help with canon zr850

That unit does work with Mac. However one post found a bum cable.

I'll try taking it back for a new one. Hopefully that works! I'm still open for other suggestions in case this does not work.

but the camcorder needs to be in the "Playback" position (not Record) when transferring miniDV using Firewire.

1) Mac is on; camcorder is off.
2) Connect camcorder to AC power; connect firewire (not USB) cable to camcorder DV port and computer Firewire400 port (not USB).
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=174&modelid=14726#DownloadDetailAct
See page 68 for location of DV port (but it sounds like you already found it - just to make sure, there is no Firewire cable in the camcorder box - that is purchased separately... no, I don't know why they do this)
3) Power-up camcorder; place in "Playback" mode. (Page 32 for "Play" mode instructions)
4) Launch iMovie. Blue window indicating "Camcorder connected" appears.
5) Rewind tape from camcorder or iMovie (if the tape is not already rewound).
6) Click on "Import" in iMovie...

Thanks for the advise, but no luck. I have been doing that step by step with one exception. I had the camera on (in "Play" mode) before hooking it up. So, I gave that a try and still nothing. *major frustration!

4 questions...

1) Did the firewire cable come in the box with the camcorder or did you get it separately? (And were you able to replace it?)

2) Is firewire ON? In System Preferences, click Network, select Network Port Configurations... Is there a check-mark next to Firewire?

2) Is there another computer around to try this with? Friends or neighbors?

3) Do you have any other firewire devices - like an external hard drive - available?

No, I bought the firewire since none came with the camcorder. I did check the number with what is listed in the manual - a 4/6 pin IEEE 1394 cable. I am running on a MacBook and have not found anywhere to turn on the port. I have used a friends camcorder via firewire and it connected as soon as I plugged it in, so I do not think that is the problem. I am going to take it to my sister's work so her boss can look at it. He is a Mac guru, so hopefully he can figure it out. I'm getting really stressed out over this one!

I just wen in and checked and there was not a check mark next to it. I'm not sure how to set it up, so hopefully the boss will know that one. Thanks for possibly narrowing it down for me!!!

Sounds like you found where to do that... but just in case...

Systems Preferences
Click "Network"
Enter password if required to make a change (is the lock on the lower left locked or open?)
Up at the top, next to the "Show" drop-down, select "Network Port Configurations"
Checkmark "built-in Firewire", then "Apply Now"...

Well, it looks like it is a faulty wire. The boss-man said it fits way too loose in the camera port. He also tried to hook both my camera and my sister's to his Mac and got nothing. So we are banking on the wore and not 2 faulty cameras. It just stinks that the store I bought it at was closed yesterday and I have to wait one more day... I want to thank you all again and I'll let you know!

It was the firewire. I got a new one, connected it, opened iMovie, and viola! There was a blue screen with an import button! I am totally happy and just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I really do appreciate it. Also, if any of you know anything about Sony Locationfree, I have a question posted on that as well!

I have a DV cable, and it IS connecting to the computer and everything, but when I try to play or open the dv cassette with wondows movie maker, maker only finds the camera and not the tape......?

come in the box or did you have to buy it separately?

Please someone help me with my question above, I can't figure it out

and have not seen a reply...

Did the "DV cable" you are using come in the box or did you buy it separately?

And more...

What kind of computer is it? Make and model, please - So we can check the specs and firewire port availability.

What operating system are you on? Windows XP? Is Service Pack 2 installed? Vista? Which one?

Is the camcorder in "Play" mode?

There will probably be more - but this is a start...

It is a HP Pavilion 735n computer with windows XP standard. It DOES have a port for 1394 DV cable. I bought the cable seperatly, but it does work because when I go to "my computer" and click on the camcorder, and then press "play" on the camcorder itself the video shows up on the computer screen. On windows movie maker, it finds the camcorder when trying to open a new file, but its empty once I click on it. And yes, the camcorder is set to "play" and powered "on" the whole time.......

just checking - remember, we can't see what you see.

OK folks - anybody out there to assist?

I do all my editing on Apple Macintoshes...

Some solve their problems with that program. Once you get the video to your computer, you can work with it in WMM.

As for WMM: Seems like a WMM hiccup in the import process. I had some troubles as well with WMM in XP, not with DV import though.

In the manual it says that cable is only for transferring still pic. Unfortunately you have to use a firewire to transfer video, and Canon does not include that.

Forget about the cable post, I misread. It has been a long day... Are you running the camcorder off of the battery or the AC adaptor when trying to transfer? I am also running off of a Mac and iMovie, so I'm not familiar with your program. The only thin gI can think of is there is not enough power to do the transfer if you are running off of the battery. Best of lluck. I know how frustrating it can be!

Well I used windv and the movie showed up on there, and I captured it, but I do not know what to do from there, once it was captured I tried to open it through windows movie maker, but I could not find it anywhere....I couldnt find it anywhere on the computer except the windv screen itself...

Use search for files created in the last day or week.

I guess it didnt save or something, i can't find the damn thing, i just dowloaded windows media encoder, so hopefully I will have more luck with that

the video, you can see it... did you "capture" it and save it?... Or did you "Import into collections"?