Mac won’t recognise my camera is plugged in

I’m trying to get the footage off a cassette in my Sony Handycam HDR-HC7.

I’m using a 4pin FireWire to 9pin FireWire, FireWire to thunderbolt 2, and then thunderbolt2 to thunderbolt 3 (usb-c) to plug it into my laptop.

Neither the Mac, iMovie or Preview will recognise it’s plugged in, so I don’t know how to get the footage off.

My Mac is a 2017 MacBook Pro and I just updated it to Ventura 13.4.1.

Could I have some advice on whether I need to put specific setting on my laptop or other things to try? I don’t know whether it’s the laptop or cables?

MacBook Pro 13″

Posted on Jul 5, 2023 1:09 AM

Best reply

Rich839

Level 8

47,316 points

Posted on Jul 5, 2023 10:28 AM

Most often it is the cable that is causing the non-recognition of the camera. Assuming this is Mini DV tape, you are using the correct assembly of cables and adapters. Might be that one of the cables or adapters is defective. Are you using Apple cables and adapters? Or could be a defective socket USCb socket on the Mac.

Double check your user's manual to confirm that you are following all of the steps that the camera requires to transfer video from the camera.

Check all cable connections and make sure they are tight. Try toggling the camera on and off, and shutting down and restarting the Mac. Try starting the camera's playback. Try unplugging and plugging in the cable.

If you have another Mac, or access to a friend's Mac, you might try and see if it will recognize the camera.

-- Rich

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Mac won’t recognise my camera is plugged in

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