Apple launches Apple Store app in India

The Apple Store app provides customers with the most personalized way to shop for Apple’s innovative lineup of products and services. Learn more >

You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Import Mini VHS

So my Canon ZR300 Camcorder is not recognized by FCPX. Talked to FCPX people and they little help on how to import mini VHS tapes into FCPX since my Camcorder is not recognized. I did manage to research that you could transfer the VHS tapes onto a memory card through the camcorder. When I tried to do that, FCPX will accept the media, but it is terrible quality. Does anyone know why the quality would drop so drastically by doing what I did? And if so, how to keep the original quality? Also, I thought that I could try to find a camcorder that FCPX should recognize, so I could transfer the media to FCPX but now Im worried that the quality of the media (tapes) will also be degraded. Anyone have any experience with that? I dont want to go thru the hassle of finding a "compatible" camcorder (that FCPX people said, even though its listed as compatible, may still not be) if the quality is going to compromised.

iMac Pro

Posted on Apr 27, 2020 4:22 PM

Reply

Similar questions

20 replies
Sort By: 

Apr 28, 2020 12:31 AM in response to brenowden

There is no point in using another camcorder .

Any mini DV camcorder that is on the compatibility list for FCPX will have the same FireWire port that your Canon ZR 300 has. So you will need the same cables /adaptors.

The cables you require are the FireWire cable and the FireWire to Thunderbolt adaptor mentioned in this.....

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251304950




Reply

Apr 28, 2020 1:27 AM in response to brenowden

You need the Apple Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt adapter:


Also the Firewire 800 to 400 cable:


Be aware that not all firewire cables will carry the necessary in/out information for a DV transfer.

All quality cables do but some do not.


After connecting you cable and adapter go the System Report and under the Firewire section you will see your Canon camera shown on the right hand side.

If your System Information looks like the below picture then there is an issue.

The picture shows my Macs current Firewire status because my camera is NOT connected.

The point is to make sure the camera and your Mac are actually communicating correctly before trying to transfer the footage:


Al

Reply

Apr 29, 2020 12:55 AM in response to brenowden

"I have the fire wire and an adaptor, the issue is FCP not recognizing my camcorder,"

Does your FireWire cable look like this?


Does your adaptor look like this? It is a FireWire 800 to Thunderbolt adaptor.

the ends of the adaptor look like this, slightly enlarged from above pic.


If not, what are you using in the hope that FCPX will recognise your camcorder.?


Reply

Apr 29, 2020 11:35 PM in response to brenowden

Al said

"Do you have a 400 to 400 firewire cable or a 400 to 800 firewire at hand???? "


" a 400 to 400 firewire cable" is cable A shown below

" or a 400 to 800 firewire" is cable B shown below


If you have cable B then you have the correct FireWire cable, to use with your 800 to thunderbolt adaptor.

If you have cable A, then yes you will need a 400 to 800 adaptor to go with it, but this adaptor may be a similar price, or even more expensive than the price of cable B , if so just buy cable B to use along with your 800 to thunderbolt adaptor. Fairly cheap on eBay.







Reply

May 2, 2020 3:03 PM in response to thesurreyfriends

Got the adaptor, and all connected. Went into my systems report, and the firewire "tab" shows my camera. Open FCPX and my camera is now an option but when I try to import the media, nada. (Again I believe its because FCPX is not compatible with my camcorder). So I tried going through Quick Time Player. I selected new new movie recording...found my camcorder and clicked on my camcorder and audio to my camcorder. When I play the camcorder the sound appears to go to Quick Time Player, but the video does not play through QT and if I try to "hit the" red record button, nothing happens. So is this codec is not readable issue with the camcorder? I can't understand what issue it could be but just that. And then is the only way to import the media is to find a camcorder that is on 'the list"? Thanks Again! The image is of QT player.

Reply

Apr 27, 2020 6:50 PM in response to brenowden

Just to confirm:

The Canon ZR300 is a mini DV camera which is quit different to VHS-C (compact VHS).


