Dead iSight. Will ANY DV camcorder work?

Question

My iSight died. And at $164.89 to repair, I'm really giving serious consideration to shelling out a few extra dollars and just going with a firewire DV camcorder. I know they have the obvious drawbacks of size and complexity (but I can also make videos away from my computer, which is a plus), so I guess my question is, will ANY DV cam with a firewire interface work? If so, does the cam put a heavier load on the processor than an iSight or a USB cam would? Any minimum hardware or software requirements to make something like this work? My tower is a G4 DA with 1.5 gigs of RAM and a 1.5 GHz processor from OWC. It runs the latest version of 10.5. I also have an older Dual USB iBook, which didn't meet the minimum specs for the iSight. Think a firewire camcorder would work at all on that? It's just 500 MHz with 320 gigs running 10.4.11. Anything I need to consider, or any brands/features I need to give consideration to or, conversely, avoid? Anyone have experience doing this and has an idea of the advantages/disadvantages? Thanks!

Answer 1

Hello again, garygg
Will ANY DV camcorder work?
Some, perhaps even most, will.
However, if you mean EVERY when you say ANY, the short answer to your question is no.
Any Mac compatible DV camcorder that connects to your computer via Firewire will work.
My old Sony DCR-TRV17 and DCR-TRV70 both work great. However, for a time after my now-discontinued models were available, Sony sold a different camcorder called "micro-DV" camcorders that were notoriously Mac-unfriendly. These Sony micro-DVs did NOT claim compatibility with Mac, and they were not.
There may be other makes and brands that won't work, too. Check the documentation that is packaged with any camcorder of interest to be certain it claims to be "Mac Compatible" and that its instructions show how to use the camcorder with a Mac. Camcorders whose manuals or other documentation do not explain how to use them with Macintosh computers are probably NOT Mac compatible.
Of course, the best way to be CERTAIN is to try the camcorder you are considering with your very own Mac before you buy. If a DV camcorder will download the video it has recorded to your iMovie, it will work on your Mac with iChat.
If you don't know someone who will let you test his camcorder with your iChat or test a short download from his camcorder on your Mac, buy from a trusted merchant that will give you written full-price refund or exchange privileges if the camera you choose does not work for you.
As for system requirements, whether you mean requirements for a particular software application that you intend to use (such as iChat system requirements) or the requirements for a specific DV camcorder, YOU must carefully compare the stated minimum requirements with the capabilities of YOUR system. If you do not KNOW how to interpret both sides of that information, having a knowledgeable and trusted retailer is even more important.
Video streams contain a LOT of data that requires a LOT of processor power. Storing captured video requires a LOT of disk space. Transmitting video requires a LOT of bandwidth. Among other possible issues that Firewire video can raise is possible hardware or software conflicts with other Firewire or AV hardware and software. Unless you are CERTAIN, you may be best served by buying from an Apple Store or a knowledgeable Apple VAR who can answer your questions authoritatively for your personal system configuration.
I began "iChatting" with my Sony webcams before I got my iSight. My rationale for changing to iSight is show in iSight versus DV Camcorder or other web-cam, which was written years before iSight was discontinued. However, the comments about the advantages of a webcam (whether iSight or some other webcam,) still apply today.
I chose the Sony brand of camcorder because the quality and features met my amateur needs.  Moreover,I was using a Sony still camera and all cables, memory cards, batteries, chargers, and cables worked on both my still camera and the new video camcorders, thus saving considerable money on ancillary items. However, you needs and budget may be different. Pick the brand, quality, features, and cost that work for you. The only thing I know to specifically avoid is any DV camcorder that is not Mac compatible.
If you have other questions, we will be happy to respond to your specifics.
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2)  External iSight