Help! Capturing from Sony Handycam to FinalCut Pro

**EnOcH5** · 10-21-2008, 08:56 AM

I need to capture a PAL video from a mini dv tape and the only available camera that plays pal is a sony handy cam that for some reason macs don't recognize sony cameras well, and I tried checking if it had a driver for macs, it only had for os9 and lower.

Any solutions you can suggest would be great... Everytime I try to log and capture, it just says unable to initialize video deck and stuff...

**RandyQ** · 10-21-2008, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by EnOcH5

I need to capture a PAL video from a mini dv tape and the only available camera that plays pal is a sony handy cam that for some reason macs don't recognize sony cameras well, and I tried checking if it had a driver for macs, it only had for os9 and lower.

... Everytime I try to log and capture, it just says unable to initialize video deck and stuff...

You should troubleshoot this from the very beggining of the capture chain. it is NOT TRUE that Macs dont recognize Sony cameras well, definitely this is not the problem. There are other things to check before you come to this conclusion.

Check your CABLE first because this is the first to get busted.

After that, Check your camera's FIREWIRE PORT. Consumer cameras with the Sony-style four-pin 1394 port get fried all the time and are usually the problem. Only way to check this is to try another camera, and I hope that isn't busted too (been there, done that).

A driver to detect the Sony cam? This is not the problem, but I would like to hear from someone who can confirm this. Never had a problem with a Mac detecting a camera due to drivers ever since.

Make sure you RESTART your Mac with the CAMERA ALREADY ON and in PLAYBACK MODE. Some macs/cameras dont detect after you have already started. Restart FCP with the camera on also - You can also try to "help" your mac detect the camera by playing it, sometimes this works to force detection.

So much for that - thats all I know. Reason we switched to Macs is because these just work, assuming your camera signal chain is OK, not like when we were using (aaargh) PC based systems.

**EnOcH5** · 10-21-2008, 09:54 AM

Thanks for the suggestions!

The cable isn't the problem, I have a canon and a panasonic camera with me and they work fine (just tested them when the sony cam won't work... unfortunately theyre ntsc so they won't play the tape. Even without restarting or anything, my computer recognizes it and i can capture fine. And I have tried restarting the comp and playing the sony cam... I have searched around on the net, and there are several forums that have posted problems with sony handycam on a mac and no answers to them either...

Any other suggestions? Anyone else?

**RandyQ** · 10-21-2008, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by EnOcH5

Thanks for the suggestions!

The cable isn't the problem, I have a canon and a panasonic camera with me and they work fine (just tested them when the sony cam won't work... unfortunately theyre ntsc so they won't play the tape. Even without restarting or anything, my computer recognizes it and i can capture fine. And I have tried restarting the comp and playing the sony cam... I have searched around on the net, and there are several forums that have posted problems with sony handycam on a mac and no answers to them either...

Any other suggestions? Anyone else?

Is that so? Should have mentioned that in your earlier post - would have saved time. If your setup works with other cameras, then its your sony camera thats the lemon - could be a fried port which happens a lot to Sonys.

Theres no solution except to get another camera to play it back. Some NTSC cameras can playback PAL - maybe your other cameres can, unless you checked already. I playback PAL from my Sony cameras all the time.

**EnOcH5** · 10-21-2008, 04:02 PM

Thabnks... Hassle! I don't know anyone else who has a PAL camera... any other suggestions? anyone?

**RandyQ** · 10-21-2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by EnOcH5

Thabnks... Hassle! I don't know anyone else who has a PAL camera... any other suggestions? anyone?

Good grief, I am so sorry I gave you the wrong information. Apparently NTSC Sony cameras CAN payback PAL footage, as I told you we did all the time. But this is not true PAL footage - good only for viewing on the LCD, but wont transfer over firewire. You can WATCH IT, but you can't CAPTURE IT.

I believe this is what you are encountering, which explains why you have no problems with capturing using other cameras / brands with your setup (meaning its not your setup, nor your camera).

Unfortunately, the solution isn't just another camera as I suggested, but another PAL camera.

If you are REALLY STUCK and can afford it, you can get a cheap one in a pawnshop. OFWs bring back PAL cameras all the time.

**EnOcH5** · 10-21-2008, 07:34 PM

Yeah.. I even tried S-video out and it plays on the tv (bad quality too), but for some reason won't go into the computer through canopus... I give up... I think I've just convinced client to re-shoot. hehehe!

Good suggestion on the pawnshop though, i would never have thought of that. Although, am hoping this is just one of those rare cases I will get where in client only tells me they shot using PAL camera when they hand me over the materials. hehehe!

Thanks for all the help randy!

**imabs** · 10-21-2008, 09:32 PM

wait, have you tried using a pass through converter by Canopus?

**EnOcH5** · 10-22-2008, 08:59 AM

yeah, for some reason when i connect it to the tv, it comes out, but when i connect the dvi firewire to the computer, nothing still comes out. weird. That sony camera is just really weird I guess cause even downloading drivers for it is such a pain... my friend suggested image mixer by sony, but even that isn''t a free download... annoying.

**imabs** · 10-23-2008, 04:28 PM

usually, iLinks are for video in and outs. but if you use the yellow red and white audio-video cable, it serves only video out to tv monitors. try looking for portable pass-through gadget for that handycam.