lissaq10
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Transferring from Canon Vixia HG20 help needed!?!

I'm not a computer savvy, so I would need some easy, step-by-step help. 

I currently have iMovie 10.0.5 on my Mac and I own a Canon VIxia HG20.  I cannot get my iMovie to read my videos on my camcorder.  Is there a way to do it? I really want to get off of my camcorder to start putting my videos together and burn on discs. 

I do have it plugged in and on the playback mode.  It does see the camcorder, but not any of the videos on it.

Can anyone help??

Posted on Jan 19, 2016 4:45 AM

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lissaq10

Q: Transferring from Canon Vixia HG20 help needed!?!

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  • by jason269,

    jason269 jason269 Jan 20, 2016 12:30 PM in response to lissaq10
    Community Specialists
    Jan 20, 2016 12:30 PM in response to lissaq10

    Hello, lissaq10.  

     

    Thanks for the question!  I understand that you want to import videos taken with your camcorder, but iMovie doesn't recognize your videos.  After looking at the specs of your Canon VIXIA HG20, it doesn't look like this model of camcorder is supported with iMovie.  

     

    iMovie supported cameras

     

    The next option would be trying to import the videos with iPhoto or Image Capture.  

     

    Import images from your camera using Image Capture

    You can also use Image Capture to copy images from your camera to your Mac. 

    Image capture

    Image Capture is included in the Applications folder in OS X. Use these steps to import your images using Image Capture:

    Once you've imported your photos using iPhoto or Image Capture, you can add them to documents in apps like Pages or Keynote. Or share them using email or chat.

    Importing movies

    If your device records movies, look to see if the device includes a Thunderbolt, FireWire or USB connection or cable you can use to connect it to your Mac. If your camera records to disc or tape, make sure the media you want to import is inserted in your camera. If your device records to a removable card, you can insert the card into a card reader connected to your Mac to import its movies.

    If you're using a video camera that also takes photos, the USB connection on your device might only be designed for importing still images. If you can't import your video using USB, check to see if there is a FireWire (sometimes called iLink) or Thunderbolt connection on your camera as well. Some USB devices might require additional software to be recognized by your Mac. Check the documentation that came with your device for more information.

    A camera connected with iMovie

    Once you connect your device or media card, you can use iMovie to import your camera footage using these steps:

     

    Using a camera with your Mac

     

    Once these files are imported to your computer, you can import them from your Photo library or the file you directed Image Capture to save them into.  

     

    Import media from your Mac

     

    Please let me know if you have any additional issues and thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.  

     

    Cheers

  • by lissaq10,

    lissaq10 lissaq10 Jan 25, 2016 2:31 PM in response to jason269
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 2:31 PM in response to jason269

    This looks like just downloading the pics from my camcorder, or am I incorrect? 

     

    So, if my camcorder is NOT compatible, as it seems...is there an app or program that I can download to be able to upload my incompatible camcorder and then use a converter to transfer to iMovie format?  That may be a really stupid question, but this stuff confuses me.  :-)    OR am I just screwed and can't get my videos EVER to iMovie?

     

    (FYI- I do have a windows computer at home as well, but most of my videos are on iMovie)

     

    Thanks

  • by Nubz N.,

    Nubz N. Nubz N. Jan 27, 2016 6:55 AM in response to lissaq10
    Community Hosts
    Jan 27, 2016 6:55 AM in response to lissaq10

    lissaq10, 

     

    Thank you for the follow-up.  You can import videos using Image Capture and it is the same process as importing pictures.  If they are able to be imported via this process, you can then drag them into iMovie or iPhoto.  The format of these movies will be in an AVCHD format and this format is supported by iMovie.  You also do have the option to import them using your Windows computer, place them on an external media source and import them to your Mac as an alternative solution.  The article below covers how to import media from a Windows computer to a Mac.  Please disregard the section on Migration assistant.  

     

    How to transfer data from a PC to a Mac  

     

    Cheers