firewire, physically' which I will look up.
Hi
On the Mac reset the SMU:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1767
Before you boot up the Mac attach the camcorder to the FW port, and switch the camera on in VCR mode. Then boot the computer. This makes sure that OS X has recognised the camcorder's type correctly.
Then try capturing.