Canon MV500i AV to DV to Mac help needed

[MacBraveheart]

Hey folks- I found you all through Googling about this particular conundrum:

I have previously managed to do this with the rather sketchy help of my manual and now cannot replicate it for love nor money:

(This is me: )

Have old analogue Sony Hi8 camera. Need to get THAT into the Macintosh (iMovie is a doddle!). Connected it up to the Canon MV500i using the 3 jack from the Sony to the single AV on Canon and used DV out on Canon to Firewire on Mac.

Turned Canon to Menu/AV>DV ON and then removed tape from Canon as requested by manual.

Mac SEES Canon but tells me it has no tape.

Canon SEES/plays back Sony's footage...

Just the point of DV in to DV out seems to be sticking...

Even used the remote as instructed for RECORDING analogue and THAT didn't work either. (edited to add clarification- TRIED to use remote as for recording. Recording itself STILL works fine)

Anyone able to shed light on this now rather dated but still dinky video camera?

Pwease?

Thanks

PS: Did extensive searching here for answers BEFORE posting- found loads of interesting answers to other questions but none to this.

[MarkE19]

Well I don't own or use a Mac, so don't know iMovie, but what you need to do in all editing software when useing a camcorder as an analogue to digital converter is 'disable device control'. You should then no longer get told that 'there is no tape' in the DV camcorder, and as long as the cam is set up correctly you should be able to capture via firewire from the analogue source.

HTH,
Mark.

[MacBraveheart]

Originally Posted by MarkE19

Well I don't own or use a Mac, so don't know iMovie, but what you need to do in all editing software when useing a camcorder as an analogue to digital converter is 'disable device control'. You should then no longer get told that 'there is no tape' in the DV camcorder, and as long as the cam is set up correctly you should be able to capture via firewire from the analogue source.

HTH,
Mark.

Thank you very much for your response- I actually thought of something when you raised the Mac as an issue. I checked the troubleshooting there and the only suggestion (because Mac iMovie is so disgustingly simple to use) they have is to power the camera off and on a few times to cycle it.

Am about to check to see if that makes any odds.

Will also unplug everything yet again.

[MacBraveheart]

Not QUITE two years later but I am again needing to do this. There is no allowance made for disabling device (ie the Canon which is acting as the av>dv convertor) either provided on the Canon itself or the computer programme.

Odd this.

I have been transcribing the old Hi8s to DV tapes but the originals are 90 minutes and the DVs are 60 so it is a pain in the proverbial.

Searching this subject it would appear that a lot of folk have this problem- that their cameras just chuck up the "no tape" "error" (well it is more of an annoyance than an error as it is showing up DESPITE following its own instructions).

Anyone solved it yet?

[MarkE19]

With a quick Google search I found This site that talks you through capture of analogue sources via an analogue to firewire converter. It should be the same for a camcorder doing the A>D conversion but if you still have the 'no tape' message then try just leaving the tape door open on the camcorder.

If you do want to capture the Hi8 tapes to a miniDV tape then you will get 90 minutes on a tape in LP mode and there should be no loss of PQ. It is just that a tape recorded in LP on one make of cam may not play on another make. Also there is more chance of drop outs of the sound or picture.

Mark.