How to connect external hard drive and DV camera

Question

Level 1

8 points

How to connect external hard drive and DV camera

I have just bought a macbook pro with only one firewire 400 port. My question is, what is the best way to connect up an external hard drive and a DV camera so I can import video to Final Cut. Should I be plugging the camera directly into the external hard drive's firewire port and conecting the hard drive to mac via USB or connecting DV to mac via Firewire and then mac to hard drive via USB? Or does it make no difference!

Thanks in advance

Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Jan 3, 2008 8:00 AM

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Answer 1

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Jan 3, 2008 8:21 AM in response to thatbloke

If the drive has two firewire ports, connect the camera to one FW port on the back of the drive and connect the drive to the computer using the other port.

If the drive does not have two firewire ports, you'll need an Expresscard 34 firewire card to create a second firewire bus. The card goes in the slot on the side of the computer. Hook up either the camera or the drive to it.

The cards can be found online for a reasonable sum of money.

Do not use USB.

Good luck.

x

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Answer 2

thatbloke Author

Level 1

8 points

Jan 3, 2008 8:27 AM in response to Studio X

I have a Lacie D2 Quadra which has one firewire 400 and one firewire 800. My Mac just has one firewire 400 port. The lead for my DV camera is to firewire 400. Is it possible to buy a lead from the DV camera that connects to the drive's firewire 800 port so I can connect the Mac to the 400 port?

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Answer 3

Studio X

Level 7

27,229 points

Jan 3, 2008 9:27 AM in response to thatbloke

Connect the camera to the fw400 port and the drive to the fw800 port. You'll need a fw800 cable and most likely a fw400 6pin to 4pin for the camera.

x

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