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starfleetX · Nov 8, 2001, 06:00 PM

Okay, I've never used a digital camcorder with my Mac (I've always used an analog RCA or S-video signal converter) so I don't know much about the digital cameras with FireWire.

Will any FireWire video camera work? Or does it have to be on Apple's "supported" lists on the iMovie and FCP pages?

I'm looking at some Sony cameras similar to the ones Apple listed, but not the exact same model numbers.

Thanks in advance!

[ 11-08-2001: Message edited by: starfleetX ]

Jerjerrod · Nov 8, 2001, 06:05 PM

Any firewire camera should work, in theory. My guess is Apple has a list of cameras it supports or endorses.

Something you might consider, though, is MiniDV versus Sony's Digital8. I've only used MiniDV, but I've heard mixed reports about whether Digital8 is of equal or lesser quality. MiniDV obviously takes the cake for convenience, though.

Paul S · Nov 9, 2001, 08:55 AM

Go to http://www.apple.com/imovie/shoot.html for a compatibility chart from Apple.

To respond to Digital8 vs. MiniDV, I use D8 for professional wedding videos edited with a combination of iMovie and Adobe Premiere 6.0. I've never noticed a problem or quality issue. I also work at a place that sells cameras so I have used both extensively. The only quality difference I notice is on higher end 3 chip cameras vs. single chip cameras.

starfleetX · Nov 9, 2001, 11:42 PM

Originally posted by Paul S:
<STRONG>Go to http://www.apple.com/imovie/shoot.html for a compatibility chart from Apple. </STRONG>

Yes, I knew about that page. My concern was that many of the newer models are not "supported" on Apple's list. For example, I was browsing Sony's selection and found that only 2 of the 6 Digital 8's are on Apple's list. The 130, 230, 330, and 830 aren't listed. So, if I were to get the 230 (just for example), should I expect it to work with my Mac?

Paul S · Nov 12, 2001, 09:57 AM

I would be surprised if they didn't work. I'm sure Apple hasn't kept up with the latest camcorders released by everyone. The Sony's you list are all the current models. Apple's probably made that list a low priority.

starfleetX · Nov 12, 2001, 07:46 PM

Thanks for the replies and info. I actually found a very informative thread over at MacFixit.com that answered my questions.

MacFixIt Forums - Digital video cameras

FXWizard · Nov 13, 2001, 07:08 PM

All that "supported" means is that the camcorder has been tested with iMovie; if a particular model isn't on the list it could mean that it won't work, or it could mean that it wasn't tested.

I'm going to be buying an iBook and a DV camcorder soon and once I've decided which camcorder I'm going to buy, if it's not on Apple's list I'll just take the iBook to the store and try it out.