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Question

My mac doesn't have firewire but I need it....

Jul 20, 2011 3:48PM PDT

I want to buy a miniDV camcorder that only has a firewire connection. In a spellbinding fit of wisdom and forward thinking, Apple decided not to include a firewire port on my model MacBook. I'm stuck now. I love this particular camera (Panasonic AG DVX100B) and it has everything I want but I'm not sure how I'll get the footage onto the MacBook. I've not been able to locate a firewire to USB cable and I've heard that even if they existed, i'd be sacrificing some quality to do that which I'm not keen on doing. I'd hate to have my choice dictated by interfacing problems. Any suggestions on how to get around this without sacrificing picture quality or buying a new mac? Is this such an issue that i shouldn't even be considering this camera at all or is there a viable work-around? Thanks!!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Unfortunately, this camera does not have a USB output
Jul 20, 2011 10:34PM PDT

which severely limits your choice of transfer methods.

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Answer
The MacBook
Jul 20, 2011 11:22PM PDT

The MacBook has always been Apple's low end model... At least until they officially killed the line off yesterday, leaving the MBAir to fill the gap... Which also doesn't have FireWire per se, but Thunderbolt is basically just FireWire over DisplayPort.

In any case, I have to say, the spellbinding fit of wisdom and forward thinking award has to go to you, for buying something before making sure it would work with your computer. I forget if the 2008 Aluminum MacBook, which later became the 13" MBP, had FireWire or not, but at least since the Late 2009 model of the MacBook, and then also the Mid-2010 refresh, there hasn't been a FW port on the MacBook... So it's not like this is some new thing. It goes back almost 2 years, at least. And all you had to do was just take a quick glance at the left side of your MacBook to see that there is no FW port.

IF a USB to FW adapter exists, and that's a rather big IF because the two systems are VERY different... So IF such an adapter exists, your best bet to find it would probably be Monoprice.com. It would probably be a big bulky box that you put between the camera and computer.

So, that all being said... Assuming no such adapter exists, you have basically three choices:

1: Get a MacBook Pro
2: Get a different camcorder
3: Continue on in the almost certainly futile hope that some solution will magically present itself in the future

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thanks but read more closely
Jul 21, 2011 9:46AM PDT

Appreciate your attempt to help but those were two options that I was already aware of. Also, perhaps read a little more closley next time. I haven't bought the camera yet, hence my questions and the research I'm doing. Thanks anyway.

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I missed one word
Jul 21, 2011 11:10AM PDT

I missed one word, and maybe you should try reading a little more closely yourself. Your post was written in a way that makes it very easy to think that you've already bought the thing and now you're upset because you didn't notice the MacBook you bought has no FW port.

Something else I'd suggest, is now that you know you don't have a FW port, maybe look for the next model up that has everything you want, plus a USB option, and maybe some other features that may be useful in the future. Whether or not it's cheaper than Bob's $99 solution, or you're willing to pay a little extra to have the convenience of not having to use some kind of intermediary is up to you.

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Nothing wrong with the way the post was written
Jul 22, 2011 12:38AM PDT

See the first response

P

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All good :)
Jul 24, 2011 10:23AM PDT

All good guys, thanks to all of you for your advice, it's genuinely appreciated.

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Answer
99 buck solution.
Jul 21, 2011 12:51AM PDT
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Answer
Thanks mrmacfixit
Jul 21, 2011 9:48AM PDT

Cheers, appreciate the advice. Definitely not what I was hoping to hear but at least the picture is getting a little clearer: looks like i'll need to reconsider my choice of camera. Thanks!

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Answer
This looks like it'll work!
Jul 21, 2011 9:52AM PDT

Bob, thanks heaps!! I'm going to look into this now, looks like it'll work just fine, in HD even
! Thanks mate, really appreciate your help Happy