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User profile for user: lightninginajar
lightninginajar Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Why won't my mac import from a Mini DV camera?

I have tried with two different cameras to import into QuickTime as well as iMovie. Specifically, I tried with a Panasonic PV–GS36 and a Canon ZR 80. The Panasonic camera is sufficiently rusted the 4-pin firewire port that the computers throw an unrecognized device error in the System Information Firewire section, while the Canon is recognized correctly. I also did the step described in this article My Mac won't recognize my old MiniDV camc… - Apple Community to put the Canon's DV port into output mode as opposed to AV input mode. The macs I have tested this on are a 2019 MacBook Pro and a 2018 Mac Mini Both with USB-C ports. I have the USB-C to thunderbolt, thunderbolt to firewire 800, firewire 800 to firewire 400 6 pin, and firewire 400 6 pin to firewire 4 pin adapters and or cables connected in series. However neither QuickTime nor iMovie are recognizing the cameras as possible input sources. Is there any driver or optional software update/install that I need to perform in order to rescue my mini DV content?

Mac mini, 12.3

Posted on May 11, 2022 3:07 PM

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User profile for user: Matti Haveri
Matti Haveri
User level: Level 6
17,694 points

May 12, 2022 1:27 PM in response to lightninginajar

I'd import DV while natively booted (I have an old PowerBook G4 with OS X 10.5.8 and Mac mini 2009 with OS X 10.11.6 dedicated for this currently very rare task although a Firewire-Thunderbolt adapter worked in macOS 10.14 and Mac mini 2018 when I last tried it with mainly retired unnEUtered Sony TRV320E). I have never tested this in a VM which I otherwise use for some old 32-bit software.


I'd check what is the earliest macOS the Mac supports and install that on an external drive for this task. Or maybe macOS 12.2.1 which should support DV import.


Check your Mac's supported options via the Terminal:


softwareupdate --list-full-installers

Finding available software

Software Update found the following full installers:

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.3.1, Size: 11938730KiB, Build: 21E258

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.3, Size: 11936503KiB, Build: 21E230

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.2.1, Size: 11870533KiB, Build: 21D62

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.2, Size: 11871411KiB, Build: 21D49

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.1, Size: 11872104KiB, Build: 21C52

* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.0.1, Size: 11844168KiB, Build: 21A559

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.5, Size: 12121404KiB, Build: 20G527

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.4, Size: 12147782KiB, Build: 20G417

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.3, Size: 12143674KiB, Build: 20G415

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.2, Size: 12141944KiB, Build: 20G314

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.6.1, Size: 12137180KiB, Build: 20G224

* Title: macOS Big Sur, Version: 11.5.2, Size: 12149332KiB, Build: 20G95

* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8055650KiB, Build: 19H15

* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8055522KiB, Build: 19H2

* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.6, Size: 8055450KiB, Build: 19G2021

* Title: macOS Mojave, Version: 10.14.6, Size: 5896894KiB, Build: 18G103

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Why won't my mac import from a Mini DV camera?

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