Transferring footage from a TR-7000

[SkepticalMetal]

The main camera that I hold at my disposal is a rather "vintage" one from the 1990s: an old Sony DCR TR-7000 camcorder that records to Hi-8 tapes. We've tried hooking it up to my Mac mini via a Firewire cable in an attempt to get some footage that I've shot into iMovie, however the computer doesn't appear to recognize the camera, which I'm assuming is due to the fact that the camcorder itself is ancient.

Does anyone know of a way to get footage from this kind of a camera onto the Mac?

 

[Zensteve]

I'm assuming is due to the fact that the camcorder itself is ancient.

It could be just that it's a Sony. No Sony camera has been recognized by the last few Windows desktops I've had; I end up popping the HD tape into a Canon and importing from there - but there's not that option for Digital-8 tapes. Maybe try to score a Hitachi-brand Digi-8 camera, and see if that works? I don't think anyone else made them.

I suspect it's because Sony uses their proprietary version of FireWire (iLink), and that you need a compatible type of firewire card. Hmm, did the camera come with an installation disc, maybe? Might be some import software on that.

But yeah - not unusual to see a computer not detect the Sony camera at all - at least in my experience.

.

 

[Will Vincent]

The last version of iMovie that shows support for that camera is iMovie 3.

It could be a firewire issue though. I've read other devices having issue with apple's firewire 800 implementation. This apparently sorted that issue out for other people: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CDJPQ...and=332821130953718734&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

I'd think if the device isn't being recognized by the computer at all that'd be the first place to start. Whether the camera is officially supported by iMovie or not. I can't imagine the transport protocol has changed all that much that you wouldn't be able to grab footage via firewire from an "unsupported" camera -- so long as your system can actually "see" the camera.

 

[SkepticalMetal]

@ ZenSteve

The camera might have come with some installation software, but that's really out of the question now seeing as we've had this thing forever -- with the two things we've been able to keep up with being the charger and the camera itself.

@ Will Vincent

I don't think it's a FireWire issue, actually -- we specifically ordered the FireWire cable we got to match the needs of both the camera and the Mac.

 

[Will Vincent]

It could be the firewire port on the camera has died (I've had that happen).. or yes, it absolutely could be the cable. Whether or not what you ordered was supposed to be correct doesn't automatically mean it will work in every situation.

First thing to check is whether or not your mac is seeing the camera... Should show up in System Information under firewire, I would think...

Next thing to check is if it works on a different computer, probably a windows or linux machine so you could rule out it being an osx issue specifically.

You need to take a systematic approach to determining what the specific issue is, and don't just off the bat rule out that it could be the cable, or the firewire port on the camera...