The first thing we need to know is the model of your Mac computer so we can establish what type of connections are required to get the footage from the camera into your Mac.


Regarding the Memory Card transfer:

This camera is from an era when recording to cards was in its infancy.

That's why the quality is sooooo bad. Not recommended.


The quality from a digital mini DV tape will be excellent when transferred to a Mac, identical to the original footage.


Al

Reply

Apr 27, 2020 8:13 PM in response to Alchroma

Thanks for the help.


Correct my Canon is a mini DV camera. My Mac is fairly old...late 2013. I know that I will need a firewire adaptor since my Mac does not have a firewire port, but it does have the thunderbolt. So I would guess then, that my only option is to scour eBay for an old mini camcorder that is on the compatible list with FCPX. However, FCPX manual says that for optimal quality the transfer should be done on the same system that the footage was recorded on. Do you think that using a different camcorder to upload it to FCPX will decrease the quality.

Reply

Apr 28, 2020 4:58 PM in response to brenowden

brenowden wrote:

I have the fire wire and an adaptor, the issue is FCP not recognizing my camcorder, but has a list of other ones it is compatible with.


To clarify, do you mean your Canon ZR300 is not recognised by the Mac?

Where is this "other List" of compatibility you refer to?


Al

Reply

Apr 28, 2020 7:41 PM in response to Alchroma

Not recognized through FCPX. When you go into the help menu you can see the list of compatible camcorders and mine is not on that list for FCPX. However, when I connect the camcorder to the Mac, without going through FCP, it does not show up on Finder as a "location". I dont have a firewire 400 to 800 converter, so I cant currently plug it in using a firewire, (would buy it if I know it would solve the issue), but I used the USB port, thinking it would still show up on finder as a device, even though I cant transfer the video using the USB.


I tried to capture it through QT player, and I thought was going to work, but after I was done transferring the media through QTP, and went to save it, it gave me an error message and closed.

Reply

Apr 29, 2020 12:46 AM in response to brenowden

I think you are misunderstanding the connection chain.

I will spell it out.


1. The small end of the FireWire cable goes into the camera FireWire socket (FireWire 400 end)

2. The larger end of the FireWire cable goes into the FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter, FireWire 800.

3. The Thunderbolt end of the FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter does into the Thunderbolt port on the Mac.

4. Power up the camera and check in the System Report that the camera and Mac are communicating as already discussed.


If so FCP X or the QuickTime Player will be able to Import your tape.


Note: FCP X requires contiguous Timecode on the tape. If you have issues with FCP X, use the QuickTime Player as it is more forgiving regarding Timecode.


BTW: USB ports will not work in any shape or form. Do not even try, it's a waste of time.


Al

Reply

Apr 29, 2020 4:32 PM in response to thesurreyfriends

Thanks again for taking the time. I did understand the connectivity set up. FCPX says with or without the right wires, my camera is not "known" to FCPX. I was going to order the 400 - 800 pin converter but didnt want to do so if it was futile because of the codec (which is what FCPX person said was probably the issue). I will order the converter on the long shot that that will work. Fingers crossed it does, and I dont have to respond with another question. Again thank you for taking the time to help out. It is appreciated.

Reply

Apr 29, 2020 8:08 PM in response to brenowden

brenowden wrote:

FCPX says with or without the right wires, my camera is not "known" to FCPX. I was going to order the 400 - 800 pin converter but didnt want to do so if it was futile because of the codec (which is what FCPX person said was probably the issue).


Do you have a 400 to 400 firewire cable or a 400 to 800 firewire at hand????


If you have a 400 to 800 cable, you DO NOT need a 400 to 800 firewire adapter.

You will require the firewire 800 to Thunderbolt adapter as already discussed.


Al

Reply

May 3, 2020 3:06 AM in response to brenowden

The message says: Quicktime Player doesn’t have access to the microphone.


Rather than a problem with the camera this suggests that the security settings are preventing access. Does Quicktime Player appear in System Preferences->Security & Privacy->Privacy? Can you record audio and/or video from another source like the built-in camera and microphone?

Reply

Import Mini VHS

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.