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Need Help Capturing with a Canon
Hi FCP Wizards,
Sorry for this long post, but I’m totally frustrated. I hope someone can help me out. I am a new FCP user. I am using FCP HD 4.5 Academic version running on a G5 with a dual 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5 with 1 GB DDR SDRAM. My camcorder is a Canon Optura 200 MC. I am unable to capture any video on my G5. I am using FireWire NTSC Basic as my device control and DV NTSC 48 kHz as my capture/Input. My Easy Setup starts out as DV NTSC but somehow reverts to Custom Setting. I can operate the camera through the L & C window’s controls with no problem. I can’t see anything in the L & C viewer because it says Preview Disabled and I can’t figure out how to enable it. I have tried Capture Now and I have tried Log & Capture and Batch capture. I uninstalled Virex. Whenever I try to import as Capture Now, the process aborts and a window appears that reads: “This operation could not be completed as there is no video.” When I try to use Log and Capture and Batch, the camera backs up and captures the clip, but then aborts with an ERROR message that there is no video.I tried Capture Now using my Optura 200MC on another G5 at the media lab at a nearby college. It worked just fine. So I don’t think it is the camera since it captured on another Mac. I figure that it must have something to do with how my computer or FCP HD is configured because I still can’t get get FCP HD to capture on my G5 at home. I can import video using this camera while in iMovie just fine on my Mac. In fact a silly process that I had to use the other day to get around this problem in order to complete a project was to import video into iMovie, export it as a Quicktime movie, and import that into FCP. Sheeesh.
Can anyone help?
Thanks, Larry
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8 Replies
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If your settings are set to FW basic, they won’t match the default easy setup for DV… that’s OK, but sounds like what’s happening to you.
If you can’t see video in the log and capture window, neither does your computer. So until you do, you won’t be able to capture.
You might try resetting your PMU switch found on your motherboard under the fan that reveals the RAM chips. Unplug your Mac from the wall first, and then just push this little round button labeled PMU in one time then wait a few seconds before restaring. It resets the FW bus’ power managment among other things like zapping the PRAM. I’ve seen it fix all sorts of FW problems including “dead” ports. Your’s sort of sounds like it’s “mostly dead”. (new high tech term for not working completely).
Be sure too that your clip settings in the L&C window are set to audio and video.
Jerry
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was the video recorded in any other speed than SP?
when you go to the apple menu -> “About this mac…” -> “More about the mac…” -> Firewire, does the camera appear?
If there are other FW devices on this mac, remove them and try again.
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Resetting the PMU is an interesting thought, although I would have suggested “Trashing the Preferences” first.
Click the following link for instructions on how to do this.
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/trashing_fcp_prefs.html
Another method is to use “FCP Rescue” a free Apple Script that will Trash the Preferences for you (and restore nearly all of your user settings afterward).
There are versions for FCP & FCE.Download these free Apple Scripts at
https://fcprescue.andersholck.com/
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Le Coyote ,
You asked: was the video recorded in any other speed than SP?
No.You asked: when you go to the apple menu -> “About this mac…” -> “More about the mac…” -> Firewire, does the camera appear?
Yes, it lists the OPTURA200MC as a FireWire Device.You suggested: If there are other FW devices on this mac, remove them and try again.
The only other FireWire devices are my Lacie Disk and my monitor. I’ll try removing the Lacie and capturing again. Do you think I need to remove the monitor?Thanks, Larry
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Thanks Jerry,
I have a few new ideas to try now! I appreciate your assistance! Larry -
Thnaks Matte,
I’ll try the trashing preferences strategy. I appreciate your help! Larry -
err wait a minute… you have a *firewire* monitor? You mean that you have a firewire video device?
If so, this is probably the problem. Quicktime (on which FCP depends) does not allow multiple video devices at the same time, even on separate firewire cards. It may work with some devices, but that is unpredictable. So if your really have a fw to analog video converter, disconnect it before capturing and print to video.
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Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I have a Cinema Display that uses a FireWire cable to enable the Firewire input on the back of the monitor.
I want to thank all who offered great ideas and post the resolution to the problem I was having in case others encounter it. I was advised that Canon camera’s like to be the only device on the FireWire bus. So I tried disconnecting my external Lacie Disk, which was the only thing on it and was able to capture just fine. I take this to mean that to capture in FCP with the Canon Optura 200MC, it needs to be the ONLY thing on the FireWire bus, including external drives. So now I have to figure out what drive to capture to. Any recommendations.
Thanks!
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