Connecting a firewire camera to a new MB?

[skinnylegs]

My video camera only has a FireWire connection. How can this be connected to a new MB?

 

[GoCubsGo]

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I believe your best bet is a FireWire to USB cable.

 

[chilipie]

I believe your best bet is a FireWire to USB cable.

I know there are lots of stores purporting to sell them, but has anyone actually got on to work with a Firewire camera on a Mac?

 

[acfusion29]

I know there are lots of stores purporting to sell them, but has anyone actually got on to work with a Firewire camera on a Mac?

It should, but you will get crappy speeds.

 

[skinnylegs]

Thanks for the responses!

I'll have to check out the FireWire to USB adapters. I really don't want to have to buy a new video camera to accomodate a new computer.

 

[Darth.Titan]

AFAIK there is no such thing as a firewire to USB adapter. The two technologies are incompatible.

If anyone can point me to one I'll happily recant my statement, but I've googled a lot and found no mention that such an adapter exists. I did, however find several articles that said such an adapter is not possible.

Impossible is such a strong word though...

 

[skinnylegs]

I just read the same thing when I Google'd it. This is rather perplexing given the fact that the new MB's don't have FireWire.

 

[danny_w]

All that a Firewire to USB cable will do is transfer power if even that much. Firewire and USB are 2 completely different protocols, and no cable on earth is going to change that. There are a very few Firewire to USB adapters available in the Windows world, but they are for very specific purposes, and don't work very well if at all; they also require proprietary conversion/capture software. This has been discussed in depth both here and on many other forums, including Apple's own. Face it, there is simply no way to connect a firewire camera to the new Macbook. Apple has screwed us again.

 

[flopticalcube]

AFAIK there is no such thing as a firewire to USB adapter. The two technologies are incompatible.

If anyone can point me to one I'll happily recant my statement, but I've googled a lot and found no mention that such an adapter exists. I did, however find several articles that said such an adapter is not possible.

Impossible is such a strong word though...

Pretty much spot on. The only current available adapter has Windows XP drivers only for it. I don't know how well it works but it never reached the sustained speeds of FW since USB is unable to. The only solution to the OP is to buy a USB camera.

 

[skinnylegs]

Thank you so much for your responses. I won't waste my time trying to find something that does not exist.

Now I'm really in a quandry because I want a new MB but I don't want to have to replace my camera!!!!

 

[deriko100]

Thank you so much for your responses. I won't waste my time trying to find something that does not exist.

Now I'm really in a quandry because I want a new MB but I don't want to have to replace my camera!!!!

Cant you use it on your current computer?

 

[iShater]

You can either get the "new" low-end MacBook at a good price and keep that for a few years, or either get a last-gen 15" MBP, or upgrade to a new MBP.

Or get a new camera that doesn't use miniDV at all

 

[danny_w]

You can either get the "new" low-end MacBook at a good price and keep that for a few years, or either get a last-gen 15" MBP, or upgrade to a new MBP.

Or get a new camera that doesn't use miniDV at all

See the following link. Not all USB cameras work, or at least work well, and some don't work at all.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1767713&tstart=0

 

[Let's Sekuhara!]

Welcome to the club. Here are just a few other threads on this that I've been following. And I see more cropping up regularly.

Users - Please Tell Apple to Keep/Put Back In Firewire
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/584218/

No FireWire in MacBooks
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/580420/

Poll: How many user really want FireWire on new MacBooks?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/583515/

There IS a MacBook that would suit your needs: the black one... and it's no longer available.

 

[11800506]

You could try a USB to Expresscard and then a Firewire Expresscard. It's a bit of a work around method and likely would result in slower speeds but it would work (likely). You could use something such as this:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/18/siig-rolls-out-usb-to-expresscard-adapter/ (Engadget says it works with OS X)

with this card:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=278321 (which also is supposed to work with OS X)

If you need Firewire I would think trying a method like this would be worth it than trying to buy a new non-Firewire camera. Also, if you were to buy them other sites have them for cheaper prices.

 

[editguy]

You could try a USB to Expresscard and then a Firewire Expresscard. It's a bit of a work around method and likely would result in slower speeds but it would work (likely). You could use something such as this:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/18/siig-rolls-out-usb-to-expresscard-adapter/ (Engadget says it works with OS X)

with this card:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=278321 (which also is supposed to work with OS X)

If you need Firewire I would think trying a method like this would be worth it than trying to buy a new non-Firewire camera. Also, if you were to buy them other sites have them for cheaper prices.

Sorry, but it doesn't work with firewire cards.

http://www.everythingusb.com/siig_usb_to_expresscard_adapter_12596.html

Only cards that are USB related. Firewire and USB don't mix. Period.
There's no way to fix apple's screwup. Only apple can do that, but don't hold your breath. They are becoming a consumer fad products company. There's a reason they took "computer" out of their name. It's sad.