Master source files mysteriously go offline, no workaround-{??}

Question

I am working on a short film project in Final Cut Pro (latest version, but not latest update). I imported the footage as a master clip, then split it into three large clips. Anyways, I have the whole thing edited except a few additionaly scenes on a new tape. So I try to log and capture the last remaining scenes with a new camera I just bought, but I keep getting a message saying "Cannot capture footage as there is no video". This problem didn't exist with my old camera, so I get confused. What happened was, in my haste I fiddled around with some settings I shouldn't have. I think the problem started when I switch my MEDIA MANAGER file destination to another external hard drive. I don't know why I did this, but I thought it would help. Around this same time, I tried to log and capture by "batch", something I have never tried before. But then I realize something - More than half of my film has gone offline!!
When I try to reconnect the media and perform a SEARCH, I get a referenced film called "Untitled1" that is a 5 second clip that has nothing to do with the 12 minute clip of footage that has gone offline in my timeline. So, I try to manual find the 12 minute file, but cannot. At this point, I am afraid that my 12 minute file, which could have been named "Untitled" also has been replaced by this 5 second clip. So, I try and search ALL "Untitled" files, but my 4 or so Gig file is not showing up. To my knowledge, the file couldn't have been deleted, since I seem to have the same amount of free space on the hard drive as I had before.
Next, I figure it's somehow the camera, which wouldn't let me import new footage. I return the camera and get a new, (and albeit twice as expensive) camera, but the same error persists. [[on a side note: If in log and capture, you get a 'preview disabled', how does one ENABLE preview?
Anyways weird thing is, I see the footage fine in the camera's LCD, but not on Final Cut, which is telling me there is no video. And, at this point, I'm not sure what it is exactly I did when I fiddled with my Final Cut Pro settings to screw it up this much. A third of the film, referencing "Untitled2" and "Untitled3" master files is still there and plays fine, and all of my EDITS are there, except that that other 3/4 of footage is offline and unviewable. [[rendering all doesn't help at all]]
I tried opening a new project and importing, but I get the same error message and cannot import my tape. I tried OLD tapes that worked fine before and were already used, but the problem persists. I've tried everything I know, but I cannot get my footage ONLINE. I can find no place on my computer where most of my footage should be. When I tried to reconnent using a different file, my offline edits can completely thrown off, but at least I made a backup for THAT. I should have made a backup to the original, but that was my error.
At this point, it seems I need to reedit it, but I can not even import my original tapes now!!!
I would immensely appreciate help, as I am in turmoil and have a deadline to send this film in to complete my short film collection.
I can supply more information, but please respond, and I will work with you. This film means everything to me.
- Jeffrey
imac G4 800 MHZ   Mac OS X (10.3.4)  

Answer 1

This should solve the camera issue:
#30 - Deck recognition after Tiger Upgrade:
Shane's Stock Answer #30:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1063600&#1063600
The credit for this goes to Bob Sidebotham:
I was just walked through a repair procedure by an Apple Care person, and it fixed my camera recognition problems (I have a Canon XL1 and sometime after installing Tiger, then 10.4.1, various patches (including Quicktime 7.1) and the latest Desktop Video patch, I've been unable to use the camera with Final Cut Express, and attempts to capture would result in a FCE crash).
The workaround is to download Quicktime manually, after removing the "receipts" which indicate that it is loaded. Specifically, I was told to do the following:
1. Navigate to Library -> Receipts on your main drive (not from your personal folder).
2. Remove all files of the form QuickTime*.pkg, where "*" is a version number. E.g. QuickTime600.pkg, QuickTime650.pkg, Quicktime700.pkg and QuickTime701.pkg. This simply tells your system that those packages are not installed.
3. Go to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/downloads and click on the "download Quicktime" link. DO NOT USE THE AUTOMATIC UPDATE UTILITY. Download QuickTimeInstallerX.dmg. Double click this file (probably on your desktop) and then invoke the installer by double clicking QuickTime701.pkg.
4. After your computer reboots, you should be able to restart FCP and see your camera.
Shane