Trying to attach Canon HV30 digital video camera to my brand new Mac Mini

[Angelo Lorenzo]

A Firewire 400 to 800 cable should work, 800 is backwards compatible. It is a hard drive based camera, so I assume firewire will have it pop up like a drive, rather than ‘capture’ like a tape based camera. It also has USB IIRC. HDMI is a dead end in this situation.

Angelo Lorenzo
https://filmsfor.us – Helping you sell your film online
Watch Steve Job’s Spirit Inside The iPhone 4S

Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!

This happens because the functionality/content marked as “Google Youtube” uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.

[David Notowitz]

No, the HV30 is not a hard drive based camera. It’s tape based. I want the Mac Mini to capture the live video output.

Notowitz Productions
Inspiring Action™
https://www.Notowitz.com

[Angelo Lorenzo]

Hmm… I wonder what camcorder I’m thinking of then. If you’re going to do tape capture then Firewire is basically your only choice. Get the 400->800 cable. A firewire to thunderbolt cable could work theoretically, but I wouldn’t risk your editing program not recognizing something hooked up to that input, not when the cables are still kind of expensive.

Angelo Lorenzo
https://filmsfor.us – Helping you sell your film online
Watch Steve Job’s Spirit Inside The iPhone 4S

Some contents or functionalities here are not available due to your cookie preferences!

This happens because the functionality/content marked as “Google Youtube” uses cookies that you choosed to keep disabled. In order to view this content or use this functionality, please enable cookies: click here to open your cookie preferences.

[Craig Alan]

Hmmm. That’s a real interesting question. I can monitor live out the HV series either HDMI or component. I know that hooking up a camcorder to the Mac via firewire will let you capture — as an isight cam. But thunderbolt is new and I have no idea if that would work. If you are capturing, you do not want to use your media drive and camera on the same firewire bus. Thunderbolt can handle multiple devices. My guess is that the camcorders would need to be configured to output via the thunderbolt standard. I would use a thunderbolt media drive and attach the cam via firewire. But I have no experience. So please post what your learn.

OSX 10.5.8; MacBookPro4,1 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz MacPro4,1 2.66GHz 8 core 12gigs of ram. GPU: Nvidia Geoforce GT120 with Vram 512. OS X 10.6.x; Camcorders: Sony Z7U, Canon HV30/40, Sony vx2000/PD170; FCP 6 certified; write professionally for a variety of media; teach video production in L.A.

[Bob Dix]

Hi David,

Have used one for 4 years HDMI is for output to TV etc, an IEEE 1394A Card or Firewire is the only way to capture video from the tape to edit into a PC. As you know the Canon at 25 Mbps is equivalent to pro specs for High Definition Video and matches all Canon Pro tape units. Good luck, and not the lower specs of 12 to 17 as per consumer camcorders.

Freelance Imaging & Video
AUSTRALIA