I am a newly converted mac user. The Panasonic camera I have is an approximately 5 year old camera and it is a mini dv format. Imovie doesn't seem to recognize the camera when I connect with a USB cable. The Imovie support site doesn't list the model # as recognized to further confirm my suspicions. What are my options when it comes to loading movies from this camera into Imovie short of finding and borrowing someone's mini dv camera which is compatible?
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Imovie compatibility with Panasonic PV-DV953
- Thread starter MichelG
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I'm experiencing the same problem. I KNOW for a fact I have used this camera with my 17" Powerbook, but that was about 3-4 years ago. I just had this camera repaired and want to start dubbing my DV movies to DVD, but it won't mount on my desktop on my G5 running 10.5. I searched for drivers, and only came up with a driver for PC. Again, I know for a fact I used this with 10.4 on my laptop, but it's not working now. What gives?? Anyone with an idea?? 
What makes you expect a camcorder without a FireWire port to be recognized by iMovie?
I don't see a firewire port, nor did it come w/ a fw cable. It has a USB port, a DV port, and a S video jack.
The DV port is FireWire.I don't see a firewire port, ... It has a ... DV port, ...
I just found this thread, which took place many months ago. Did either of the two Panasonic users find a solution that worked for them?
I have the identical problem - my new iMac can not see my Panasonic DV953D. I have tried USB-USB and firewire-firewire. As SpeedE55 noted, I know for a fact that my old iMacDV-Special Edition was able to see the camera, as I edited some small amount of video 5 years ago - using iDVD I think. Sadly, I do not have the cable that I used then. At any rate, I have a new 20" iMac and a good 20 miniDV tapes I would like to start editing. Kind of hard when the computer can't see the camera.
I have the identical problem - my new iMac can not see my Panasonic DV953D. I have tried USB-USB and firewire-firewire. As SpeedE55 noted, I know for a fact that my old iMacDV-Special Edition was able to see the camera, as I edited some small amount of video 5 years ago - using iDVD I think. Sadly, I do not have the cable that I used then. At any rate, I have a new 20" iMac and a good 20 miniDV tapes I would like to start editing. Kind of hard when the computer can't see the camera.
You should not need drivers for DV. The drivers would be for USB, which is ONLY to transfer the still images the camera could capture.
The DV/Firewire cable looks like this:
The smaller one (4-pin) is the camcorder side.
In iMovie 08+, make sure you "Import from Camera", not Movies.
Well? Any luck?
Mine (Panasonic PV-DV953d) has no firewire (or DV) port: only S-video, AV, and USB. What can I do to get video from the tape onto my computer?
Mine (Panasonic PV-DV953d) has no firewire (or DV) port: only S-video, AV, and USB. What can I do to get video from the tape onto my computer?
aha!
The firewire (DV) port is located UNDERNEATH the handgrip, covered by an admittedly well-marked flap. The standard 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable I purchased at Office Depot for $21 worked perfectly. My MacBook had no trouble whatsoever importing the video from my digital tape.
The firewire (DV) port is located UNDERNEATH the handgrip, covered by an admittedly well-marked flap. The standard 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable I purchased at Office Depot for $21 worked perfectly. My MacBook had no trouble whatsoever importing the video from my digital tape.
sure. I use it all the time; just plug it in, turn the camera on, and switch iMovie from edit to input mode. Instead of recording using my webcam it automatically detects and records whatever the camera sees.
And this allows you to capture footage previously recorded to mini-DV tape?
Yes. You can either capture what the camera sees without recording onto the tape, or you can put the camera in VCR mode and capture previously recorded footage into iMovie by clicking the "import" button on the iMovie screen.
Can iMovie only see a camera plugged directly into the MBP? My DV-953 is daisy chained via a FW drive. The only camera option imovie shows is for the built in isight. FCE can see the camera fine when it is daisy chained and can capture from it. Is this a limitation of imovie?
Anyone? If I just need to get a 9-pin to 4-pin FW800 cable and plug the camera directly into the MBP I will. First, I would like to know if iMovie can utilize a camera connected through a FW drive?