Camera Not Attached

Question

So I've checked out the tips and tricks in as many places as I could find, but I am not very tech savvy so it could be something very simple I am not doing...
I am using a dv camera to digitize an analog signal to pass thru to iMovie but iMovie won't recognise that I have a camera there. The vcr is connected correctly, the cam (canon MV800) is on the right settings and all firewire cable to Mac is connected but nothing! No import. The video digitizes and makes it to my camera fine.
I have set the time correctly
I have my cam set to VCR mode
I have the cam settings switched to av-dv
I have a new firewire cable
All plugs are in right holes
I have switch off and switched on, I have powered down... or up, or which ever way it is.
What am I doing wrong? Please help I have been trying for over a week...
iBook G4   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

Answer 1

Hi Nanda
Sue is right. Cheque this.
After that my ideas was to role out that the Camera is OK. There is a faulth
that is tricky to find out else than testing the FW-port on the Camera to another
computer. There is an analog/digital chip that can be destroyed and then
You get in the situation You described. Control Camera tape movement but
no picture or sound.
This is a rare condition so if You can find out that the Camera is OK then
it's time to through Your Mac.
the av / dv setting is the one I would toggle on and off to see if it makes
any difference <
My list of what to do if Camera is OK:
Mac:
- hardware
◊ Slow hard disk (fragmented: repair permissions, repair hard disk, use a faster hard disk)
◊ I wonder how full your Mac's hard disc is. (David Babsky) A near full hard disk prevents Import/Capture.
◊ Disconnect all other ext devices (FW and USB) exept Camera (and keyboard + mouse) and try again
◊ Reset PRAM
◊ Bad RAM-chips
◊ disconnect Mac from powerline (not just switch off, really plug out) for a few minutes to reset FW ports
- software
◊ File-Vault is on - turn it off
◊ Something is occupying the CPU/System, like other programs, Internet etc.
◊ Do You have desktop pictures or screen or energy-savers active? Try turning them off.
◊ Updating - OS has to be a clean install - not an update eg from X.3.x to X.4.x (no good) OS X.4.0-5 needs a clean install to work (I use X.3.9)
◊ Updating QT and/or other updates (to 7 needs v6 to be cleaned out first) QT v.7.0.0-4 needs a clean install to work (I use 6.5.2)
◊ Have you tried the crazy fix: Open GarageBand, play a few notes, close it and reopen iMovie. The camera should import fine now. Sue/SDillini
◊ Running iDVD at the same time as iMovie can cause problems: (Lennart Thelander)
◊ If You also have installed FinalCut Express/pro there are possibly problems with this
iMovie:
◊ remove bookmarks in iMovie project
◊ Trash: com.apple.iMovie.plist and com.apple.iMovie3.plist : files (Xinram)
Connection:
◊ don’t Daisy chain Camcorder <--> external hard disk <--> Mac
◊ FW-wire cable, is it OK?
◊ USB/USB2 is NO GO !
◊ Cheque FW connection at Camera end. OK? (Adam Smith1)
◊ Cheque FW connection at Mac end. OK?
Camera:
◊ The Camera is set to VTR ? (not as when You ”film” record with it)
◊ You may be need to go to the Camera menu and select digital out.
◊ defective camera TRY IT ON ANOTHER MAC ! (if the A/D chip in the camera is harmed then it will say in iMovie that the camera is connected and You can forward rep. backward the tape but there will be no picture or sound just the blue screen).
◊ connect camera to power-line, not battery-only....(Karsten Schlüter)
◊ Canons don't allow daisychaining on firewire, make it "only device" on port (Karsten Schlüter)
◊ Cheque the menu on Your Camera so that it communicates with the FW digitally to Your Mac
◊ Date and Time is correct on Your Camera ?
Tape:
◊ Drop outs on the miniDV-tape - make a camera to camera copy on a tape which You have previous recorded with a time code (dummy recording).
◊ Break in the time-code on the miniDV tape (make a camera to camera copy on a tape which is pre-recorded with nothing/anything so that the tape has a time-code from beginning to the end)
◊ If You recorded in LP-mode (90 min on a standard 60 min tape with 12-bit sound). Try to change in iMovie pref. to import but not as individual clips. If this doesn’t work You have to make a Camera to Camera copy with the receiving Camera set to SP-mode and 16-bit sound.
More:
◊ follow advises here http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43000
◊ follow Grandmaster Dan's advice for Sony cameras here: http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/usage/5020.shtml
IT'S LONG and that's why I suggested to role out Camera at first.
Yours Bengt W